Postgraduate Studies May 2015 by Penerbit Wawasan

APRIL- MAY ISSUE 2015

Bi-monthly Magazine | Issue 26

RAISING THE BAR Kamalanathan a/l P. Panchanathan

Malaysiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Learning II

MORE IN THIS ISSUE: ISSN 2232-0342

FEATURED A LIFE IN SCIENCE

Dr Chong Kok Keong Head of Programme (Master of Engineering Science and Ph.D. in engineering), UTAR

HIGHLIGHTS MAKING GLOBAL IMPACT

Dr Chan Kok Gan Senior Lecturer and High Impact Research Centre Coordinator, University Malaya

NASIM UNVEILS THE

ALL-NEW PEUGEOT 308 THP

PP17103/19/2014 (030736) 2015 Issue 26/ 2015 APRIL - MAY Issue RM7.42 (INCL GST) 1 9772232034009

A LIFE IN SCIENCE

Prof. Dr. Chong Kok Keong , Head of Programme for Master of Engineering Science and Ph.D. in Engineering, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

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MAKING GLOBAL IMPACT Dr. Chan Kok Gan Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Science and High Impact Research Centre Coordinator, University Malaya

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EDITOR’S NOTE

EDITOR’S NOTE I’d like to call this the success issue, for reasons that will be obvious later. But first, a rant. Whenever I tell people what I do for a living, I invariably get this question: Oh did you go to a university abroad? I’ll tell you my answer in a moment.

credit for. A clear indicator is our popularity as an educational destination for foreign students - we currently rank at the 11th position worldwide with about 135,000 foreign students – and more tellingly, the increasing number of prestigious universities wanting to get a share of the higher education pie.

But before that, why? Why is it that some Malaysians like to think that somebody who is doing fairly well in his or her industry must be the product of foreign education? After all, I think I turned out all right, and so did hundreds of other local graduates. The longer I work on this magazine, the more shocked I am by public ignorance of the good things that have resulted from our local education system, and the more determined I am to rectify this misperception.

It took a huge dose of luck and nimble scheduling for us to secure YB Kamalanathan s/o P. Panchanathan, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Learning II, for our cover story. There was probably no one in more demand than him at that point of time – the country’s Higher Education blueprint was about to be revealed. Now that it’s out, we can understand why he and his team were visibly excited at the time the interview took place. Read all about the robust research and visionary thinking that went into the blueprint inside.

The fact is, Malaysia has performed better in higher education – since that’s the thrust of this magazine - than many uninformed armchair critics give its policy-makers

We hope, and we would like to believe that the new blueprint will produce even more success stories like the

two academicians that we are privileged to feature. There’s the highly-decorated Prof. Dr. Chong Kok Keong, a Physics graduate from University of Malaya with a PhD in Optical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, who has done ground-breaking work in solar energy. Then there’s Dr. Chan Kok Gan, also a UM alumnus and a star researcher whose work in bacterial cellto-cell communication hails great promise for infection treatment. These two passionate scientists are solid proof that Malaysia does produce worldclass success stories – and guess what, their educational foundation was made in Malaysia. Proud local graduate,

Alexandra Wong 7

CONTENT

COVER STORY

RAISING THE BAR

YB Kamalanathan s/o P. Panchanathan, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Learning II, talks about the gamechanging implications of the recently-unveiled Higher Education blueprint.

FEATURED

HIGHLIGHTS A LIFE IN SCIENCE

Professor Dr Chong Kok Keong, Head of Programme for Master of Engineering Science and Ph.D. in engineering at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, opens up about life as a scientist, and the latest developments in solar energy research.

CREATE A PERSONAL USP WITH MBA Dr Romana Garma, the MBA Program Director & Postgraduate Co-ordinator at Victoria University

CONTENT

FEATURED 56

MAKING GLOBAL IMPACT

Dr Chan Kok Gan, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Science, University Malaya, and Coordinator at UM’s High Impact Research Centre, shares how the ground-breaking work of local scientists is attracting international collaborators.

PEUGEOT REDEFINES MALAYSIAN DRIVING EXPERIENCE

Nasim unveils award-winning all-new Peugeot 308 THP

HIGHLIGHTS INTERVIEW

HIGHLIGHTS

SUNWAY UNIVERISTY NEW CAMPUS

EDUCATION & FURTHER STUDIES FAIR

CHAN WEN HONG

CHUA MAGGIE

PHILIP LEE

LIER YU HANG

KAREN TAN

THIRUCHELVAN

DENISE CHAN

AARON SOO

LEE KWAN HYEN

COVER STORY

RAISING THE Inspired by his community-minded father, who was the Rawang branch chairman of the Malaysian Indian Congress, Kamalanathan s/o. P. Panchanathan started to dabble in politics at 18. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the seat of Hulu Selangor and has held the post of Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Learning II since 16 May 2013, after the 13th general election.

BAR

eeks before this

issue of MBA Edge Postgraduate went to print, we were thrilled to secure a one-on-one with the extremely busy Kamalanathan s/o P. Panchanathan, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Learning II. There was probably no one in greater demand than him in the country at that point of time – Malaysia’s Higher Education blueprint was about to be revealed. Now that the official word is out, we can confirm that it is, as YB Kamalanathan had communicated during the interview, likely to be a game changer for our tertiary education. Anchored by ten main thrusts that take place over a 10 year roadmap, the blueprint aims to raise tertiary education enrolment from 36% to 53% by 2025, double the enrolment for postgraduates

Q01

from four to eight percent, and produce job creators and entrepreneurial-minded citizens, not just job-seekers. In other words, it is designed and built for tomorrow, yet takes into account current realities and challenges. In this exclusive interview, YB Kamalanathan takes us behind the scenes into the creation of a grounded yet ambitious plan that would produce industryready skilled talents, make the technical and vocational education an industry-led initiative and instill the spirit of lifelong learning, of which he is a shining example of.

Tell us about your journey in education. I understand that you went into politics without much in the way of tertiary education.

All I had was my Form Six certification. I wasn’t a star student or anything like that. I was only average at best. Back then, many of us didn’t think that education was all that important in life and that it was experience that would take us far (and wide). And it’s true enough. Experience does indeed carry you far but only so far. Academic qualifications take you further and beyond.

COVER STORY

Q02

What was the next step in furthering your tertiary education?

I tried Business Management, Marketing, and even postal correspondence courses before finally stumbling upon something that I felt was most suited to me: Public Relations. While taking a Diploma in Mass Communication, I had to do three papers: Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing. Next I signed up for a Certificate in Public Relations under the London Chamber of Commerce Industry (LCCI), which sparked my interest. At

Q03

You had a knack for it.

After that, I got back into the work force because I needed to accumulate funds. I have a younger brother and sister and my father was the sole bread-winner in the family. He and my mother would have still done what they could to allow me to continue my studies but my father was only earning enough to cover our family’s needs. So I thought it was best I worked and paid my own way. I worked for a few years and saved up a small sum. I withdrew about RM25,000 from the EPF which I used to sign up for a degree course in Mass Communications. I got my degree after two years and by that time, I was

that point in time, there wasn’t any institution that offered a degree or even a diploma in Public Relations other than The Institute of Public Relations Malaysia (IPRM). I got into the IPRM’s diploma course and was the only one among 12 students who were not currently working in the PR line like the other 11 were. In the end, only six of us got through the course and I was one of them. And it was then that PR reasserted itself as the education choice for me.

already active in politics. I was working so I took part-time classes in the evening. After a few years, after becoming a member of parliament, I stood for by-election in 2010. Then in 2011, Universiti Utara Malaysia offered a few of us members of parliament the opportunity to do our Masters. I signed up for a two-year program but being an MP facing a general election in 2013, I wasn’t able to finish everything on time. It was classroom and research-based and while I didn’t have too much problems attending classes, it was the research I couldn’t find time to properly do. So I wrote letters of appeal to UUM and spoke to them to plead my case and they heard me because they allowed me an extension. I graduated last year with a degree in Political Science.

Q04 Experience does indeed carry you far but only so far. Academic qualifications take you further and beyond.

Having obtained your tertiary qualifications, what do you consider the greatest value of higher education?

It gives much more quality to what I’m doing and it’s part of my own personal holistic development. You need both education and good values to be holistic. Even politics—what I’m doing now—won’t be forever. Things may change tomorrow. And if they do, am I employable? When I go out and talk to people, I do courtesy calls first. I make

my entire profile available so my background becomes completely transparent to them. They know what I’ve done and where I studied. I’d imagine if I went to see them armed with only my Form 6 education, they may only view me as a politician and nothing beyond that. Now, though, they might view me as more than just that and that evens out the playing field for whatever it is we’re discussing.

COVER STORY

Q05

I would like to ask you to share some insights into the focus and direction of Malaysia’s Higher Education sector. The Federal Government formulated a plan to bring higher education in Malaysia to world-class status through executing a categorisation of Malaysian public universities into three groups: (1) Research/Apex Universities (2) Comprehensive Universities and (3) Focused Universities. What was the rationale of this move?

Every university has got a niche area. For example, UUM is a university that’s focused on management. USM is among the top 50 universities in the world when it comes to environment studies. No doubt everyone wishes for their own university to be among the best there is but to me, important as that ambition is, it isn’t the only thing we should

focus on. The responsibility of universities has changed. Once upon a time, that responsibility only covered giving education or providing knowledge. In the past, a university was basically a city that provides universal education. Today, the role of universities has gone beyond just that. Now, a university’s worth is measured by, among other criteria, how many of

their graduates are employed by the time they actually graduate. What’s important is that the university must be able to ensure that come what may, they are prepared for the future. What’s the point in being a graduate of one of the top universities the world has to offer if you’re not able to land a job?

COVER STORY

Q06

One of the programmes developed to bridge the gap between industry needs and academia was the establishment of the Industry Centre of Excellence (ICoE). Can you tell us more about the programme?

ICoE is an industry-driven working model derived from the National Graduate Employability Blueprint 20122017 where students are trained in both the hard and soft skills as required by the industry. Its establishment is meant to develop and prepare the desired human capital to fulfill manpower requirements of the industry and foster growth on knowledge and technology sharing between the IHLs and the industry.

Simply put, ICoE is an initiative between the university and the industry that matches up a university with the relevant industry. For example, the franchise industry of Malaysia is matched with UUM. Members of the franchise industry work with the university to build a syllabus. This means that members of academia and members of the industry would sit down and work together to come out with a syllabus that would generate graduates with

highly practical knowledge. This was unheard of back in the day when only academicians were the ones building syllabuses (and doing it in isolation). Today, the industry gets a say. They can give practical input because they know what they need. With this, the syllabus is fool-proof. The industry would be able to confidently hire graduates because the graduates would already come armed with the exact knowledge the industry needs them to have.

COVER STORY

What’s important is that the university must be able to ensure that come what may, they are prepared for the future. What’s the point in being a graduate of one of the top universities the world has to offer if you’re not able to land a job?

Q07

How does Malaysia fare in terms of attractiveness as an international educational hub?

We currently rank at the 11th position worldwide with about 135,000 foreign students. We have set a target of 150,000 by the end of this year. Last year’s target was 120,000. Our target, based on the higher education blueprint scheduled to be launched sometime within the first quarter of the year, is to have 200,000 foreign students to be studying in Malaysia by 2020. This is what we’re working towards currently.

COVER STORY

Q08

What are the most popular courses among foreign students?

They tend to go for technology courses. For example, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology’s foreign student body comprises students from more than 100 countries. Tan Sri Lim himself says that he’s got a mini-UN going on in the university campus! We have a lot of international universities coming into Malaysia presently. There’s Heriot-Watt right across the road, Monash University, the University of Nottingham and the University of Reading, which is about to open in EduCity Iskandar in Johor Baru. This is progress, all these universities wanting to become part of the education scene here in Malaysia, though we have got to have a moratorium in place. We can’t have new universities being built when the existing ones are still not entirely up to par just yet. Having fledgling universities now would just end up being counter-productive to what we’re trying to achieve.

Q09

Why did these universities choose Malaysia?

Because this is where all the action is going to be. Compared to our neighbors, cost of living here is still very manageable. There’s no language barrier because English is a widelyused language here. These are only some of the deciding factors attracting students to choose this place to pursue their education.

COVER STORY

We currently rank at the 11th position worldwide with about

135,000

foreign students. We have set a target of

150,000

by the end of this year.

Q10

What is our direction in terms of technical and vocational education and training?

It’s my personal belief that technical and vocational education has to be an industry-led initiative. In Malaysia, it’s always been led by the government. For example, if a polytechnic or a vocational school were to be built, it has to be done by the government. In some developed nations, they don’t do it like that. In Germany, it’s the industry that leads the initiative. What the government does is provide support schemes.

Q11

And that’s where we want to head towards?

Yes. We encourage the industry to work with us to establish polytechnics and vocational schools. Let’s take Perodua as an example and say, it needs to hire 500 fresh employees every year. Imagine the undertaking they’d have to go through each year in the whole hiring process. The time to conduct interviews from a very large pool of candidates is phenomenal.

Now imagine if they had a Perodua vocational school where they could easily select candidates from, having already groomed them exactly the way they need them. They’ll have both classroom and practical experience. So what can happen here is that the industry can work with local schools by providing classroom venues.

COVER STORY

Q12

Has that already started to happen?

Yes, it has. Proton has got an institute in the Petaling area. Sime Darby Plantation is another company that is a good candidate for starting a vocational school. They can quite easily find plenty of experts that could train up the next generation of experts. If their concern is not being able to provide enough jobs to justify the amount of trainees, there

are always other companies and organizations that could use the talent. Nothing would go to waste. The English Premier League is a good analogy. For example, I’ve got a player whom I invested millions of pounds into warming the bench most of the time. Instead of letting his talent and my money go to waste, I’m willing to sell him to you if you’re willing to buy him at what he’s currently worth in the market. You get yourself a player that could strengthen your team and I’ve got my money sitting safely back in the bank. You win, I win.

We need to think outside the box in order for Malaysia to become a skilled nation by the year 2020, with a strong foundation of skilled workforce. The entire objective of the higher education blueprint is that—creating a skilled work force. We cannot be dependent upon expatriates coming in as skilled workers with our very own workers remaining only semi-skilled at best.

COVER STORY

Q13

Where would you say we are at now?

Q14

What are some of the initiatives over the last couple of years that are meaningful to you personally?

We are more semi-skilled. We still rely heavily on expatriates coming over to provide expertise. It doesn’t always have to be like that. We could rise up and become skilled ourselves. Foreign investors are

It would be lifelong learning, the enhancement of technical and vocational education as well as turning Malaysia into an international education hub by 2020, both of which I have already spoken at length about. One thing that I like to talk about a lot is lifelong learning because I am a product of that. We are already doing it as we speak and some of the things we want to enhance are also in the higher education blueprint. Community colleges would be playing a pivotal role in providing the

always welcome, of course, but the employees ideally should be made up of almost 100% Malaysians. Right now, though, it’s not that the investors don’t want to hire Malaysians as skilled workers. It’s us who can’t provide the talent they need. The higher education blueprint would address this concern.

platform for lifelong learning. Other universities can of course come in to provide assistance to Malaysians who wish to continue their pursuit of knowledge for as long as they are able. We have graduates who are very old but still come back to do evening classes. We need to enhance that, make it as accessible as possible, because this would contribute significantly towards becoming a nation that is highly educated.

The entire objective of the higher education blueprint is that—creating a skilled work force. We cannot be dependent upon expatriates coming in as skilled workers with our very own workers remaining only semi-skilled at best.

COVER STORY

Q15

Is there a demand for it, though?

Demand can be created. It doesn’t factor as an issue at all. All we need is the avenue through which to provide it. MBA graduates may opt to pursue another Masters in another area if the avenue is readily available. The payoff is that we’ll have highly educated Malaysians, forming a nation that is highly developed intellectually. On the other hand, there is room to upgrade. How do we do that? One solution is to bridge the gap between urban and rural communities by developing infrastructure in rural communities that is equal to their urban counterparts. But that is going to cost an insane amount of money. An alternative is to give rural communities technology in the form of virtual learning environment. A student in a remote village in Sarawak will have access to the same computer applications one in KL would have and studying the exact same syllabus. Teachers and lecturers in rural communities can share thoughts, ideas and updates by way of video conferencing so no one is left out of the loop. We are now providing technology development to children in primary and secondary schools. This way, when they move on to higher education, they would already be technologically-savvy. The higher education blueprint is ultimately embedded into the national education so there would be a fluid continuity that starts from pre-school all the way to tertiary education. We’d have a whole module that is plain as day to anyone who is looking. The education blueprint is much more than a report. In it, we acknowledge our problems and failures, and we set mission objectives with deadlines to counter or solve these problems and failures. It’s all very clearly defined.

COVER STORY

10 SHIFTS TO TRANSFORM THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

The higher education blueprint is ultimately embedded into the national education so there would be a fluid continuity that starts from pre-school all the way to tertiary education. 22

COVER STORY

Q16

I’m sure our readers would like to know how the educational blueprint is put together. Can you give us an idea?

It’s not something come up by a few heads put together in a musty conference room in Putrajaya! It is the fruit of 50,000 Malaysians providing feedback over the course of two years through townhalls and focus group meetings. Everybody gave their input and derived from that input is a draft. When this draft was ready, it was subjected to public scrutiny via road shows. We needed opinions from the most valid party if we were to come up with something that would actually work.

Q17

That’s enlightening. Lastly, what is your educational philosophy?

While you’re alive, many things may expire. Education isn’t one of them. 23

HIGHLIGHTS

onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pigeonhole yourself. Instead, think broadly about the unique package you have to offer employers in terms of skills and knowledge - and you can map a career in any industry. This is the advice from Dr Romana Garma, the MBA Program Director & Postgraduate Co-ordinator at Victoria University, to MBA holders.

CREATE A PERSONAL

USP WITH MBA Dr Romana Garmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s educational expertise is in statistics and marketing and is a Qualified Practising Market Researcher. Her research interest lies in the experiences of individuals and broadly focuses on consumer behaviour/experiences and services marketing.

HIGHLIGHTS

Q01

Share with us your own postgraduate experience and how it helped you in your career.

I completed my Master of Business (Marketing) to gain new knowledge. I was an Accountant when I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree. When I commenced my academic career teaching statistics, as much as I enjoyed it, I was looking for ways to apply my statistics knowledge and I found that through market research. I wanted to know more about marketing and I thoroughly enjoyed my learning experience completing my Masters. I met colleagues who I continue to be friends with many years later! I developed skills in critical thinking, creativity and writing. Accountants and Marketers have opposing views – one believes you need to spend money to make money. The other doesn’t. Initially, I thought I had deviated from my career direction but I now realise how important it is to have a mixed skills base which I believe has helped me as the MBA Director at Victoria University. Leadership positions require individuals to have strong analytical skills, marketing and people skills. Above all leaders need resilience and you learn to develop your resilience particularly if you are juggling full-time employment with postgraduate studies.

HIGHLIGHTS

Q02

What sort of opportunities awaits students who are armed with an MBA?

Q03

What are the three high-growth sectors/industries where there is a high demand for graduates from this field?

Victoria University and Sunway College are committed to providing its students with a solid grounding in the business skills and knowledge that 21st century employers look for in astute leaders. These include commercial acumen, creative

As a marketer I tend to focus on the changes in the consumer markets and in Australia (and to some extent Asia) we are experiencing an ageing population, a rise of dual income households and an educated and

thinking and problem-solving, interpersonal skills, and a drive for continuous improvement. Business graduates are needed in every industry. Graduates should never â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pigeonholeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; themselves in the roles they currently hold. Think broadly

affluent population. As such, I see greater demand in quality health care, childcare services and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entertainment, services offering hedonic experiences (quality restaurants, entertainment, travel), and

about the unique package you have to offer employers in terms of skills and knowledge you possess and you can map a career in any industry.

wealth management. These services will be supported by information and communication technology (digital delivery and business analytics).

HIGHLIGHTS

Q04

Can you give examples of how VUMBA helps business students to be globally competitive?

Q05

What should a prospective postgraduate expect from an MBA or Postgraduate program?

The VUMBA has been ranked as one of the top MBAs in Australia and world by CEO magazine. It was ranked the No.1 MBA in Australia in 2014. VU MBA helps students become globally competitive thanks to its blend of traditional analytical and strategic content with contemporary issues of sustainability, innovation and

Attending MBA classes provides students â&#x20AC;&#x201C; many of whom are leaders or managers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the opportunity to reflect on what they are currently doing in their workplace and to identify ways to make changes to current practices. The program can be challenging but also rewarding though the personal growth one goes through to the rewards of promotion in the workplace. The skills MBA graduates develop are still regarded valuable in the business world. Students will develop or extend their critical thinking skills, be encouraged to question current

entrepreneurship, change management and leadership. This is underpinned by research and the latest developments in industry. VUMBA students complete a capstone research project, in collaboration with industry partners, where students research to identify a business problem and offer solutions.

practices, and utilise current research to assist in decision making. We recommend that students should spend approximately 10 hours a week per subject by reading, researching and completing assessment. While the current trend of a number of universities is to design MBA programs so students can complete them in the shortest time, I believe it takes time to absorb new knowledge, to develop skills and take the time to reflect and apply what you have learnt. VUMBA students complete their MBA in 18 months.

Victoria University is also considered a leader in enterprise resource planning education. Big data is part of most successful businesses. MBA students have hands on opportunities to practice with such data using SAP software and business analytic tools.

Q06

On a personal note, what is your educational philosophy?

You never stop learning. Students will find the learning more relevant if you are able make the information interesting enough so you are engaging with them.

HIGHLIGHTS

SUNWAY UNIVERISTY

NEW CAMPUS

HIGHLIGHTS

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master of Business Administration

CHAN WEN HONG Why made you want to study an MBA? Occupation: Financial Controller

University: Currently pursuing the Victoria University MBA (VUMBA) at Sunway; Member of MIA and ACCA; Possess a Bachelor of Accounting (Hons) from Multimedia University, Cyberjaya Campus.

Brief Job Descriptions: Head of Finance for a start-up company since March 2014 after being nominated for the role by my previous employer (as a shareholder/investor.) The company is a joint-venture company established for the creation of intellectual property content and its commercial exploitation.

An MBA has always been my first choice for post-graduate studies as I wanted to gain a broad based qualification which will provide me with a better understanding of what it takes to be part of Senior Management.

What inspires you? Someone who brings their heart and conviction into carrying out their duties and responsibilities.

What is your Favourite Quotes?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.â&#x20AC;? by Eleanor Roosevelt.

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Masters of Business Administration

PHILIP LEE

What made you want to study an MBA? Occupation: Strategist, Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad

University: Victoria University, Masters of Business Administration

Brief Job Descriptions: Manager in the Strategy department which is placed within Group Business Banking. My team acts as the business intelligence unit to the sales force. My job scope revolves around understanding the market environment and determining the business strategy the department should undertake to maximize profit and minimize risks. My other tasks also includes market research, industry analysis and market competitorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; analysis to identify gaps and opportunities in the marketplace. I am also keeping my team updated with changing market trends, consumer behaviours and new technologies. I am also supporting my superiors with product and business model development, organizational strategy, marketing and channel strategy, business analytics and other strategic initiatives.

I have always believed that we should invest in knowledge and to continuously increase our capacity to learn more. An MBA will be able to do that for me and in turn, open specific doors for me in future. I have always liked to keep my options open and with an MBA, the breadth of knowledge that I will gain will be a good foundation for me to venture into something new in future. Taking an MBA has also given me the opportunity to meet new people and engage in networking sessions that are invaluable.

What is your Favourite Quotes?

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Henry David Thoereau

What inspires you? I have a passion for running and I have completed six halfmarathons within the last eight months. My first race taught me that nothing is impossible and that I should take every challenge in life like how I take every kilometre in a race: just face it dead-on and never give up no matter what is thrown at you. I find marathoners really inspiring. Coincidentally, most of the seniors in my bank are marathoners themselves. 31

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master of Business Administration

KAREN TAN

Why made you want to study an MBA? Occupation: Finance Manager in an Oil & Gas MNC

University: Victoria University MBA (VUMBA) at Sunway

Brief Job Descriptions: As a Head of Department, my main responsibilities involve overseeing all the day-to-day operations in finance department including management reporting, budgeting processes, credit control, internal control & compliance, treasury monitoring as well as implements enhancement. On top of that, I am also responsible for payroll function and finding & developing talents.

I personally believe that an MBA qualification improves your career opportunity, builds networking opportunities, paves the way for new skills and knowledge acquisition. You also get to know people from different levels and different industries. On top of that, I would consider changing my career to the education industry when I reach a certain age. Teaching used to be my ambition since young and I believe I should able to achieve my goal one day.

What inspires you? The encouragement to pursue my MBA came from my brothers, who are all MBA holders. One of my brothers is currently pursuing his Ph.D. I treat him as a role model and I think I can do the same or even better.

What is your Favourite Quotes?

When you want something youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never had, you have to do something youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never done

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master of Business Administration

DENISE CHAN

What made you decide to study an MBA?

Occupation: Senior Executive in the Finance & Accounts Department

University: VUMBA (current), Nilai International University College

Brief Job Descriptions: I am attached with Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia as a Senior Executive in the Finance & Accounts Department. My job involves company account transactions ranging from General Ledger to Tax matter.

An investment in knowledge would never disappoint you, so why not? Things always happen unexpectedly but if we have adequate knowledge and are capable enough to change it, things might happen in different way.

What inspires you most? My life experience. Knowledge is the window for me to see the big world out there and motivate me to learn more. So, change your thought and you might change your world. I’ve changed, how about you?.

Favorite quote

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela.

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master of Business Administration

AARON SOO

What made you want to study an MBA? Occupation: Key Account Manager, Recall Corporation Sdn Bhd

University: Victoria University MBA (VUMBA) at Sunway BEng Mechanical Engineering at University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST)

Brief Job Descriptions: • Manage and build relationship with the company’s key clients • Provide information management solutions to clients through the company’s line of services • Assist clients with their periodic internal or external audit of the company’s services and procedure provided. Involves working with various departments to ensure audit sessions are met with customer expectations

I found myself at a stage of my career where I was unable to further pursue my intended career path with the current knowledge I had. In my current role, I found myself in a number of unfavourable situations due to my limited knowledge. Pursuing an internationally recognised MBA with a diverse group of students with a variety of ethnic and career backgrounds was the logical step in my career development.

What inspires you? People who in spite of the adversity and challenges they face still succeed and achieve their goals

What is your Favourite Quotes?

Do or do not. There is no try.

(Master Yoda from Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back)

STUDY AUSTRALIA'S TOP RANKED MBA AT SUNWAY Victoria University's MBA degree is ranked 1st in Australia and 6th Globally* * MBA rankings are based on International Graduate Forum (as reported in CEO Magazine) Australian MBA Rankings Winter 2013 and Global Top 20 Rankings 2014.

• Flexible modular 18-month programme • Visiting lecturers from Victoria University • Weekend classes • Modern Graduate Centre with excellent teaching and learning facilities • Hands-on SAP workshops • Subject exemptions for CPA, ACCA, and other professional qualiﬁcations holders • Malaysian students may apply for MoE MyMaster grant of RM 10,000

Date : 16th May, Saturday Time : 11.00am - 12.30pm Venue : Function Room 5, Graduate Centre, Sunway Campus RSVP : sunway.edu.my/college/vumba/preview

JPT/BPP(K)(R345/7/0410/A3294)12/18

DK265-01(W)

kavithaa@sunway.edu.my

FEATURED

ave you always been intensely curious about how the universe works â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and do burning questions about it keep you up at night? Does contributing your knowledge to the betterment of mankind appeal more than taking home a big paycheque? If so, you may be a scientist in the making. Find out what it means to be one, in our exclusive interview with Professor Dr Chong Kok Keong, Head of Programme for Master of Engineering Science and Ph.D. in engineering at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, as he opens up about his life, his view of the world and the latest developments in his area of research, solar energy.

A LIFE IN SCIENCE Prof. Dr. Chong Kok Keong has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from University of Malaya and a Ph.D. (Optical Engineering) degree from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. At Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, he teaches Research Methods in Science & Engineering for Master and Ph.D. programmes, Renewable Energy and Optoelectronic, and has more than 15 years of research experience in solar energy. In recognition of his work, he has received numerous accolades including JCI Ten Young Outstanding Malaysian (TOYM) 2013 Award and was named Associate Fellow of ASEAN Academy of Engineering & Technology 2013 and Young Affiliate Fellow for The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) 2011.

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Q01

What influenced your decision to pursue the research you are passionate about today?

I liked Physics since I was young. Physics is a fascinating subject because everything, especially things about the universe like why we can see stars or how Earth is formed, can be answered through Physics. We always ask why we are here, why Earth is like this; all these questions stem from our curiosity. Physics is one of the most comprehensive, systematic systems that can explain everything in the world including the smallest particle. Whatever we can or cannot see can be explained through Physics. In primary school, you have all these big questions with no one to answer for us. In secondary school, we are slowly exposed to science subjects like

Physics, Biology and Chemistry. As I slowly discovered answers to those big questions, I was sure that Physics was what I wanted to do because it could answer all my questions. My current interest and research is in solar energy. It was unintentional. I changed my path halfway through my PhD studies. This was because the project we were working on before (interferometer) had funding problems. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough funds and needed more. The initial cost (funds) was RM13 thousand back in UTM, year 1998. We needed about RM10 thousand more. Therefore, I had to change path and my supervisor proposed solar energy. At that time (1999),

solar energy was not a hot topic to talk or research about. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as important as it was now. I can say that God has shown and lead me to this path so I stayed. I was given the opportunity to be exposed to sophisticated equipment such as expensive optical instrument, laser interferometer with arm length 100 meter, data acquisition system, 2 meter Argon ion laser etc. I was lucky to be given the opportunity to set up a 100 m x 100 m laser interferometer from scratch. Then I switched to solar energy research by designing and constructing solar furnace system consisted of focusing heliostat with 16 m2 reflective area and parabolic dish from scratch. All this exposure to hands-on research work enhanced my confidence in both leading and conducting any advanced research project.

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Q02

Which area of solar energy research do you focus on?

Since I am a graduate of Physics (Optic), I focus on the optics of concentration, which is a lens that refracts light. It’s like a big magnifier. The objective of this research, according to the thermodynamics is to get a high efficiency in the power conversion. Now, in Malaysia, we have gas turbine engines for power plants. A gas turbine is

Q03

used because it can reach one thousand degrees celcius and produces hot steam, making the conversion level very high. But using solar energy and the concentrator, if placed under sunlight and concentrate the sunlight multiple times, it can reach about a few thousand degrees, thus raising the efficiency of conversion.

What is the trajectory of a typical research project? How does a research idea take shape, and acquire the backing to become a full-fledged project?

Research is based on ideas. You can’t do or start something without an idea. First of all, you need to know the problem you are trying to solve. Second, determine the invention (prototype) you already have. The invention (prototype) can just be in a preliminary

state. Then we go through a lot of trial and error and try to complete the (prototype) invention. We don’t spend money on the hardware first. We use computer simulation and calculations until we feel the idea can work. We must be at least 80% confident it

would work. Only after that we start building. It’s a gamble but a “high chances of winning” gamble. It is also a very high responsibility and with it we have high pressure as we are expected to deliver something that will work.

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Q04

What new exciting projects are you working on?

We are kick-starting a new project on solar lightning. In a nutshell, we lead sunlight into buildings. Have you ever wondered why we must switch lights on in the morning when the sun is bright enough to provide light? With our project, we will develop a way for people to use sunlight to light their houses during the day, so they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to use electricity. We will have our PhD and Masters students involved.

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Research is based on ideas. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do or start something without an idea.

Q05

Speaking of which, how do lecturers and researchers typically involve students in your research work?

Q06

As someone who teaches and learns at the same time, how do you keep up to date with everything in the science field?

In our (academic) system, we are the supervisors. We provide or propose the project, and then we put up an advertisement to recruit students for our projects. Another way is that the students propose the project and ask the supervisor for approval. Both ways are

There are two ways. First is going to international conferences overseas. These are held about once or twice a year. In these conferences, we learn what is currently happening in a certain research area because we have all

Q07

acceptable. But if they use the first option (the project provided by the supervisor), the supervisor would have already secured funding for the projects. The money is already available so the students will get allowances to buy the materials needed for the project.

these well-known scientists presenting (the current issues), so we take notes on it. Another way is through the internet. We can subscribe to databases like the IEEE database to get access to the latest publications in a certain fields.

Two of your most popular courses are Masters of Engineering Science and PhD in Engineering. Can you tell us more about these courses?

These programmes are research based, meaning after the students register, they have to start on a research project. At the end of the day, students need to come up with

a thesis which will be marked by overseas examiners who will give comments. We also have internal examiners to go through the thesis.

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Q08

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the difference between research based and coursework based programmes?

For coursework based programmes, undergraduates would go to classes and take normal exams. As long as they follow what the lecturers say and go to their tutorials, they can easily pass. But for

research, there are no well planned programs for them. They must do everything independently. At the end of the day, the students have to produce their output in the form of thesis that must be original, contains critical thought and

makes a significant contribution to knowledge. Currently in our university, PhD students have only research oriented programs whereas for Masters we have both research and coursework based programmes.

Q09

What are job opportunities for these students?

Job prospects for postgraduates are wide ranging from industry to research or academic institutions. A well-trained postgraduate can have an advantage in problem solving capability for handling researchbased project. Companies that require postgraduates include Intel, MIMOS, Freescale, First Solar. In Malaysia, there is a high demand especially in quality control for postgraduates while in USA, R & D scientists are always required. Another option is to become an educator, especially for PhD students. University-colleges have five years to recruit PhD students to upgrade themselves to university level. Therefore there is a high demand for PhD students as the universitycolleges need them to turn into universities.

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Q10

You are the chairperson of the Centre for Photonics and Advanced Materials Research. What exactly does it do?

Q11

Can you share some of the most exciting developments of the centre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are there any results that are already being applied commercially?

We try to gather all lecturers and professors together in a certain â&#x20AC;&#x153;hotâ&#x20AC;? (currently popular) advanced material. For instance, we are conducting research on graphene, which is graphite sliced to one layer. It is a good

electricity conductor and it has good mechanical strength, meaning it is very strong, stronger than steel even. It is scratchproof if made into a phone screen, so imagine the possibilities!

In our (academic) system, we are the supervisors. We provide or propose the project, and then we put up an advertisement to recruit students for our projects.

Currently, our centre has one project going for pre-commercialization sponsored by KeTTHA with total funding of RM 1.988 Million. Two Malaysian Patents, two USA patents and one China patent have been filed. Our activities must be aligned with the National Agenda to get funds and this is aligned to it.

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Q12

How important is the research capability of a university?

From my experience, the research capability of a university is very important to influence its status in the world or regional ranking. Malaysia’s overall standing in research can be inferred from The World University Rankings by Times, Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tung University as well as QS World University Rankings, which are heavily rated based on research publication, journal citation etc. Cognizant of this, UTAR has a strong tradition of collaborative R&D projects with other universities, which include strategic long-term research programmes, industrial collaborative programmes and consultancy. Prof. Dr Rajkumar

Q13

What advice can you give to students of science?

Follow your interest. Degree papers are not equivalent to your future pay. Having a higher academic achievement does not guarantee a higher pay. Society is not this way. Getting a degree is more of a personal gain in my opinion. Learning benefits your

from CPAMR is collaborating with Prof. Samjid Mannan from King’s College London on developing nano-materials for electronic interconnection. Dr Lai An Chow is collaborating with National Cheng Kung University on the project titled ‘Grid Connection and Hybrid Wind, PV and Ocean Energy Using Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS)’ which is spearheaded by Prof Wang Li, the Principal Investigator from the host unit, NCKU College of Engineering and Science. And to control standard and quality of our postgraduate programs, we have Professor Dr. Lynn Loo from Princeton University as our external examiner of MEngSc and PhD in engineering programs.

whole life. It can change the way you think, change your life even. Not in a materialistic way, but in a philosophical way; the meaning of life. These changes can help you to be a more outstanding person in the way you handle the projects and how you think and propose ideas.

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Currently in our university, PhD students have only research oriented programs whereas for Masters we have both research and coursework based programmes. 45

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Q14

Can you share a personal experience as an example?

I learnt everything from technician to researcher work; high level knowledge such as academic writing and presentations to lower levels such as working in workshops and fixing everything. If there is equipment malfunctioning, I

Q16

The Top 10 Outstanding Young Malaysia which was given by JCI in 2013, which recognizes the person’s contributions to the country for scientific and technical development.

Lastly, what is your educational philosophy?

Critical thinking is very important. Don’t simply accept whatever material given to you unless you can verify if it is true information. Don’t look at things from only one angle but from multiple angles to get the

will fix it myself. So now, I can understand projects very well. It is important for me because now that I lead the projects, if there are any small problems I can detect the causes easily and solve it. Be it technical or nontechnical.

Q15

Among all the papers written and awards you’ve won, which is the most meaningful to you?

bigger picture. Another thing is contribution. The purpose of education is to learn how to contribute. We learn a lot of knowledge so we must be able to contribute back to the society so the world is sustainable,

not only for ourselves. With this kind of attitude and way of thinking, your learning will be better. You can go to a higher level. But if you only learn for yourself, you will stop somewhere and cease to learn.

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master of Business Administration

LEE KWAN HYEN

Occupation: Fraud Analyst

Current University: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

Brief Job Description: Monitor daily credit card unusual transactions activities. Review request for temporary increase credit limit. Prepare activities reports and etc

What made you want to study an MBA?

What is your Favourite Quotes?

For self-enrichment, selfimprovement. Open towards other opportunities.

Simple make perfect. But simple life not comes in easy way

What inspire you? My future objective and achievements. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s such a fundamental tool for reaching my goals, achieving my dreams, and succeeding, in this journey we call life.

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master In Communication

CHUA MAGGIE

What do you consider the best take away value from your postgraduate programme? Occupation: Student

Current University: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

A Master in Communication degree can enhance my job opportunity. It is often difficult for a fresh graduate to get a job directly related to what they studied because lack of working experience. So, when I first graduated as a Degree holder, I worked as a salesperson in different industries in order for me to gain more experiences. However, after I worked for a year, I decided to quit. I trust after I graduate with a Master in Communication, I will never let go any opportunity given to me to be a Public Relations practitioner.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? As a successful Public Relations practitioner in my future company.

What is your motto in life?

“If you can Dream it, you can Do It.” – Walt Disney

What is your advice to prospective postgraduate students to prepare for this programme? Do not easily give up. The reason most people never achieve their dreams is because they simply give up. Life was never meant to be easy – it’s a constant struggle, with extreme lows and extreme highs. Remember that the times when it’s most important to persevere are the times that you will be most tested.

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master of Communication

LIER YU HANG

What do you consider the best take away value from your postgraduate programme? Occupation: Part time piano tutor and home tutor

Current University: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

Brief Job Descriptions: • Teaching piano (practical and theory) in music center; giving tuition to primary school students in learning center

A Master in Communication can definitely enhance my knowledge in terms of a higher level of critical thinking. Despite lacking in working experience in a related industry, I believe that after I graduate with a Master in Communication, I will be able to contribute the knowledge I’ve learned throughout the master course to my job.

What is your advice to prospective postgraduate students to prepare for this programme? My advice to them is never restrain yourself from any challenge in your life. I would say it is a wrong perception if you are afraid of getting a master degree at an older age. Don’t let your skepticism take over your courage.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I see myself as a lecturer in college or university.

What is your motto in life?

“Live as you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever” – Mahatma Gandhi

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master of Business Administration

THIRUCHELVAN

What made you want to study an MBA?

Occupation:

Technical Engineer

Current University: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

Brief Job Descriptions:

Supporting the inspection team as well as resolve queries of clients on technical matters.

To gain knowledge in the field as I was promoted to managerial level as before I pursued my Masters in Engineering.

What inspire you?

My father, who constantly pushed me to go further as he knows I’m capable of it.

What is your Favourite Quotes?

“It ain’t about how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. It’s how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done” – Rocky Balboa

HIGHLIGHTS

EDUCATION & FURTHER

STUDIES FAIR

HIGHLIGHTS

FEATURED Dr. Chan Kok Gan is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Science at Universiti Malaya and a coordinator for UM’s High Impact Research Centre. He received his B.Sc. in Microbiology and for his Ph.D. he was awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship tenabel at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. His laboratory is concurrently investigating bacterial cell-to-cell communication (“quorum sensing”, QS) and inventing ways to stop bugs talking to each other, essentially stopping QS (“quorum quenching”). Because QS regulates virulence in bacteria that enable them to attack the host (such as human), QS has been an attractive target as novel anti-infectious therapy. In addition to biotechnology, Dr Chan specializes in biosafety law, risk assessment and intellectual property law on biotechnology.

MAKING GLOBAL IMPACT I

t’s not where you work from, but the quality of your research that matters most. That’s the key takeaway from the heartening results of Universiti Malaya’s High Impact Research (HIR) Central Facility Laboratories, an ambitious first-of-its-kind project established to generate ground-breaking findings through collaborations with ivy-league institutions. In under five years, HIR has attracted a slew of international collaborators including the USA National Institute of Health, University of Nottingham, Harvard University, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Yale University and New England Biolabs, headed by 1993 Nobel Laureate Sir Richard John Roberts. MBA Edge Postgraduate speaks to HIR Coordinator Dr Chan Kok Gan, who stands out with his work in investigating unique directions on treating bacterial infection.

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Q01 Dr Chan, I understand that biotechnology was still a relatively unknown area when you took the course, with no ready job prospects. How did things work out for you?

Biotechnology is now a “trendy” course, unlike back in 1992 when I did it. After STPM, Biotech caught my eye but we didn’t have the luxury of educational magazines to guide our choices. Nobody seemed to know much about our career path, including my teachers. In those times, everything was in books, no Google. I still keep those stacks of brochures and leaflets under my bed as a souvenir to remind myself how I made it into public university 23 years ago. This is why I do a lot of counselling for postgraduates now! When I got my offer letter, the course stated was microbiology. The application of biology is called biotechnology. Having

done more research, I wondered if I’d made the right choice. I began exploring art subjects, accountancy, law and economics to look for professional courses. After a lot of struggle, I decided to do law simultaneously with my microbiology degree to secure my future. From 9am-5pm I was in UM and 5pm-10pm I went to law school. Failure is not an option. Because if I had failed, my late father would kill me because the law fees are all in pound sterling and if I failed in UM, the degree will automatically be with no honours. Even years after I’ve graduated, I still have nightmares about my exams!

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Q02

What job did you go into after you graduated?

Although science is my passion, theory is one thing, practicality another. When I graduated, there was a currency crisis and economic breakdown. I went for the security of a big paycheque and got a good job in a bank. Ironically, it was then that I knew where my true love belonged. Everyday I counted the minutes and I didn’t have passion in my work. That was when I started to rethink. I quit and decided to take up a double masters degree. The industry of biotech was not born yet so I decided to marry law and science, by taking a Masters in Intellectual Property Law. After that I did my PhD in Science. I personally thank the Commonwealth Scholarship very, very much as it offered me the opportunity to study in my dream country learning from the Qs guru in UK, Professor Paul Williams. Though the Scholarship let me choose any university in UK, I went for an expert instead of renowned university because a great professor defines a great university, as advised by my formal UM supervisor Dr Tan Eng Lee, and it is so true!

I worked in a world-class lab that is very international, full of talented researchers, and, due to the minimal salary law, post graduate students are given freedom to work, develop ideas and even, debate with senior scientists and professors. Also, the Europeans always strike a balance between work and life. For example, everyday, my UK lab will break for afternoon tea and work only a 5-day week. I start to realise work within “normal” working hours need not necessary jeopardise your performance. Also, I observed that Europeans love reading. I have observed even the homeless in UK have nothing but books and his/her dog with her in the street!

Q03

What was your thesis about?

I studied how bacteria communicate, like friends who go to mamak stalls and chitchat; I study how bacteria chitchat. My PhD specialises on how to make them shut up (QQ). This process is rather new in microbiology, and by the time I finished my thesis, I found an interesting phenomenon whereby a kind of Malaysian tropical soil bacterium can cause signalling confusion in bacteria population.

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Q04

Before we get to that, can you explain, how do bacteria “talk”?

Bacteria release small molecules, which are chemicals. They “pee” the small chemicals. When the chemicals move around, they go into their cells by simple diffusion and the chemicals bind to a protein (receptor) and in turn this protein will regulate activity of their DNA. This is where the magic happens. One cell produces one chemical. So they start to count like cadets or boy

scouts: 1, 2, 3...The chemicals then spread around the bacterial cells. They will be synchronised in a chain reaction and start to multiply. When the cells achieve a high cell count number, their “voices” will get louder and louder until the cell number is high enough to enable changes at the population level. Then all of them will start to act synchronously as the chemical controls certain behaviours. For

instance, they produce certain proteins that can digest the host cell they want to attack. As such, QS start to challenge the dogma whereby are bacteria really unicellular in nature? Or they really can behave as multicellular organism where the cells are coordinated to act on a stimulus.

I start to realise work within “normal” working hours need not necessary jeopardise your performance. Also, I observed that Europeans love reading. I have observed even the homeless in UK have nothing but books and his/her dog with her in the street!

Q05

From what you are telling me, I assume there is no good or bad bacteria?

Bacteria are not born good or bad, but bad bugs (pathogens) are armed with virulent factors can cause damages in the host. And in most instances, bacteria virulent factors are under the control of QS, hence making them harmful at the population level in order to “increase” their chance to overcome the host defend. They won’t kill you because they won’t like to kill a host. Imagine if they kill a host and the host dies, they die as well!

Q06

Ok then how do you make bacteria “shut up”? And why do you want to make them shut up?

We have finally found a new way for them to shut up. This way, we can fight bacterial infection. Antibiotics are getting useless as the bacteria can resist them. Bacteria existed billions and billions of years ago before animals exist. So they are very good at adapting and evolving. So one way of stopping their infection is not by killing them; we just don’t let them talk. The moment they can’t communicate, they can’t synchronise their activities via QS. Single destructed, united we stand. We don’t kill them; we just stop them from being nasty towards us. When bacteria stops communicating, then antibiotics can be used or the immune system will take over.

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Q07

Back to your career trajectory, did you go into academics after your PhD?

Q08

Having experienced the research environment both locally and abroad, how does our infrastructure measure up to developed countries?

No, I still worked in the private sector. The Chinese have a saying: Passion cannot exchange with rice. I thought I needed to secure a job. While writing up my PhD thesis, I started to explore the possibility of working in private colleges. I was offered a very good job as a part time law lecturer. Then my mentor in UM told

I’ve had the privilege to work in many renowned universities and labs. I have been to, and collaborated with Harvard University, Caltech, Florida Yale University, Oxford University, Newcastle University, Nottingham University, NTU, NUS, HKU, Queensland University, Melbourne University, Paris Marie Curie University, CNRS in Paris, Nante University, and many more. From this, I observed how these great institutions work. I notice that for lab, infrastructure can be as simple as water and electricity. We have shortages and disruptions here. I read somewhere that in the UK, a blackout happens only once in 200 years! But this is where you come back and help. Fix it! If there isn’t any good infrastructure, build it! If old ones are not good, demolish it! If it is old, then bring a new

me, you’ve been venturing far in science. You’ve gone to the UK and learnt something quite advanced. What a waste if you don’t practice science! Because of that, I gave up the luxury job (again) and worked in UM, by doing so, I believe my work can benefit more students, and also enable technology transfer back to Malaysia.

subjects that I like, subjects that I feel strongly about and make sure it is something that have never been taught before, like bacterial communications. It is for the benefit of a wider audience. I’m one of the few privileged who have gotten the Commonwealth scholarship to go to the UK but not all are as privileged.

breath of air from overseas where you have been trained for two to three years. Bring back new technology. If you find the science out of fashion when you come back, don’t stick to old engines; why not make a new car? To me, academics is more than teaching. I mix what I learnt from the UK, I formulate it into my syllabus. I can form any

In order to benefit other people, we should teach and share experiences. They may not have the chance to go to the UK but they at least get to hear the experiences firsthand. How life there is like and how the experiments are done. Then I start to build my lab so they can do hands on activities when their brains are ready and they can have fun. I will replicate what I did in the UK with new elements. You need to work within the constraints and strengths. 61

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Q09

Is there any real advantage for a scientist working in Malaysia, versus, say an advanced country with superior infrastructure like the USA or UK?

Yes, our rich rainforest! Our ecosystem gives us the advantage. We are far from maximising what we have. We can walk into the rainforest and step on a new species of insects. I just worked with a

Q10

Harvard University group that is conducting insect studies, and they say that the moment you go into the rainforest, catch a group of insects then soak them into a solvent, you can extract a lot of drugs from

What does it take for all these research to be commercialised?

Forget about commercialization! I had the privilege to talk to a few Nobel Prize winners and one of them told me that instead of comparing ourselves with advanced countries in terms of science and technology, we need to focus on the basic science. For example, we want to kill cancer but don’t know how cancer is formed. If you don’t know the basic mechanism, it’s very difficult to prevent them. You need to investigate, no shortcuts. There is why there is Research and Development (R&D). The R comes before the D, not the other way around. Only when you know about the mechanism, then only you know what decisions you should make. It’s better to know our limits, then science is meaningful. If everything can be cured, then we will be overpopulated. We are not playing God, we can never play God.

them. I was shocked. I think the Old Chinese saying is very true: climate, geographical conditions and human factor this is the strength of Malaysia.

To me, academics is more than teaching. I mix what I learnt from the UK, I formulate it into my syllabus. I can form any subjects that I like, subjects that I feel strongly about and make sure it is something that have never been taught before, like bacterial communications.

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Q11

For Malaysians who aspire to be scientists, what can they look forward to in their career?

I gave a talk about this before in Oxford last November, about returning scientists. There were many bright young students there. Yes, we have limited resources here, but we have the ecosystem. You may think that the vacancies here are very limited but do you think it’s easy to go to Oxford? There are brilliant scientists worldwide; are you the only one? No.

Q12

Even with limits, you can still achieve a lot. Sweats, tears and blood - you need to work with whatever constraints you have. Whatever the challenges, there will be a solution. If there is no solution, you can still achieve a number of great things. If you don’t focus on the limits, the world is yours.

Is there someone in your life that inspired and shaped your way of thinking?

My superior, Dr Tan. If it wasn’t for him, I would have been a very successful lawyer. This is because I did my law degree better than my science. It was he who told me “it’s not about bread alone”. He taught me a lot of things about philosophy, business and economics. I chose him as my undergraduate supervisor but he had a divine calling and had to leave. I employed him back now so that we can work together, it is much to learn from university emeriti and retired professors. A scientist cannot retire. I wanted a decent living and he told me don’t look for high

pay, but control your desire. It’s not about the earnings but the savings. So control your expenditures. Through his advice, I learn to audit my finance. It’s the books that I love the most. I found a place that sold really cheap (second-hand) books in the UK, as cheap as one cent per book. I don’t want to lose the habit of reading so I don’t cut the expenditures for books. But my behaviour has changed, I now buy secondhand books. By controlling your desire, you don’t need a job of CEO to live on.

Q13

What’s different about the teaching culture here and overseas?

I encourage students to correct me. I even deliberately make mistakes. Why? First is to test whether they are still alive or pay attention in class. Second is so they don’t repeat the mistakes in the exams. I talk to the passive students in class and ask them why they’re not active. It lets me know my students better. I remember when I first opened my bank account to get my lecturer salary; the bank officer said “Oh, you are a lecturer? So boring”. To others it may be boring because they teach the same syllabus over and over. But I make sure my findings go into my research. I hope my students can learn from my new lecture notes. The undergrads under my management are now publishing papers. It’s not very high impact, but it’s a first step. In 1992-1997, out of all my classmates, only one got into publications. It was very rare. Every year I travel, I create new collaborations so that I can share new things with my students. The HIR is under the management of our Vice Chancellor Prof Dato’ Dr. Mohd Amin Jalaludin. For example, my lab works with NIH (USA) on Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

(ALS) which caught many people’s attention through the ice bucket challenge. In HIR, we work on getting the sequences of the patients’ DNA so that we can find which segment of the DNA has problems that lead to ALS. With the support of HIR, my lab was privileged to work with Sir Richard Roberts, who won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology, on bacterial methylome, a form of DNA modification which none of us fully understood. For more than 3 years, we developed a friendship and talked also on other topics such as culture, travel and future in society. He is so humble that at times, I forget I am actually talking to a great scientist, a Nobel Laureate! I think this is the true meaning of collaboration: friendship.

I don’t want to lose the habit of reading so I don’t cut the expenditures for books. But my behaviour has changed, I now buy secondhand books. By controlling your desire, you don’t need a job of CEO to live on.

If there is no solution, you can still achieve a number of great things. If you don’t focus on the limits, the world is yours.

Q14

FEATURED

What are the challenges and successes of a young organization like HIR?

As a fairly young organization, we have a smaller number of sample collections compared to older organizations in addition to other shortcomings. That’s why we engage in collaborations. We are currently working on a project to crack the genetics of multi-drug resistant bacteria to help us formulate therapy measures. In this project, I have introduced the private management concept that I learnt in the bank and opened doors to those who have common interests and common targets to handle; then we work together and combine

our strategies. That way, we learn from each other and share resources and knowledge. Along the way, we make friends worldwide from the US, Australia and Hong Kong and Europe. This is all thanks to the UM boss who has a mission of internationalisation.

Q15

What’s your educational philosophy?

Keep learning. That’s why I love talking to my students. Young minds keep me energetic. Don’t just stick to your circle of old friends or have a FB group where you trade sob stories about your cholesterol levels. This is a reunion topic! When you talk to youngsters, they will tell you about the latest development in football, which free apps is the best, etc. The best teacher always retains the mind of a student. This is my favourite saying from the late Reverend John Stott in London.

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PEUGEOT REDEFINES MALAYSIAN DRIVING EXPERIENCE: NASIM UNVEILS PEUGEOT 308 THP N

asim Sdn Bhd, the official distributor for Automobiles Peugeot in Malaysia, recently unveiled the internationally acclaimed and awardwinning all-new Peugeot 308 THP during a formal launch at Zebra Square, marking the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official Malaysian release.

Approximately 300 distinguished guests and members of the press were afforded the opportunity to be introduced to the model and to experience for themselves its sleek design, premium interior, market-leading safety features and its significantly enhanced features. Witnessed by media friends, Nasim associates and guests, the event was also graced by the presence of French Ambassador to Malaysia, His Excellency Christophe Penot.

Peugeot trademark, yet dons a significantly revived look and feel. The highly distinguished C-segment hatchback is unparalleled in style; state-ofthe-art in appearance with a perfect balance of sportiness and quality, the 308 THP exudes newfound confidence with ease, courtesy of a purely redefined interior and exterior designed to ignite an evolution of driving sensations.

Having won Car of the Year at the Geneva Auto Show in March 2014, the all-new 308 THP is poised to redefine Peugeotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strength in the region given its heightened focus on strategy, technology and ecology. An ingenious choreography of sleek lines which amalgamate in sheer simplicity to deliver an intoxicating showcase of refined elegance, the exquisite all-new Peugeot 308 THP retains the distinctive

A powertrain fortified with Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aisin-made cutting-edge AT6 with Quickshift Technology transmission hardware featuring a 6-speed automatic gearbox, expect to go further and faster with smoother gear changes, excellent fluidity, state-ofthe-art and drag-reduction

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torque, an exemplary emission standard of 150 g of CO2 per 100 km, and thorough pleasure of engagement. The Peugeot 308 THP is designed from the ground up, featuring a multiple award-winning Turbo High Pressure (THP) engine, a powerplant that combines high pressure direction injection coupled with advanced turbocharger technology which churns out 152ps and 240Nm of torque. This efficiently optimized combination results in fuel efficiency of 6.5l/km. For quality assurance, numerous precision-based tests to assess design, material, selection, assembly, soundproofing, and durability were conducted. These include 2.5 million kilometres driven pre-launch, 2,500 hours of vibration and climate testing, 250,000 cycles of airconditioning monitoring, and 4.3 million touchscreen press cycles without any failure recorded.

Enter Peugeot’s i-Cockpit, a richly driver-centric invention aimed at rewarding the motorist with an intuitive driving and unrivalled experience while behind the wheel. The i-Cockpit consists of four integrated components: a sports leather compact steering wheel for an intense dynamic sensation, a high position head-up instrument panel with stylishly symmetrical design needles to easily view without taking the driver’s eyes off the road ahead, a high centre console, and a 9.7” HD Multifunction Touchscreen for intuitive driving. Being technologically driven, the design and functionality of the Peugeot i-Cockpit offers a level of sophistication new to the market. Taking you out of the ordinary, and into the special, the Peugeot i-Cockpit helps craft a stunning driving experience. For even more comfortable and safe driving, the all-new Peugeot

308 THP is equipped with added driving aids. One feature new to the segment is the Driver Assistance Pack. Offering Dynamic cruise control; this speed limiter/cruise control has innovative functions for the driver. In addition to the standard speed control, it can also be set to regulate the distance from the vehicle in front. When a nearby vehicle is detected by the radar, a constant distance is maintained automatically via engine deceleration. When the road becomes clear (change of lane or the vehicle in front gains momentum), the cruise control returns to the reference values requested initially. The Emergency Collision Alert system uses constant radar to detect the distance with vehicle in front. If it is too close, a visual and audible warning indicates to the driver that they should press the brake pedal to prevent

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possible collision. Its Emergency Collision Braking means that if an imminent collision with the vehicle in front is detected, the system applies automatic braking to warn the driver, prevent the impact, or to reduce its consequences. Its advancements include air-conditioning excellence by way of automatic dual-zone climate control; unique vehicular configurations, driving aids combining the driver assistance pack and park assist via an integrated reverse camera for added assurance; multimedia capabilities to power the radio, iPod, and audio streaming; telephone management tools for seamless access to contacts and profiles, call waiting control, and much more. With the prime positioning of the multifunction touchscreen, full digital connectivity via Bluetooth (hands-free kit) and USB is also made hassle-free. Furthermore, the THPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high-end sculptured Alcantara sports seats with an electric lumbar and massage function in the front serve as a thoughtful and insightful bonus. The perfect remedy to ease a sore back during peak hour traffic or that long-haul journey out of town, these comfort-giving fixtures offer the greatly deserving beholder an irreplaceable pampering like no other. Elevating her innate charm and outward precision whilst enabling responsive manoeuvring, the automobileâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 18â&#x20AC;? Sapphire lightweight alloy wheels with arches slightly contoured and a widened wheelbase apply a layer of distinction to her compactness and on-the-road stability.

HIGHLIGHTS Drivers can comfortably keep their keys in their pockets with the availability of intelligent keyless entry and push start button. Great for ladies on their own in the carpark; there is no fumbling in pockets or bags looking for keys, enabling an easier entry into the vehicle. A hatchback custom-designed to be ecologically-savvy, the 308’s contribution to the environment is immense. Peugeot’s new generation EMP2 platform is responsible for a total of 140 kilogrammes weight reduction of the car, and overall enhanced performance. Consequently rendering the vehicle positively more aerodynamic, it has a direct impact on consumption and C02 emissions. The car’s physical and engineering specifications have been modified to reduce its carbon footprint and include four primary themes – efficiency, design, driving experience, and quality. Improvements further entail a 2cm and 5cm length and height decrease respectively, and a 1.2cm spike in the wheelbase for added interior space and heightened comfort. Certified safe, the all-new Peugeot 308 THP is a bona fide protector with a stellar five-star rating (the highest) afforded by Euro NCAP, when the variant underwent its

official European New Car Assessment Programme in 2013. An evaluation made up of stringent testing protocols to include four key segments, the THP has marked it spot as one of the safest fleet cars in the world while excelling in the Driver Assistance Systems arena, given its top-notch gadgets and dedicated fixtures. The mandatory aspects of testing encompassed adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, pedestrian protection, and safety assist. Rest assured knowing that with the THP you can’t go wrong. In essence, the unveiling the allnew Peugeot 308 THP serves to solidify the marque’s position as a formidable contender, not just in Europe but across the globe.

The on-the-road price with insurance for the all-new Peugeot 308 THP is RM132,888. The all-new Peugeot 308 THP can now be viewed at your nearest showroom. It comes with a five year warranty with unlimited mileage, and complimentary Peugeot Lounge access. For a full list of showrooms, visit Peugeot’s official website. All Peugeot models come with five-year warranty with unlimited mileage together with Nasim’s 24-hour Peugeot Assistance service, complimentary access to the Peugeot Lounge at Subang Airport and Peugeot Privilege membership, all to provide the best ownership experience for its customers.

Nasim Sdn Bhd is the official distributor for Automobiles Peugeot in Malaysia. For more information on Peugeot Malaysia, please visit http://www.peugeot.com.my. Like the Peugeot Malaysia page at http://www.facebook.com/peugeotmalaysia and follow @peugeotmalaysia at http://twitter.com/ peugeotmalaysia. Follow on Instagram @peugeotmalaysia at http://instagram.com/peugeotmalaysia and subscribe to the Youtube channel at http://youtube.com/peugeotmalaysia.