NOTWILL, SWITZERLAND: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has signed a collaborative agreement with Swiss Paraplegic Research (SPF) to conduct research studies on spinal cord injuries.

The agreement was signed by UMS Vice Chancellor, Professor Datuk Dr. Kasim Hj. Mansor and SPF Director, Professor Dr. Med. Gerald Stucki here on Tuesday (02 May 2023).

It was also witnessed by UMS Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Professor Ir. Dr. Rosalam Hj. Sarbatly and SPF Managing Director, Mirjam Brach.

According to Dr. Kasim, the research focuses on the level of care, quality of life and rehabilitation of those who have had spinal cord injuries.

"It is an initiative from the World Health Organization (WHO) where Swiss Paraplegic Research, which is a leading research institution in Europe, is responsible for coordinating the implementation of research on an international scale.

"This study will be conducted in 42 countries including Malaysia, which at UMS the research is led by Associate Professor Dr. Fatimah Ahmedy as a rehabilitation medicine specialist and an Associate Professor in Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, UMS along with several other medical experts in the same field in this country," he explained.

According to Dr. Kasim, the signed agreement will also result in cooperation in the exchange of expertise between the two institutions to increase the visibility of UMS towards supporting international efforts in the field of spinal cord injury research.

He said, among the studies that have been discussed include developing a rural rehabilitation center located in Beaufort, Sabah that can be used as a facility to carry out rehabilitation research based on artificial intelligence (AI-assisted rehabilitation).

"The main aim of this research is to optimize the ability of those who are paralyzed and disabled to be able to return to work and lead a daily life in the community.

"Indeed, this study is very timely because it is seen in line with the research skills of UMS which focuses on the university's contribution to the community through the village rehabilitation center as a living lab.

"With the inspiration of UMS as an innovative community leader, I am confident that this center can be a reference to help rural communities who suffer from physical problems and disabilities due to limb injuries to return to work.

"Indirectly, this can help the government in improving the national economy as well as reducing the burden of health costs," added Dr Kasim.

Swiss Paraplegic Research researchers are expected to come to Sabah for research purposes in early 2024.

KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has signed a research agreement on regenerative agriculture and biodiversity with a local fertiliser company to strengthen its educational platform of eco-farm agriculture.

UMS Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansur believed the collaboration with Yun Fung Sang Group would encourage the involvement of local parties in agriculture and create space for research activities in oil palm and other agricultural fields.

“Agricultural education is crucial for Malaysia’s agricultural sector to leverage technology and innovation to enhance productivity and competitiveness of the downstream oil palm sector,” he said at the signing ceremony held in UMS.

Through the agreement, both parties agree to cooperate to achieve output involving publications and research seminars related to fertilisers, palm oil production and biodiversity in palm plantations.

It will also involve the exchange of human resources and expertise in the specified fields, including producing trade secrets and trademarks of research results.

The agreement will increase the visibility and strength of UMS in the community through collaboration with the palm oil industry and other related industries, he said.

In addition, he said, both parties will cooperate in establishing the Chair of Regenerative Agriculture and Biodiversity to strengthen the palm oil industry, especially in improving the health of agricultural lands and conservation of agrobiodiversity.

The project will involve the application of additional trace elements to soils to improve oil palm yield, soil health and soil fauna diversity in a 12-hectare oil palm plantation in Gum-Gum, Miles 16 Sandakan.

The project will also help palm oil farmers consider the three key factors: people, planet and profit.

The research team involves a number of experts and researchers, namely associate professor Dr Suzan Benedick (entomology and biodiversity), Dr Clament Chin Fui Seung (microbiology and biotechnology), Dr Januarius Gobilik (multi- and cross-disciplinary agronomy) and Dr Salumiah Mijin (horticulture and soil nutrition).

Suzan, the lead researcher, stated the project’s goal is to improve soil nutrient management in the palm oil agroecosystem by providing better information and advice to palm oil farmers, focusing on sustainability indicators such as soil trace element enrichment and cost-effectiveness.

Yun Fung director Steve Lee said he would work to strengthen the agricultural sector, especially the palm oil sector, to achieve the policy goals of the Sabah Government’s initiative to make the State a global leader in the sustainable palm oil industry.

The project has been implemented in 2022, involving a contribution over a five-year period from Yun Fung and its participating subsidiaries – Baja Harapan Group, Kang Ke Palm and Agri Business Consultancy.

KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Huawei Technologies Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Huawei Malaysia) have announced the opening of the ICT Academy Lab located at the Faculty of Computing & Informatics, UMS.

The setting up of the lab is part of the efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s digital talent ecosystem which is part of Huawei Malaysia’s efforts to nurture a rich ICT talent pool in line with accelerating Malaysia’s digital transformation goals.

The launching ceremony was held on April 17, with UMS represented by its Vice Chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Hj Mansor, while Huawei Malaysia was represented by Vice-Chancellor of Huawei Asia Pacific Academy and Director of Huawei Malaysia Public Affairs and Communications, Oliver Liu.

Universities are known for students pursuing knowledge and innovation and to achieve this, the right tools and resources to facilitate the learning process are needed.

The ICT Academy Lab is designed to enhance the learning experience of the students which will help to train them in a real-world environment to acquire high level of Huawei certifications.

The lab is also equipped with Huawei’s smart classroom solutions in order to support university in teaching, holding workshops and technical discussions, sharing and exchanges with industry by using hybrid method.

Commenting on the collaboration, Kasim noted that the partnership aligns with UMS’ strategy of supporting the ministry’s policies on integrating Industry 4.0 elements in education.

“With the establishment of the Huawei ICT Academy Lab, UMS has implemented a range of successful programs in various ICT fields, such as telecommunications, Big Data, IoT, Cloud Computing and artificial intelligence.

“As of today, a total of 710 UMS graduates have followed the HCIA (Huawei Certified ICT Associate) Program, and 330 UMS graduates have been recognized as Huawei ICT Associates (HCIA) from the latest ICT fields, including Datacom, AI, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Storage, 5G and Security.

“With this achievement and the management efficiency of the Huawei ICT Academy, UMS has been awarded the ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ four years in a row (2019-2022),” Kasim said.

Meanwhile, Liu said that Huawei is delighted to be a part of this wonderful effort by UMS to nurture ICT talent.

“I believe this initiative will help students improve their digital skills and become more competitive in this highly dynamic and demanding ICT industry as well as in the job market.

“Huawei aims to showcase and share our leading technology solutions and innovations with students and cultivate world class talent for Malaysia and the region.

“We hope this lab will be one of the main hubs for technology development for students,” he said.

Also present during the event were the Dean of the Faculty of Computing and Informatics, Assoc Prof Ts Dr Mohd Hanafi Ahmad Hijazi, UMS Chief Digital Officer Prof Ag Asri Ag Ibrahim; Director of Huawei Enterprise (East Malaysia), Jason Dengjie; Partner Development Director of Huawei Enterprise Malaysia, John Zhang, and Human Resource Director of Huawei Malaysia, Choh Yau Meng.

The Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy (FBEA), Universiti Malaysia Sabah feasted with compassion for this Hari Raya.

The faculty's administration department headed by the Dean, Associate Professor Dr. Mohd. Rahimie Abd. Karim together with the Head of Administration, Jumiati Pajakkai organised a donation drive that lasted for two weeks.

According to Rahimie, this was in line with the faculty's intention to be imperative to feed the needy before festive celebration.

He said, as the festive season approaches, the faculty members once again came together to show their support for the less fortunate.

“The faculty donated a substantial amount of goods to the local orphanage, Rumah Anak Yatim As-Sakinah located at Papar.

“The orphanage, which houses over 33 children, relies heavily on the government as well as the community to provide food, clothing, and shelter to the children,” said Rahimie.

Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of the orphanage, the manager, Ustaz Ahmadie Andan expressed his gratitude and appreciation.

"We would like to thank the Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy for their kind and generous donations.

“The children will have a wonderful festive season thanks to the support of the faculty," he said.

The faculty members who donated to the orphanage expressed their satisfaction in giving back to the community, particularly during the festive season when many families are struggling to make ends meet.

One donor said, "It is heart-warming to know that we can contribute to the wellbeing of these children, particularly during a time when many of us enjoy plenty."

The donation to the orphanage is just one of many community services that demonstrate UMS commitment as a whole and the faculty specifically in helping those in need.

UMS Vice Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Dr. Kasim Hj. Mansor has also expressed his appreciation for the donation drive organised by the faculty administration staff stating that such acts of kindness contribute greatly to the community's wellbeing.

“The festive season is a time for family, friends, and giving.

“The donation to the orphanage is a true reflection of the faculty's spirit of generosity, compassion, and kindness towards those less fortunate.

“It is hoped that the faculty's example will inspire others to give back to the community during this time of the year especially after a huge economic hit after the pandemic,” he said.