Dean's Message
Welcome to Institut Marin Borneo (IMB), Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
The establishment of Institut Marin Borneo in 2026 marks a new chapter in a journey that began more than three decades ago. Building on the foundations of the Borneo Marine Research Institute, and its recognition as a Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE) in 2024, IMB brings together our strengths in aquaculture and ocean sciences through the Aquaculture Research Centre and Oceanography Research Centre.
Our location in Sabah gives us both an extraordinary opportunity and a responsibility. Surrounded by some of the world's most diverse marine and coastal environments, we are well placed to study the processes that shape tropical seas, understand and conserve marine biodiversity, and address the challenges facing marine resources and the communities that depend upon them. At the same time, Sabah's growing aquaculture sector provides an important setting for research and innovation that can contribute to sustainable aquatic food production, seafood security and safety, and resilient coastal livelihoods.
At IMB, we believe that excellent research should not end with scientific discovery. Our work seeks to connect knowledge with application, supporting conservation and management, strengthening sustainable aquaculture, developing research capacity, and working alongside government, industry, communities and research partners. Initiatives such as Rakan Akuakultur and our Living Lab approach reflect this commitment to bringing research, expertise and stakeholders together.
Education and capacity building remain central to our mission. Through postgraduate research, professional training and opportunities for young scientists to work across disciplines and environments, we aim to develop the next generation of researchers and practitioners equipped to respond to increasingly complex ocean and aquatic-resource challenges.
The questions facing our oceans cannot be addressed by any one discipline or institution. IMB therefore places strong emphasis on collaboration, across our two research centres, across Universiti Malaysia Sabah, and with partners in Malaysia and internationally. By combining different perspectives and expertise, we can produce science that is rigorous, relevant and responsive to the needs of both society and the environment.
As we move forward as Institut Marin Borneo, we remain grounded in Borneo while looking outward to the wider region and the global ocean. I invite researchers, students, communities, industry, government agencies and partners to explore our work and to join us in advancing aquaculture and marine science for sustainable futures.
Associate Professor Dr. Ching Fui Fui
Dean
Institut Marin Borneo
Universiti Malaysia Sabah