Theme:
Science research -contributions towards environment, biodiversity and sustainable development

Date:
13th to 15th December 2010

Venue:
Chancellor Hall, UBD
Brunei Darussalam

The Faculty of Science of Universiti Brunei Darussalam will host its First conference for Graduates. This conference will provide excellent opportunities for students to present papers and receive critical feedback from peers and experts in the field. In addition to presenting papers, students will have the opportunity to interact with each other and prominent scholars and professionals related to their field(s) of interest.

UBD is inviting submission from undergraduate students graduating in 2010 and postgraduate PhD and masters students. Consideration will be given to papers which are within the theme or sub themes.

Themes:
1.Biotechnology
2.Applied Science
3.Biodiversity
4.Genetics & Biochemistry
5.Energy
6.Other relevant topics related to the main theme

For more information, and submission guidelines check out the conference page:
http://fos.ubd.edu.bn/ugsrc2010
Tip: A little hard to see, but navigation to info on the conference can be found to the right of the UBD Conference page.

At this point it would be useful to point out that the Bruneian Postgraduate Society (BPS) is basically an offshoot department of the Brunei Students Union. This allows the BPS to have backing and support from the union. However, the BPS tends to run independently of the BSU.

Tying things back to the BSU election period, the post of Chairperson for the BPS in the next academic year will automatically be held by the BSU Postgraduate Secretary in interim. However, shortly after the elections, the BSU Postgraduate Secretary is free to elect a new BPS Chairperson as he/she sees fit. It is the task of the new Chairperson to form the new BPS committee. This would typically be done by sending out notifications to anyone that is interested or by approaching specific individuals that he/she would like to have on the team.

So with that, feel free to submit your nomination for the BSU Postgraduate Social and Welfare Secretary. For more information on how to do so, see the following link:

http://bit.ly/cqOjec

Based on the Brunei Wawasan 2035 vision, the theme for the symposium centred around “Growth and Sustainability“, with the main aim of the symposium being to facilitate discussion between Bruneian postgraduate students from all academic fields, allowing them to share their research and highlight hurdles that the nation as a whole needs to overcome to ensure ongoing success. Additionally, the symposium also serves as a ground to forge ties of camaraderie among students, building friendships and opening doors for possible collaborations.

Overall, this second annual symposium has met its intended objectivies, attracting various researchers and almost doubling the audience numbers since the previous year. The esteemed keynote speakers shed light on the various problems and strategies to achieve the country’s 2035 vision, while presenters shared their current research efforts illustrating the importance of development in their respective fields. Below is a list of all speakers accompanied by their presentation slides on the day:

The following list will be continually updated with the presentation material as soon as we get permission from the respective parties. Videos for each speaker is still being processed. The videos will be uploaded to our Youtube channel as soon as its ready, so make sure to subscribe if you want it as soon as its available (Links will to each speaker will also be placed here).

Keynotes

1. Yang Mulia Awang Hj Md Rozan bin Dato Paduka Hj Md Yunos
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Development
Presentation (pdf)
Video Part 1
Video Part 2
Video Part 3
Video Part 4
Video Part 5
Question and Answer Part 1
Question and Answer Part 2

2. Yang Mulia Dr Hj Omar bin Hj Khalid
Vice-Chancellor
Institut Teknologi Brunei
Presentation (pdf)
Video Part 1
Video Part 2
Video Part 3
Video Part 4
Video Part 5
Video Question and Answer

3. Professor Tong Chee Kiong
Special Academic Advisor
Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Presentation (pdf)

National Identity and Education Panel

1. Hazwan Jaya
Institute of Education (London)
The Post-Conscious

2. Hjh Sorianasalwa Hj Mornie
University of Loughborough
Realizing Change: Promoting National Identity Through Language Securities

3. Noor Faezuana binti Mohd Ali
University of Warwick
Incorporating Human Rights and Humanitarian Education into the School Curriculum
Video Part 1
Video Part 2

4. Vincent Anak Andrew
Universiti Brunei Darussalam
The Impact of Learning Study as School-Based Professional Development on the Performance of Teachers in Brunei Darussalam
Video Part 1
Video Part 2

Environment, Health and Law Panel:

1. Haji Muhammad Alinoride bin Hj Md Deli
MTSSR (Brunei)
Hydrogen Production Using Excess Power from Temburong Hydroelectric Power Station
Video Part 1
Video Part 2

2. Ang Bee Biaw
Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Ecology and Conservation of Mammals in Kerangas Forests of Brunei Darussalam
Video Part 1
Video Part 2

3. Ihsan Nazurah Zulkipli
University of Cambridge
Cell Division and Cancer
Video Part 1
Video Part 2

4. Doris Shim
University of New South Wales
Fighting the Epidemic of Autoimmune Diseases

5. Haji Amirul Azuan bin Haji Ahmad
King’s College London
Legislative Ontologies for e-Government
Video Part 1
Video Part 2

Some media coverage from the event:
Borneo Bulletin 26/03/2010 Cached by Google
Borneo Bulletin 09/04/2010
Anak Brunei Part 1 Part2(Symposium Committee Member) – With Awesome Photos!
Brunei Resources (One of our Keynote Speakers)

In a recent development, Professor Tong Chee Kiong, who was previously attending as a guest, has agreed to give a talk at the symposium. Along with our previously announced line up, this brings us to a total of 3 keynote speakers:

1. Yang Mulia Awang Hj Md Rozan bin Dato Paduka Hj Md Yunos – As the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Development, he is a key figure within the government administration and serves as a driving force in the development of the country. The title of the talk is “Sustainable Development for Brunei Darussalam: Issues and Challenges“.

2. Yang Mulia Dr Hj Omar bin Hj Khalid – As the Vice-Chancellor to the Institute Technology of Brunei (ITB), he leads an increasingly important an increasingly important institution, especially with its recent establishment as a full fledged university. ITB is a key factor in ensuring the development of a technically inclined work force. The tile of the talk is “Education for a sustainable development in Brunei Darussalam: A Higher Education Prospective“

3. Professor Tong Chee Kiong – As the Special Academic Advisor for UBD who hails from the National University of Singapore. Among Professor Tong’s research interests are The Chinese in Southeast Asia, Comparative Religious Systems, Civil Religion & Commercial Development and Institutional Foundations of Chinese Business Firms

Joining the esteemed keynote speakers on the day, will be a selection of students and researchers that will be presenting their work at the symposium. They come from a variety of fields and institutions based in the UK, Brunei and even Australia.

Taking feedback in from the 2009 Symposium, the committee has selected papers a variety of the papers that reflect the diversity of interest. The papers are spread into two over-arching panels.

National Identity and Education Panel:

1. Hazwan Jaya, Institute of Education (London)
The Post-Conscious

2. Hjh Sorianasalwa Hj Mornie, University of Loughborough
Realizing Change: Promoting National Identity Through Language Securities

3. Noor Faezuana binti Mohd Ali , University of Warwick
Incorporating Human Rights and Humanitarian Education into the School Curriculum

4. Vincent Anak Andrew, Universiti Brunei Darussalam
The Impact of Learning Study as School-Based Professional Development on the Performance of Teachers in Brunei Darussalam

Environment, Health and Law Panel:

1. Haji Muhammad Alinoride bin Hj Md Deli, MTSSR (Brunei)
Hydrogen Production Using Excess Power from Temburong Hydroelectric Power Station

2. Ang Bee Biaw, Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Ecology and Conservation of Mammals in Kerangas Forests of Brunei Darussalam

3. Ihsan Nazurah Zulkipli, University of Cambridge
Cell Division and Cancer

4. Doris Shim, University of New South Wales
Fighting the Epidemic of Autoimmune Diseases

5. Haji Amirul Azuan bin Haji Ahmad, King’s College London
Legislative Ontologies for e-Government

If you have any questions, please feel free to drop a comment. See you all on the 20th of March.

As a follow up to the successful 1st Postgraduate Symposium last year, the committee has been hard at work to make this years event just as exciting. We have a diversified line up of speakers on the day, ranging from the fields of education, policy, engineering, medicine and health.

Additionally, the committee has managed to secure two exciting and influential figures as keynote speakers for the event:

1. Yang Mulia Awang Hj Md Rozan bin Dato Paduka Hj Md Yunos – As the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Development, he is a key figure within the government administration and serves as a driving force in the development of the country.

2. Yang Mulia Dr Hj Omar bin Hj Khalid – As the Vice-Chancellor to the Institute Technology of Brunei (ITB), he  leads an increasingly important an increasingly important institution, especially with its recent establishment as a full fledged university.  ITB is a key factor in ensuring the development of a technically inclined work force.

We also have some other prominent individuals that will be attending the Symposium as guests. The University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD) will be sending Professor Tong Chee Kiong, Special Academic Advisor for UBD and Dr Hjh Mona Dato Paduka Hj Kassim, Deputy Director Institute of Leadership Innovation and Advancement.

FaceBook Event Page:
http://bit.ly/7Dd6GU

Date:
20th March 2010
(Due to logistics concerns and also from some early feedback, the symposium has been shortened to a one day event).

Time:
0900-1630

Venue:
Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre
School of Oriental and African Studies
London

Dress code:
Smart

Registration:
Eligibility: The event is open to everyone, including interested undergraduates.
Online registration is now closed. Anyone who still wish to attend can just turn up at the door (registration fee of £8.00).

Introduction

First of all, I would like to thank the Bruneian Postgraduate Society for inviting me to write an article on the “Practising Researcher.” The easiest way is to write of my own experience, starting from the first day I joined Universiti Brunei Darussalam after completing my Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) from the University of Southampton (United Kingdom) in 1994.

The Early Years

My PhD was on molecular genetics; I studied the effect of injected DNA in a tropical fish. We used expensive equipment to study DNA at my former university. I wanted to continue my research at Universiti Brunei Darussalam but this turned out not to be feasible as it would have meant setting up a DNA laboratory in order to conduct such research. The question at that time was how could I proceed with my research? Equipment was a constraint at the time. As I did not want to lose my interest in research, I wrote a paper on “Genetic Engineering in Brunei Darussalam: Future Implications” which was published in UBD’s Academy of Brunei Studies journal, “Janang”. I was at the same time trying to find a suitable research topic to conduct at the University.

After much thought, I applied for a University Research Grant in marine aquaculture. I realized that conducting research in this area would generate papers and would provide a baseline study on the marine aquaculture of Brunei Darussalam. I later expanded my research to freshwater fish aquaculture in rural areas of the Tutong district. Indeed, I presented and published papers in the area but it was not good enough for me as I am first and foremost, a geneticist. I SHOULD BE DOING GENETICS. I had the opportunity to meet a colleague from University of Malaysia, Sabah and he invited me to contribute a paper on “Gene Transfer in Fishes.” I published my first book chapter in 1999. The book was published by Blackwell Science, Oxford. I also published my work in regional journals and was active in presenting my research work overseas. I was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1999, five years after my appointment as a lecturer.

I am a geneticist

I felt aquaculture was not the right area for me as my expertise was in molecular genetics. After five years at the University, I was still looking for my niche area of research. I worked with a student volunteer from Canada during the long vacation and with a final year project student on gene transfer in black tiger prawns. We showed successful DNA transfer in prawns and the resultant paper was accepted for publication in Aquaculture International (see Zohrah Haji Sulaiman, Raymond Ho Ming Chan and Putri Maharani Simanjuntak. 1999. Gene expression in black tiger prawns (Penaeus monodon) following intramuscular injection of b-Gal plasmid. Aquaculture International 7, 333-340). The research was aimed towards using DNA as a vaccine. I believe that the work was the first successful demonstration of gene transfer in invertebrates. The procedure could also produce genetically modified prawns. At the time, genetically modified foods were associated with negative connotations as their effect on health was unknown.

Niche area of Research

However, I was back to square one – I still had to find my niche area. We have been attracting overseas scientists to Brunei Darussalam to do work in our pristine rainforest. The position of Brunei Darussalam in Borneo is an advantage as Borneo is the world’s most important mega biodiversity hotspot with more kinds of habitats and species than can be found almost anywhere else in the world. The biodiversity of fishes using genetics as a tool would be my area of research. I used allozyme electrophoresis to study the population genetics of freshwater and marine fishes. I learned the technique from a research fellow who was attached to our laboratory in 1999. I presented and published papers in these areas.

Science is a dynamic field

Scientific techniques become obsolete after several years; scientists are having to learn new techniques all the time. Allozyme electrophoresis was no longer the technique used for studying population genetics of organisms. I had to learn new techniques in genetics. I was making new acquaintances all the time; either through conferences or academic linkages/collaboration. I learned the technique of using DNA markers for studying molecular phylogenetics from my colleagues at the University of Queensland. Universiti Brunei Darussalam and the University of Queensland were involved in teaching collaborations at that time. I still had difficulty in understanding molecular phylogenetics techniques and I had to go into a research laboratory in order to have hands-on experience. I learned from this experience and continued to enhance my knowledge in the area. I reinvented my niche area of research to Biodiversity of fishes, Biogeography and Molecular Phylogeny of fishes. I may continue to reassess and reinvent my research area as and when necessary. But, my research interest is still in molecular genetics.

Research Collaborations

A few years ago, I had no research group and worked on my own most of the time. I had a few project students. Therefore, I had to collaborate with other scientists in the same area. I have research relationships with University of Malaysia Sabah, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (National University of Singapore), the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and the University of St. Louis (USA). I became a member of Cypriniformes Tree of Life Initiative and Planet Biodiversity Initiative. Both projects are being or in the process of being funded by the United States National Science Fund. We published papers through these research collaborations. The following publications are examples of said research collaborations:

1. Tan H.H and Zohrah Haji Sulaiman. 2006. Three new species of Gastromyzon (Teleostei: Balitoridae) from the Temburong River Basin, Brunei Darussalam, Zootaxa 1117, 1-19 (collaboration with Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore, Singapore);

2. R.L.Mayden, K.L.Tang, K.W.Conway, J.Freyhof, S Chamberlain, M Haskins, L Schneider, M Sudkamp, R.M Wood, M Agnew, A Bufalino, Zohrah Sulaiman, M. Miya, K Saitoh and S He. 2007. Phylogenetic relationships of Danio within the order Cypriniformes: A framework for comparative and evolutionary studies of a model species. Journal of Experimental Zoology (Mol Dev Evol) 308B: 642-654 (Collaboration with University of St Louis, Missouri, USA under the Cypriniformes Tree of Life Initiative);

3. Zohrah Haji Sulaiman and Jennifer R Ovenden. 2009. Population genetic evidence for the east-west division of the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson, Perciformes:Teleostei) along Wallace’s Line. Biodiversity and Conservation. DOI 10.1007/s10531-009-9699y (Collaboration with Molecular Fisheries Laboratory, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane, Australia).

Now and The Future

Now, Biology at the Faculty of Science in UBD has a DNA laboratory and is also a proud owner of a DNA sequencer. I have a ‘research group’ consisting of myself, a junior colleague, project and postgraduate students. But, my journey does not end here. I still have an ambition to pursue and that will be my ultimate goal. There are three important lessons which I can draw from my experience: (1) when there is a will, there is a way; (2) find your niche area in research (continue to reassess and reinvent); (3) collaborate with other research scientists and (4) keep on publishing your research work.

We are currently working hard on securing some high profile keynote speakers. Last year we were able to secure three of the top individuals who shape the higher education field: Dr Zulkarnain (Vice Chancellor of UBD), Dr Supry (Head of Research ITB) and Dr Yusop (UNISSA). The Committee is working hard to maintain the same level of quality with our keynote speakers, and are approaching some key policy makers in the country. Keep watching this space for more information as we get it.

We would also like to take this opportunity to introduce new members of the 2010 Symposium committee. They have volunteered their time and effort and everyone is happy to be working with them. As well as the members of Postgraduate Society (see here), please welcome the following individuals:

• Jin Yang
  • Masters in Chemical Engineering
  • University of Cambridge
  
  
• Muhammad Reeda Malik (aka anakbrunei to the online community)
  • Masters in New Media and Society
  • University of Leicester
  
  
• Sabrina Hj Md Daud
  • PhD in Land Economy
  • University of Cambridge
  
  
• Syazana Ebil
  • PhD in Biological Sciences
  • University of Warwick

We invite Bruneian postgraduate students (Masters, PhD) from any discipline to submit abstracts on any aspect of how their previous, current or future research would contribute towards Brunei’s national vision for long-term development.

Any submissions which respond to this are welcome, and the themes you may wish to consider include (but are not limited to) education, technology and innovation, energy, health, food security, infrastructure, national identity, economic development and employment.

This two-day symposium aims to act as a platform for discussions between Bruneian postgraduate students from all academic disciplines as well as representatives from Brunei-based research organisations, ministries and policy-makers, and allow them to share their research, research experiences and resources and how they feel these will contribute towards realising Brunei’s long-term vision for development. We look forward to a diverse range of responses to these themes.

It does not matter if you do not have a fixed or specific research thesis, or if your current research is not based specifically on Brunei. We are open to your ideas on explorations of any potential research topics, the role you see the skills you are acquiring fitting into existing infrastructure, or how you can see your current research helping to contribute towards realising Brunei’s long-term vision for development, directly or indirectly. You may find it helpful to refer to Brunei’s Vision 2035.

Abstracts

Please send abstracts of 200-250 words for proposed presentations of 15-20 minutes to the Scientific Committee at brupostgradsoc@gmail.com by Thursday,  31st December 2009 (deadline extended to 14th January 2010). Please include your name, faculty/department, university affiliation and contact email address.

This conference has been generously approved and given the full backing of Brunei Students’ Unit, London and Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

If you have any queries, suggestions or would like to request further information about the symposium, please do not hesitate to contact us at the above email address.

The Bruneian Postgraduate Society is calling on any interested postgraduates to help and be part of the next Postgraduate Symposium. The Symposium will take place in the UK sometime in the first half of 2010. Tasks involved for the Symposium committee members will range from providing input to the theme and direction for the symposium, to evaluating submissions for presentations and will likely involve collaboration on co-ordinating the event.

It should prove to be an exciting experience for everyone, as well as providing experience in the planning and running of such an event. If you are interested in being on the Symposium Committee, please drop us an email (brupostgradsoc@gmail.com).

There will be talks given by representatives from Brunei Students’ Unit and University College London during the morning session followed by a river tour to Greenwich later during the day. Lunch will be provided.

Please spread the word to anyone you know whom might be interested, and it would be nice if you could let us know whether you’re interested in coming etc so we know the numbers to expect. Attendance for each session is optional. You can attend either the morning session, afternoon session or both.  Those of you who aren’t keen to attend the morning session (optional), are welcome to join us for the trip in the afternoon.

All attendees will need to register by sending an email to: brupostgradsoc@googlemail.com

Programme:

1. Morning Session (Facebook Link: http://bit.ly/qVdPw)

• Location: Brunei Hall
• Fee: Free
• 0930-1000: Arrival of attendees
• 1000-1100: UPP Welcome/ Welcome Back to the UK
• 1100-1200: Welcome to Postgrad Life (UCL Representative)
• 1200-1300: Lunch
• 1300-1400: Travel to Tower Pier

1. Afternoon Session (Facebook Link: http://bit.ly/J3eSp)

• Location:  Tower Pier, Lower Thames River, London, United Kingdom
• Fee: £8.70 per person (excluding the tube fare from Brunei Hall)
• 1330-1350 Meetup at Tower Pier
  
• 1400-1440 Thames river cruise to Greenwich Pier *
• 1440-1600 National maritime museum
• 1600-1725 Royal observatory/Greenwich park
• 1725-1800 Thames river cruise to Tower Pier

* Please note the boat will depart Tower Pier at 14:00. For those only attending the afternoon session, please ensure that you get there on time. If you run into any problems on the day, you can call the following number: 07738418059