Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and the Sabah State Tourism Board, under the supervision of International Society for Quality-of- Life Studies (ISQOLS) will be organising the 22nd ISQOLS Annual Conference 2024 on 25th to 28th June 2024, at Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).

The conference aims to improve quality of life and will bring together people from diverse areas of interest, including academia, the arts, health, education, business, politics, justice, religion and the environment.

The 4-day-long event will include preconference workshops, plenary lecture sessions, presentations and discussion sessions whereby participants from different backgrounds will work together to produce a set of resolutions, to help improve quality of life in the region.

Conference chairperson, Professor Dr. Helen Lasimbang said that the decision for ISQOLS to hold its 22nd annual conference here in the beautiful land below the wind, is because past president Elizabeth Eckermann was born in Sabah and she envisioned and successfully bid for an ISQOLS Conference in Sabah.

“Sadly, she passed in 2019, and it is in her memory that this conference is hosted in the land of her birth. This year’s theme ‘Human Happiness and Wellbeing in an Uncertain World’ reflects both the changes that have occurred in our world post-pandemic, but also the unique capacity for post traumatic growth and quality of life improvement.

“For this, the organisers hope to gather scholars from all corners of the world, from different disciplines, with different methodological and theoretical perspectives, and following different approaches, but with one common goal: generating research-based knowledge to contribute to the well-being in societies,” Helen said.

Plenary lectures will be delivered by distinguished international speakers, including world renowned experts on quality of life Simon Eckermann, Senior Professor of Health Economics at Wollongong University Australia; Andrew Clark, Chaired Professor from Paris School of Economics and Director of the National Centre for Scientific Research CNRS; Mohsen Joshanloo, Associate Professor in Psychology at Keimyung University South Korea and Honorary Principal Fellow of Centre for Wellbeing Science of University of Melbourne, and Jannie Lasimbang, Chairman of the Rural Development Corporation.

The conference organisers would like to invite registration from members of the public, academics, organisations and anyone else who is interested. Registration details and other information can be found on the website: www.isqols.org

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is holding an exhibition to highlight the results of mushroom research in Sabah.

The 2024 Mushroom Research Exhibition themed 'Mushroom Art: Fungi of Borneo' will be held from today until the end of the month at the Magavol Exhibition Room, Azman Hashim UMS Gallery (GAH-UMS).

UMS vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor said the exhibition is to showcase the research through artwork of several local artists.

Kasim said mushrooms possess unique appeal in shape, colour, and texture — with potential applications in fabric dyeing, Sabah batik motif designs, food products, and artistic and cultural realms.

"We undertook this initiative to educate and encourage community involvement in the sustainable use of biological resources.

"It is also an effort to raise awareness among communities in Sabah and throughout Malaysia about mushrooms.

"Although knowledge about mushrooms has been passed down from generation to generation, there are still many cases of mushroom poisoning. Therefore, awareness and knowledge about mushrooms need to be improved," he added.

UMS is also grateful that the UMS Mycology Team has received funding from the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK12) allocation for fungal research.

He said the initiative aims to identify species of wild fungi with the potential for commercialisation as a proactive step in addressing global food security threats.

Meanwhile, UMS Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ITBC) director Associate Professor Dr Fiffy Hanisdah Saikim said she hoped such an exhibition could bridge the gap between science and arts.

"Through this exhibition, we hope to demonstrate how art and science can synergise to produce something extraordinary.

"Art is not only about creative expression, but can also serve as a tool to understand and communicate scientific concepts in a more engaging manner to the public.

"This is an important step in attracting more young people to the STEM field by showing that science is not limited to laboratory experiments but can also be expressed in visual and artistic forms."

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), via its Labuan Faculty of International Finance, has inked a letter of intent with Chin Wui Trading to work together to support and boost sales of local small businesses through innovative digital marketing. 

The faculty’s dean associate professor, Dr Geoffrey Harvey Tanakinjal, said the signing marks the beginning of a collaborative effort designed to uplift and empower Chin Wui Trading. 

“The faculty is committed to leveraging its extensive business and financial expertise to foster sustainable growth for the company. 

“We will also utilise our knowledge and experience in various business and financial disciplines to assist micro and small companies like Chin Wui Trading. Our goal is to ensure their sustainable income and growth,” he said during the signing ceremony at UMS Labuan Campus.

Geoffrey said as part of this initiative, the faculty is spearheading a project aimed at expanding the recognition of Chin Wui Trading’s products through diverse digital marketing tools. 

“This project not only aims to increase the company’s market reach but also provides an invaluable practical experience for students of the faculty. 

“The collaboration between UMS and Chin Wui Trading signifies a meaningful contribution to the local economy, promoting the growth and sustainability of micro and small enterprises through academic and business synergy,” he said. 

Chin Wui Trading’s Chief Executive Officer Liau Wui Jun expressed his gratitude for the university’s support and guidance in developing his business. 

“Chin Wui Trading is known for its diverse range of food products, especially our popular frying flours. 

“We are committed to delivering high-quality products to our customers and are excited about the opportunity to expand our market reach,” Liau added. 

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Neurogine Sdn Bhd have launched UMS Technology Talent Hub 2024 (UMS T2H 2024) to develop, retain and attract talent to Labuan.

This initiative seeks to identify, develop and attract talent in technology, marketing and finance within Labuan and addresses a broader social responsibility of reversing Labuan’s brain drain.

Chief executive officer Owen Chen Chee Onn said Neurogine, one of Malaysia’s leading technology companies, is committed to fostering future leaders in the intersecting fields of technology, finance and marketing.

“We are thrilled to be part of UMS T2H 2024 and our role as the main sponsor,” he said at its launch at UMS Labuan International College here on Monday.

The event is organised by UMS’ Faculty of Labuan International Finance in collaboration with the Faculty of Computing and Informatics, and Neurogine.

“It will help create employment and respond to Labuan’s talent demand for digital banking, robo-advisers, virtual asset exchanges, and Islamic financial blockchain tokens.

“Neurogine has been at the forefront of innovation, pioneering payment tokenisation and financial blockchain solutions since 2020,” he said.

Chen the event is also in sync with plans to establish a blockchain hub and transform the island into a digital financial hub and launchpad for blockchain technology, as announced by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan last month.

“We believe there are significant opportunities to develop world-class talent here, establishing Labuan as a technology innovation hub to serve the Brunei–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA),” he said.

Chen said the tools to realise such opportunities are ready with the International Finance and Computing Informatics faculties and its 1,500 annual enrolments.

“It is ambitious but realistic to position both faculties as talent and technology innovators,” Chen said.

The initiative also enables the company to connect and recruit talent and showcases its commitment to innovate and support Malaysia’s technology talent ecosystem.

Dean of Labuan’s International Finance Associate Professor Dr Geoffrey Harvey Tanakinjal said the initiative provides a platform for students to showcase their skills.

He said teams of five will compete over six months in prototyping and pitching exercises for the three top prices of RM10,000, RM8,000 and RM5,000 in December.

Neurogine is also offering employment contracts to deserving individuals. Team registrations start on June 10, 2024, and end on Aug 10, 2024.