TUESDAY, 9^th APRIL - Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) highlights its commitment in promoting and establishing Technology Enabled Learning (TEL) by awarding the selected e-learning champions of UMS with the appropriate tools to facilitate TEL towards UMS Smart Eco-Campus.

The Vice Chancellor, Profesor Datuk Dr. D Kamarudin D Mudin said, the current generation of educators and learners must adapt to emerging trends in technology in order to remain ahead of the learning curve.

“The Malaysian Education Blueprint for Higher Education (2015-2025) highlights the need for globalized online learning among one of the key strategic shifts which need to be adopted in order to transform Malaysian Higher Education into a model that is truly global, relevant and contemporary.

“To this effect, UMS has adopted this philosophy as part of our strategic plan, wherein Key Result Area (KRA) 1 emphasizes the need for inclusive and quality education while KRA 8 stresses on enhancing holistic student experience,” he said during his address at the ceremony held to present special hardware and software to lecturers who are involved in supporting the TEL initiative at UMS.

Besides, he said a truly holistic learning experience can be achieved by empowering both lectures and students with appropriate interactive learning technologies. This is in line with UMS effort to fully operate as Smart Eco-Campus.

“This will facilitate greater communication between lectures and students and prepare them for the technology enabled world which constitutes the basis for Industrial Revolution 4.0.

UMS has allocated a special grant to provide you with the hardware and software which will enable you to develop your learning content for development through the UMS Learning Management System SMART2UMS and the UMS OER Repository,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Director of Centre for E-Learning, Professor Dr. Fong Soon Fook said it is important to understand and addressing the current learning needs for the digital natives as it is one of the key priorities of UMS. 

“Advancements in digital technology have enabled lecturers to develop online content which can then be delivered via the internet using online learning platforms thus enabling students to access lecturers when they are off campus. In addition to this, students can now deliver their assignment and project reports to their respective lecturers via the learning management system.

“TEL is the way forward which will drive UMS into the next decade, in which advancements in the delivery of knowledge will be leveraged to meet the learning needs of students. In fact, the strategy is already generating a significant amount of positive feedback as evidenced by the surveys of students conducted on campus which highlighted the advantages of TEL such as ease of accessibility and improved communication with the lecturers and among their peers,” he added.

The Vice Chancellor distributed specialized tools to lecturers to develop learning content, which included high resolution web-cameras for recording lectures, wireless audio recording devices, electronic tablets for delivering and annotating lecture notes in a classroom setting and software for recording and editing lectures.

Also presence in the ceremony are the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International), Professor Dr. Rasid Mail; the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Associate Professor Ts Dr. Ramzah Dambul; and Registrar, Madam Vina Zahriani Yusof.

FRIDAY, 5 APRIL - Reproductive Health Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science (FMHS) Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in collaboration with Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of Sabah Women and Children Hospital (SWCH) and G Medic Solution Sdn. Bhd (GE) recently organised the 5th Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Workshop (5USS). 
The three-day workshop aimed to educate doctors on the usage of modern ultra sound techniques to detect common antenatal abnormal conditions and diagnose pathological disorder. 
Deputy Dean (Student Affairs & Community Network) of FMHS, Dr. Yeap Boon Tat said various medical sub specialties need ultrasound to improve patient care. 
“For example in the field of anaesthesiology, we are using ultra sound for invasive central venous line insertions and obstetrics and gynaecology to diagnose important fetal placental abnormalities. 
“Ultrasound scan is a valuable knowledge and skill in obstetrics and gynaecology, thus it is very important for all house officers, medical officers and also general practitioners to master it very well,” he said when officiating the event. 
The 5USS is a first of its kind as UMS is the first medical faculty in Malaysia which uses Vimedix, Ultrasound Simulator from Somnotec (S) Ptd Ltd to accelerate the learning process during the workshop. 
“Vimedix is an innovative ultrasound training platform that allows trainees to learn ultrasound easily and quickly without any risk to actual patients,” he added. 
Furthermore, Dr. Yeap also mentioned that ultrasound is now ‘a must know area’ for all medical professionals. “Doctors should strive to update themselves with the latest knowledge and skills, to seek continuous improvement and be self-motivated in keeping with times,” he said. 
About 180 participants among doctors and medical professionals around Sabah and all over Malaysia participated in the workshop held at FMHS auditorium.

MONDAY, 11 FEBRUARY - The International Conference on Marine Science and Aquaculture (ICOMSA 2019) will be held from 12 to 14 March 2019, at Magellan Sutera, Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

ICOMSA 2019 will be the 17th conference organized by the Borneo Marine Research Institute (BMRI), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), with the theme ‘Marine Biodiversity for Sustainable Management of Aquaculture and Ecosystem Services’.

According to a statement issued by BMRI, the conference will divided into 9 sub-themes: Aquaculture Environment Interactions, Marine Tourism, Remote Sensing and Coastal Oceanography, Seafood Safety and Security, Marine Inventory, Endangered Marine Species, Ecological Fisheries, Aquaculture Genetics and Marine Pollution & Ocean Health.

These topics are of global relevance and particularly important in the field of Marine Science and Aquaculture, where the marine ecosystem services play a significant role in socio-economic development, aquaculture industry and seafood security.

More than 100 participants from local and international universities and institutions will be expected to participate in ICOMSA 2019, and researchers in related field are invited to join ICOMSA 2019 and use this as a platform to share research findings.

For further details about ICOMSA 2019, please visit http://icomsa2019.wixsite.com/icomsa, or contact the Conference Secretariat (Dr. Zarinah Waheed) at 088-320000 ext. 2588.  

MONDAY, 24 JANUARY - Increasing the industry cooperation through network discussions and visits headed by dean faculty, Prof. Ir. Dr Abdul Karim Mirasa and few lecturers to Factory EcoOils Lahad Datu Sdn Bhd recently is one of the active approaches by the Faculty to synergised and strengthen industry relationship.

The meeting also presented an opportunity for EcoOils to present the detailed production process and the differentiation elements from other similar competitors.

UMS representatives were able to understand in depth the additional steps involved in production, which uses EcoMineral (final product after oil extraction from Spent Bleaching Earth) in a self-sustaining power generation system using steam to operate the plant.

Furthermore, the plant tour enabled UMS to visualize the investments and the measures taken by EcoOils to be truly Eco-friendly without disposed their spent bleaching earth after oil extractions to landfills.

Even though steam boiler produce end product or ash residue named as EcoProcessed Pozzolan (EPP), it is however have positive prospect application in mix concrete and brick manufacturing.

Prompted discussions on other avenues for R&D with UMS such in potential uses in asphalts, tiles, building materials, glass manufacturing with some of the possible innovations includes, silicon wafer and ceramic water filter.

Meanwhile, both UMS and EcoOils also benefited from the discussions toward the advantages to students from the teaching factory which produces the interlocking bricks.

EcoOils’s EPP has allowed them to explore another avenue to potentially reduce cost and produce cheaper and more functional products for the market.

The presentation of the completed projects by UMS using EPP enabled EcoOils representatives to envisage the use of the IBS in actual construction and the potential as an alternative building solution. Hence, produce sustainable construction material in line with concept 'waste to wealth'.

In a nutshell, the collaboration visit by UMS to Lahad Datu EcoOils SDN BHD was fruitful to both parties and provides a platform for a closer relationship and improved knowledge transfer.

The objective to reach better understanding and outline the collaborations for future efforts were truly achieved during this visit.