KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Social Security Organisation (Socso) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to pave the way for various collaborations in the field of rehabilitation medicine.

Its Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student and Alumni Affairs, Associate Prof Dr Raman Noordin, said the MoU spearheaded the strategic collaboration between the university and Socso in teaching and research under medical rehabilitation for those insured under Socso.

Raman, who is carrying out the duties of the UMS Vice-Chancellor, said this collaboration will also provide benefits and interest not only to the two institutions but also to those insured, who are Sabahans themselves.

“Through this MoU, UMS will work directly with the Socso Tun Abdul Razak Rehabilitation Centre which practices rehabilitation principles that integrate medical and vocational rehabilitation treatment to restore maximum ability.

“This will enable them (those insured) to return to work or society,” he said when speaking at the MoU signing ceremony at the UMS campus, here.

The MoU was signed by Raman and Socso Chief Executive Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Azman said the collaboration will give new light to Socso contributors who experience accidents or illnesses, especially in Sabah, through a comprehensive and dynamic rehabilitation and disability management programme.

He said the effort was carried out through rehabilitation treatment and the Return To Work (RTW) programme where participants who are disabled due to accidents will be assisted until they are able to become independent, then return to work and generate income for themselves and their families.

“Since the RTW programme was introduced in 2007 a total of 49,851 RTW participants have been successfully assisted to return to work. We are confident that this collaboration with UMS will be able to help more contributors to become independent and return to productivity,” he added.

He said Socso also intends to develop a MYFutureJobs Satellite Centre at the UMS campus for UMS undergraduates and graduates to benefit from the agency’s various employment services such as career counselling, job search and matching as well as individual support for job placement, including preparations for interview.

KUALA LUMPUR: The genomics and biopharmaceutical specialist has inked a letter of intent (LOI) with the Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Rinani Genotec to collaborate on research and development in genetics, and regenerative and alternative medicines.

MGRC, which owns a high-throughput sequencing lab, advanced microarray facility, and new state-of-the-art cell processing lab, as well as Genotec, which specializes in biomedical treatments using stem cells, will assist in strengthening the teaching and research activities of the undergraduate programme at UMS’ Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, under the LOI.

This cooperation will enable the exchange of research resources and ideas to enhance the quality of research at UMS, as well as create opportunities for students from the Faculty of Science and Natural Resources to serve their internship period at MGRC or Genotec.

“We are happy to assist UMS undergraduates in pursuing their R&D goals so that they have a better understanding of their field of study. This is also in support of the National Biotechnology Policy 2.0 launched recently focusing on agriculture and food security, healthcare and wellbeing, as well as industrial and the circular economy,” Malaysian Genomics Chairman, Datuk Seri Dr. Chen Chaw Mins (photo) said.

“UMS is actively engaging in research as well as teaching activities and the involvement of industry is crucial in ensuring the relevance of such activities conducted at the University,” said Dean of the Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, UMS, Professor Dr. Jualang Azlan Gansau.

The signing of the LOI followed UMS’ visit to MGRC’s Biosafety Level 2 cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice)-certified laboratory, which is used for the production of cell therapies, including CAR T-cell therapies for various cancers.

Two students from the Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy, University Malaysia Sabah, Ho Shu Jun (何淑祯) and Yeoh Peyee (杨品瑜), received scholarships from Asian International Mobility for Students (AIMS) program and spent a semester abroad as exchange students in Dongguk University Gyeongju, South Korea.

Ho Shu Jun, a second-year student majoring in Tourism Management shared her experience. According to her, she is enriched with the experiences she had in South Korea from March to July 2022.

“I am appreciative of the opportunity given by UMS to participate in this international mobility program. It is said that reading a thousand books is not comparable to travelling a thousand miles. It is true that sometimes the lessons you draw from your own life experiences are richer and more relatable than those you learn from books,” quipped Shu Jun.

Arriving in South Korea in March has been a challenge as COVID-19 restrictions had not been lifted in the country. After arriving in Incheon Korea (인천), one of the country’s three main cities, both Shu Jun and Peyee were quarantined for seven days. Every day for a week, food was delivered to our rooms on schedule.

After seven days of quarantine, we had to take the Airport Railroad and Korea Train Express to get from Incheon to Gyeongju City. Gyeongju (경주시) is the birthplace of Buddhism, which is also a home to numerous important historical landmarks in Korea, including Cheomseongdae (점성대) and Woljeong Bridge (월정교).

Dongguk University (동국대학교), a comprehensive university, was established in 1906. It is unique in that it is the only institution in South Korea to offer a major in Buddhist studies. The professors and students at Dongguk University were kind to them on their first day there. Ho Shu Jun and Yeoh Peyee took five classes taught in English. The credits were transferable upon returning to UMS. 

During their classes, Ho and Yeoh had the opportunities to sample local Korean cuisines besides learning about Gyeongju’s history and culture. The Silla Dynasty left behind a wealth of historical and cultural artifacts in the city of Gyeongju, many of which have been conserved and are now beautifully on exhibit. Both students were invited by their professor to visit her hometown.

Professor Jay Soo who is a Daegu native invited both students to learn more about her hometown and took them there to explore the local cuisine, culture, and history. In comparison to Gyeongju, Daegu (대구) is a comparatively metropolitan metropolis. It is the fourth largest city in Korea. They were also informed that Daegu had another name. It is “Daefrica”. What does the name “Daegu + Africa” signify? This unique appellation for Daegu is a result of the city’s intense summer heat.

In one of their classes, Professor Jay Soo had presented the Korea Virtual Reality Tour as an example of Korea’s cutting-edge technology. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that have impacted the lives of many people all over the world, South Korea has developed a Virtual Reality Tour website to allow people to “Go out and vacation” even if they were impacted by the pandemic.

The exchange students from Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and few Korean students were given the opportunities to participate in two days and one night field trip to Busan hosted by Korea Maritime & Ocean University (국럽한국해양대학교). The Korea Maritime & Ocean University is an important maritime institution with a concentration on shipping, logistics, marine, and transportation.

The students visited the Korea Maritime Museum Tour, Busan Headquarters Customs Tour, Busan New Port Public Relations Hall Tour, and Busan New Port BCT Terminal Tour to learn about the history and culture of Busan city.

Ho Shu Jun and Yeoh Peyee encountered with many individuals on this trip who were welcoming and eager to assist them when they needed it, which left them with a positive and insightful view of South Korea. Yeoh Peyee, also a second-year student, majoring in Tourism Management believed that the AIMS programme brings a lot of benefits to students. Both students have gained a lot from their time spent in South Korea as exchange students. They have also learned more about the country’s history and culture.

Associate Professor Dr. Mohd. Rahimie Abd. Karim, Dean of Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy, UMS emphasized the importance of international mobility experience as part of students’ learning experiences. The faculty has been actively engaged in international mobility program for both staff and students. In September, two students from the faculty will enroll in autumn semester in Dongguk University WISE Campus, while three Korean students will spend one semester in UMS (October 2022).

According to the Director of the Centre of Internationalization and Global Engagement, UMS, Associate Professor Dr. Wardatul Akmam Din, “Preparing global citizens has become more important than ever in an increasingly interconnected world; however, as lauded in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, it is important to balance the development of global citizenship with a strong national identity.” The curriculum in Universiti Malaysia Sabah strives to achieve a balance in both.

KOTA KINABALU: A total of 97,635 applications for Phase 1 of "PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia” (Malaysian Family Student Device) package have been approved so far, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.

She said out of that number, there were 21,633 applications in Sabah, of which 3,748 had been approved and in the process of handing over the devices to the successful applicants.

"Application for PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia Malaysian Family Apprenticeships was open since last April and screening began on Aug 29. Approval was given in stages and handing over of the devices to be done in three months.

"Therefore, I call on students of higher learning from B40 families who have not applied, to send their applications under Phase 2 which is still open until Sept 30, 2022," she told this to reporters after handing over the device to 100 students at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here Tuesday (Sept 13).

Noraini said the PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia initiative played an important role in the government's efforts to support efforts to empower the Education Digitisation agenda.

"The handing over of the PerantiSiswa is a commitment by the Keluarga Malaysia government to ensure students do not fall behind, especially those from the B40 group and also in an effort to form the Malaysian Family digital community and bridge the digital gap between all groups in the country,” she said.