THURSDAY, 28 DECEMBER - Researchers and students of languages and linguistics at UMS closed 2017 in fine form with a talk given by Dr. Andrew M. Carruthers held recently.

Dr. Carruthers is currently the Max Weber Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

His talk, titled 'The Meaning of "Moreness" for Bugis Migrants', was the first in a line-up of seminars planned under the newly set up Brown Bag Seminar Series for Languages and Linguistics at Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language (PPIB).

Dr. Carruthers delivered a highly informative and engaging talk to audience comprising postgraduate and undergraduate students, academic staff from PPIB and FKSW, as well as the local public.

The talk "examined how Bugis desires for moreness (kelebihan) reflect and shape the semiotic nature of mobility, providing an account of the meaning and value of moreness as it figures in the lives of Bugis people who travel from locations of lessness to realms of achievable mores.

It also analyzed how Bugis communities evaluate and sensuously experience signs of moreness as they travel to new domains home to "new" intensities of "old" qualities".

Dr. Carruthers is a linguistic and sociocultural anthropologist specializing in Malay speaking maritime Southeast Asia. He studies the relation between language, mobilities, and infrastructures as a source of insight into the ways people experience, evaluate, and navigate shifting and potentially hazardous terrains in their everyday lives.

His long-term ethnographic research has centred on the Bugis — a traditionally mobile, seafaring people who consider the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi to be their ancestral home, but have long migrated throughout the sprawling Indonesian archipelago and beyond in search of "moreness".

He has conducted ethnographic and linguistic fieldwork in Indonesia's South Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, and Riau Islands Provinces, and in the East Malaysian state of Sabah. Dr. Carruthers holds a B.A. from Cornell University in Anthropology and Southeast Asian Studies, and an M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Yale University in Anthropology.

The Brown Bag Seminar Series is the latest initiative by PPIB’s Research and Innovation office. The seminar features local and international speakers sharing and highlighting their research in the fields of languages and linguistics - two very rich sources of research data on Sabah.

Those interested to give a talk or suggest a speaker are welcome to contact Dr. Mohd. Sohaimi Esa, Deputy Dean for Research & Innovation (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Dr. Jane Wong (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to give further details.

KHAMIS, 14 DISEMBER -  Lebih 70 kanak-kanak berusia antara 4 hingga 6 tahun dari Pusat Minda Lestari (PML) Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) dan beberapa sekolah di sekitar Kota Kinabalu turut menjayakan program myTREEvolution anjuran Bahagian Hubungan Industri, Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (BHI-KPT) menerusi CEO@Faculty Programme 2.0 di Kompleks Perhutanan, Fakulti Sains dan Sumber Alam (FSSA) kelmarin.

Pengarah Pusat Pengurusan EcoCampus UMS, Prof. Madya Dr. How Siew Eng, yang mewakili Naib Canselor UMS, Prof. Datuk Dr. D Kamarudin D Mudin ketika ditemui pada majlis tersebut berkata, penglibatan UMS dalam program seumpama ini selaras dengan hasrat universiti bagi mewujudkan kesedaran alam sekitar, pengetahuan, kemahiran dan nilai-nilai EcoCampus dalam kalangan generasi baru di rantau ini.

“Program ini bukan sahaja membolehkan golongan cilik ini mendekati alam sekitar, tetapi juga membimbing mereka secara holistik untuk memberikan pendekatan yang lebih tepat mengenai program penghijauan bumi.

“Ini selaras dengan aspirasi kerajaan bagi meningkatkan kesedaran awam mengenai kehijauan bumi dan menyediakan wadah terbaik untuk perkongsian pengetahuan dan kerjasama antara universiti awam dan agensi-agensi kerajaan dan swasta,” katanya.

Tambah beliau, pada masa ini, kebanyakan penyertaan aktiviti penanaman pokok berakhir sebagai 2T sahaja, iaitu tanam dan tinggal, yang semestinya memberikan natijah yang palsu mengenai usaha Pelan Pemulihan dan Restorasi kawasan hutan dan hijau seperti yang digariskan dalam misi Jabatan Perhutanan.

Pada program tersebut, 100 pokok daripada spesies kapur paji, urat mata daun beludu dan seraya tembaga telah disumbangkan dan ditanam sebagai simbolik asas terhadap program myTREEvolution.

Kejayaan program tanam pokok ini merupakan usaha libat sama UMS bersama Jabatan Perhutanan Sabah (JPS), Agri-Biotech Marketing Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia Airport Berhad (Kota Kinabalu) dan Life Water Industries Sdn. Bhd. melalui myTREEvolution. Aktiviti ini turut digerakkan oleh 36 sukarelawan yang terdiri daripada pelajar FSSA UMS, 10 staf MAB-KK dan staf Pusat Kecemerlangan EcoCampus, FSSA dan wakil CEO@Faculty Programme 2.0.

WEDNESDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 

The Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Heritage (FKSW), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) recently reopened their Resource Centre now known as Bilik Sumber Ilmusabah.com located on the second floor of the building.

The resource centre was officiated by the Dean of FKSW, Prof. Dr. Ismail Ibrahim, witnessed by senior lecturers and staff of FKSW.

The cost in upgrading the old resource centre was absorbed by alumni of the faculty from all over Malaysia, and also existing part time students (PLUMS) who were more than happy to do their part in giving back to their alma mater.

 “This project was initiated when we saw the need to upgrade the resource centre to be more resourceful and conducive for users,” said Senior Lecturer, Dr. Maureen De Silva who is also the coordinator of the resource centre.

“The solidarity among the faculty alumni is very strong and this is a way of giving back to an institution that had played an important role during our student lives.

“We hope that this centre would benefit the younger generations who are still undergoing their studies at the faculty,” said a former student.

FKSW thanked all its alumni for making this project a success. - FL

THURSDAY, 9 NOVEMBER - Much to the surprise of the first year students participating in the Fun-tastic race at UMS on Saturday, 4 November, learning English tenses and parts of speech actually turned out to be ‘good fun’. The students were all from UB00102 Communicative English Grammar, a foundation English course offered by the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning (CPKLL).

The 35 challengers tried their level best to communicate in English as they undertook ten challenges at ten stations located in the vicinity of CPKLL. Examples of the communicative challenges were ‘describe and draw’, charades, relaying a message, and riddles. The participants also enjoyed solving clues to find ten ‘treasures’ and taking wefies with these ‘treasures’ along the way to different stations.  

Many of the participants said that they learned more about the English language and teamwork from taking part in the race. When asked to comment on the event, one participant responded, “It’s really fantastic! Love it! It can improve our communication skills in English, team spirit, and problem solving skills.”

Judging from the positive responses from the participants, this event evidently transformed the shy low proficiency students  into active users of English as the constraints of a formal teacher-centred  classroom gave way to experiencial learning and gamification.

The fastest team completed the race in 1 ½ hours and won the first prize of RM200. The Chairperson of Funtastic Race 2017 committee, Ms. Loh Yoke Len, pointed out that “The Fun-tastic Race  made every participant a winner as they all contributed to the challenges and overcame them together as a team.”

The race was jointly organised by CPKLL ‘Say it in English’ Campaign headed by Mr. John Mark Storey in collaboration with the Chairperson of UB00102, Ms. Brenda Margaret Wright. She commented, “Having fun with English in a communicative context can spark motivation for all levels of learners.”

In addition, the collective endeavour of 29 second and third year TESL students from the Faculty of Pyschology and Education was a key factor in the success of the race.

The UMS management and the Dean of CPKLL, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jualang Azlan Gansau are very supportive of student-centred learning English activities outside the classroom. Besides the Fun-tastic race, The ‘Say it in English’ Campaign  has also organised a public speaking course  (Speech Craft) in conjuncton with University Toastmasters Club, a short video competition, and a ‘Wonder Wall’ inspirational message competition. More activities are planned for next semester, such as a Film and Ficton Club for lovers of books and movies.

 

By Loh Yoke Len

FRIDAY, 03 NOVEMBER – A total of seven Exco Members of the Housewives and Women Staff Club (KESUMBA) Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) paid a courtesy call to Universiti Malaysia Sabah Labuan International Campus (UMSKAL) led by its President, Datin Roha Asmara, wife of the Vice-Chancellor of UMS, Prof. Datuk Dr. D Kamarudin D Mudin.

On hand to receive the members was the Chairperson of KESUMBA UMSKAL, Hayati Salleh Baihaki who is also the wife of the Director of UMSKAL, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murnizam Hj Halik.

In his speech, the Director of UMSKAL congratulated KESUMBA for its role in empowering women thus helping the surrounding community to move hand in hand in achieving the desired goals.

“Rather than we talk to others about something we want to achieve, it is better that we achieve something that others talk about,” said the Director.

Earlier, the Chairperson of KESUMBA UMSKAL, Hayati Salleh Baihaki thanked its members who had assisted the surrounding communities in their quest for a better society such as giving a hand to the Persatuan Autisme Labuan and Tadika KEMAS.

Persatuan Autisme Labuan is the first of its kind to be set up within a university campus ground, and similarly for Tadika KEMAS as well.

The three-day visit also included other activities as the members foster closer relationship with their respective new Exco line-up.

A similar courtesy visit is planned for UMS Sandakan Branch in the near future. - FL

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