Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) through Borneo Tourism Research Centre (BTRC), Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy (FBEA) in collaboration with the Sabah Birdwatchers Association (SBA), successfully organized the three-day Seabirds Identification Workshop recently.

According to BTRC Director, Associate Professor Dr. Balvinder K. Kler, the event which is also supported by the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and JETAMA Sdn. Bhd. was part of UMS’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

“A total of 51 participants attended this workshop consisting of Sabahan tourist guides and independent birding enthusiasts including one participant from Singapore.

“The initiative aimed to enhance birdwatching skills while highlighting its importance as a niche ecotourism activity in Sabah,” she said.

She added that for this workshop, a well-known field ornithologist, David Bakewell was flown in for this course to train the participants at UMS.

“Day one was a packed programme covering the identification of terns, skuas and gulls in the morning, proceeding to the identification of shearwater, petrels, frigatebirds and boobies in the afternoon.

“A field trip to Mantanani island, off Kota Belud on day two did not disappoint as participants were delighted by large numbers of frigatebirds including Lesser and Christmas Frigatebirds just as they left the Kampung Rampayan Laut jetty,” she said.

Balvinder noted that since birdwatching is a lucrative niche ecotourism market in Sabah and there is a need for more birdwatching guides, SBA and UMS have collaborated since 2022 to encourage birdwatching as a hobby amongst students and locals to understand the value of habitat conservation.

“Identification workshops so far have included Shorebirds in 2022, Raptors in 2023, and this year on Seabirds.

“In line with the UMS slogan, "Leading Towards Innovative Societies", UMS continues to engage with NGOs like SBA to provide the avenue for our youth in the tourism industry to enhance their skills and knowledge.

“Several participants were younger guides who will receive Continuous Tourism Related Education (CTRE) certification from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) for this course,” she said, while adding that more birdwatching courses are in the works targeting community-based tourism players, as well as a forum with international experts next year.

Meanwhile, SBA President, Ron Pudin said SBA aiming to provide future birders with a better platform to pursue their interest, especially the junior or school levels exposure.

“This includes spreading the message that birdwatching is a healthy activity which promotes the well-being for individuals and families.

“We are very glad that the outing made a record of sorts as 52 in total which is the largest group of birders congregated on Mantanani island at one time,” he said while commenting on the second day trip to Mantanani Island.

On the final day, participants reviewed photographs taken during the field trip in relation to knowledge gained in class.

They also learnt more about the intricacies of the ebird app hosted by the Cornell Ornithology Lab, USA, which acts as a publicly available record of the value of a place as a birding location where enthusiasts contribute sightings, log species and numbers observed and keep checklists.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing Open Science and international research collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the International School for Social and Business Studies (ISSBS), Slovenia recently.

The MoU, formalized during the Erasmus EU-funded Open Science Workshop, represents a significant milestone in fostering global academic partnerships.

The agreement was signed by UMS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Datuk Dr. Kasim Hj. Mansor, and ISSBS Dean, Professor Dr. Kristijan Breznik.

Focused on integrating Open Science principles into academic and research practices, the partnership emphasizes open research data and methodologies as tools to accelerate innovation and foster transparency and accessibility in scientific research.

As part of the MoU, UMS and ISSBS will collaborate on developing frameworks for open research data management and knowledge science.

Other key initiatives include securing matching grants for joint projects, establishing postgraduate mentorship and student exchange programs, and organizing workshops and training sessions to enhance Open Science capacity building.

“This partnership reflects UMS’s dedication to fostering global collaboration and driving innovation through Open Science.”

“By prioritizing open research data and methodologies, we aim to deliver impactful scientific advancements and make knowledge accessible to a wider global community,” said Datuk Kasim.

Professor Kristijan Breznik echoed this sentiment, stating that ISSBS is thrilled to collaborate with UMS.

“Together, we aim to address critical challenges in Open Science and create meaningful initiatives that benefit researchers, students, and the global academic community,” he said.

The event was attended by UMS Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Professor Ir. Dr. Rosalam Hj. Sarbatly, who also serves as the Erasmus EU Open Science Institutional Leader for UMS.

UMS Registrar, Luqman Ridha Anwar, and capacity-building representatives from Europe, including the Netherlands and Finland, as well as from India, Malaysia, and Africa, were also present.

The representatives from UMS includes Chief Digital Officer, Professor Dr. Ag. Asri Ag. Ibrahim; Dean Faculty of Computing and Informatics, Associate Professor Dr. Mohd Hanafi Ahmad Hijazi; Deputy Director (Strategic) Research Management Centre, Associate Professor Dr. Fatimah Ahmedy, who also serves as the Erasmus EU Open Science coordinator for UMS and Director of Data Management and Artificial Intelligence Centre, Dr. Farashazillah Yahya.

Their participation underscores the partnership’s global reach and inclusivity.

Aligned with UMS’s strategic objectives under Key Results Area (KRA) 1 and 3, which focus on internationalization and research excellence, the MoU emphasizes collaborative research projects, co-development of academic publications, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

The collaboration between UMS and ISSBS represents a bold step forward in empowering researchers and students, fostering innovation, and positioning both institutions as leaders in global research.

By focusing on Open Science, particularly open research data, the agreement is set to create a sustainable framework for advancing scientific practices and reinforcing UMS’s reputation as a hub for impactful research in the Asia-Pacific region.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (PSI) of the University of Oxford have embarked on a groundbreaking partnership, marking a pivotal moment in their ongoing collaboration.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed this month, formalizes their commitment to advancing research, educational exchanges, and joint initiatives in pandemic sciences.

These efforts aimed at making a lasting impact on global public health.

The partnership will drive research focusing on infectious diseases using a "living laboratory" approach through the establishment of the Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Disease Living Lab at UMS.

This pioneering project will provide vital insights into the infectious diseases impacting biodiversity-rich regions in Malaysia, contributing valuable data and findings to the understanding of international community on emerging health threats.

Through this collaboration, UMS and PSI are poised to strengthen the scientific foundation for pandemic preparedness, fostering innovative research and developing strategies that address the evolving risks of infectious diseases worldwide.

On 8th November 2024, PSI colleagues welcomed UMS delegation, for a roundtable discussion, officially launching the partnership. Vice Chancellor of UMS, Professor Datuk Dr. Kasim Hj. Mansor highlighted the transformative potential of the partnership.

“Through this MoU, we are building a foundation for health security that brings global resources directly to Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

“This partnership signals our commitment to public health as a shared global responsibility and places Sabah as an active contributor in the fight against infectious diseases,” he said.

Kasim also emphasised that addressing infectious diseases is central to fulfilling Sabah's healthcare agenda and advancing the region’s mission to improve lives and universal well-being.

As part of the visit, UMS colleagues toured the laboratory under the supervision of Professor Miles Carroll, seeing first-hand the current research activities.

Professor Miles, a PSI researcher and Professor of Emerging Viruses stated that working with experts from UMS and conducting serological surveillance in communities within regions high in biodiversity is essential.

“We now have an opportunity to study the immunological footprints left behind by other emerging viruses that can spillover from their natural animal reservoirs into humans.

“This new partnership will ensure we can conduct further surveys in rural and forest communities in Malaysian Borneo, giving us a small piece of vital intelligence into the larger environmental picture,” he said.

This partnership shall also bring together PSI’s expertise in pandemic sciences with commitment from UMS in establishing a state-of-the-art clinical research institute in Sabah.

The joint initiative will serve as an opportunity to spearhead the development of reliable, rapid, and mobile diagnostic tools for infectious diseases as a critical advancement in managing emerging viruses.

Beyond technological innovation, this partnership emphasizes the study on Sabah’s rich biodiversity in the effort to cultivate a new generation of biomedical scientists equipped to address the evolving challenges of infectious diseases.

Together, UMS and PSI are set to make transformative strides in the fight against infectious diseases, marking a significant boost to regional and global health resilience.

From UMS, the MoU signing event was also attended by Professor Ir. Dr. Rosalam Hj. Sarbatly, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation; UMS Registrar, Luqman Ridha Anwar, Dean of Faculty of Medicine and Health Science (FMHS), Datuk Dr. Mohd Yusof Hj. Ibrahim; and FMHS academician, Professor Dr. Kamruddin Ahmed and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatimah Ahmedy.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) membuka peluang kolaborasi antarabangsa dengan menerima kunjungan rasmi delegasi dari Fakulti Ekonomi dan Perniagaan, Universitas Tanjungpura (UNTAN), Pontianak, Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia.

Delegasi UNTAN diketuai Ketua Program Pengurusan, Dr. Heriyadi dan turut disertai oleh Dr. Wenny (Setiausaha Program Pengurusan), Prof. Dr. Nur Afifah (Ketua Program Pascasiswazah), serta empat pensyarah lain iaitu Dr. Ilzar, Dr. Titik Rosnani, Prof. Ramadania, dan Harry Setiawan.

Dekan Fakulti Perniagaan, Ekonomi dan Perakaunan (FPEP) UMS, Profesor Madya Dr. Mohd Rahimie Abdul Karim ketika menerima ketibaan delegasi di Bilik Mesyuarat Utama FPEP menyambut baik kehadiran delegasi tersebut dalam membincangkan kerjasama antara kedua-dua institusi.

“Kunjungan ini antara lain bertujuan untuk membincangkan potensi kerjasama dalam bidang penyelidikan, mobiliti pelajar, serta program pertukaran kakitangan antara kedua-dua institusi.

“FPEP UMS kerap menerima kunjungan daripada universiti antarabangsa, khususnya dari Indonesia, dan UNTAN bakal menjadi satu lagi rakan strategik bagi UMS dalam usaha memperkukuh kerjasama akademik antara kedua-dua universiti yang terletak di Pulau Borneo ini,” katanya.

Dalam pada itu, Dr. Heriyadi dalam ucapannya menyatakan bahawa lawatan itu merupakan langkah awal untuk menjalin kerjasama strategik yang melibatkan bidang penyelidikan, program mobiliti pelajar, dan pendedahan industri bagi pelajar.

“Kerjasama ini juga akan memberikan peluang kepada pelajar untuk terlibat secara langsung dengan komuniti setempat, baik di Malaysia mahupun di Indonesia.

 “Walaupun delegasi yang hadir adalah dalam kalangan pensyarah program pengurusan ekonomi, namun input yang diperoleh hasil dari lawatan ini akan kami kongsikan kepada fakulti lain di UNTAN, dengan harapan agar kerjasama ini dapat diperluaskan ke bidang akademik yang lebih luas,” katanya.

Ujar beliau, usaha ini adalah langkah awal untuk manfaat yang lebih besar bagi pelajar dan pensyarah kedua-dua institusi.

Terdahulu, delegasi UNTAN diberi taklimat mengenai UMS oleh Pusat Pengantarabangsaan dan Penglibatan Global, yang antara lain memperkenalkan visi dan misi UMS dalam membina jaringan kerjasama serantau.

Timbalan Dekan Penyelidikan dan Inovasi FPEP, Profesor Madya Dr. Suddin Lada kemudiannya memberi taklimat berkaitan program akademik yang ditawarkan FPEP serta peluang penyelidikan yang dapat dimanfaatkan oleh kedua-dua universiti.

Timbalan Dekan Hal Ehwal Pelajar dan Pascasiswazah FPEP, Dr. Jakaria Dasan turut memperkenalkan konsep pembelajaran berasaskan pengalaman yang dijalankan di FPEP, iaitu satu pendekatan dalam memberi peluang kepada pelajar untuk menerapkan teori yang dipelajari dalam kelas kepada situasi sebenar bersama komuniti, di samping memperoleh pengetahuan baharu dari masyarakat setempat yang menyumbang kepada pengalaman pembelajaran mereka.