How Post Graduate Can Support Research and Publication

1. Well supervise by the supervisor
2. Good facilities and guidance for research
3. Good monitoring systems, research culture and attitude
4. Encourage scheme for high quality research and publications
5. Research and publication environment

Inferiority Complex: We only support our ideas after others recognised

This project is one of our dilemma. If we are confident and trust with our own people, we are infront by 10 years. Unfortunately we have to wait for others to recognise our own people then we will recognise and support those who recognise and support our people, still not directly supporting our own people. This is one of the reasons why we are slow. We are inferiority, and about time to change. Always refer to the right person at the right time and place. Do not be a street people and "pasar malam type".

Institute of Biodiversity Malaysia Bukit Rengit Lanchang

What make the institute was established?
Is it because Malaysia is one of the megabiodiversity contries in the world?
What are the objectives?
How to achieve the objectives?
What kind of activities that aere carried out so far at the institute?
May be we need to review the objectives of the Institute, planing and actions to suit the current and future scenario of biodiversity trend at global level.
Probably we need to relook the administrative structure and functions and headed by right functional individuals.

Sejuta Belia Sejuta Harapan Sejuta Impian

Apakah belia negara bersetuju dengan hasrat pemimpin negara? Atau apakah perhimpunan sejuta belia suatu upacara sahaja? Bayangkan kita hanya bercita-cita untuk melahirkan 60,000 orang pemegang ijazah PhD sebelum 2020. Apakah ini angan-angan atau suatu realiti? Dalam 9 tahun ini agaknya berapa PhD boleh dihasilkan? 1000, 3000 atau bolehkah kita capai 5000? Bukan suatu yang mudah. Kita perlu fokus, kemudahan, kewangan, calon dan sokongan. Dan mungkin juga perlu menghargai lulusan PhD yang sedia ada. Bayangkan kalau profesor yang ada tidak dilihat dan dihargai, bagaimana mereka nak bantu hasilkan graduan PhD. Tambahan lagi dalam bidang sains dan teknologi yang sangat-sangat diperlukan negara.Sejuta belia ke Putrajaya, Belia Subang Jaya bermain rugbi di KLIA, Pertandingan MAS7. Paling kurang belia negara Subang Jaya jelas berhasrat membentuk Kelab Rugby Subang Jaya sebagai satu platfom untuk masyarakat lasak generasi baharu untuk beriadah, bersatu dan menafaatkan negara. Mungkin suatu hari nanti rugby di Subang Jaya terdiri dari para profesional dari dalam dan luar negara.

Kenapa Kurang Murid Meminati Sains & Menggagalkan Strategi Sains dan Teknologi Negara

Perkara yang perlu dilihat segera!
Mungkin cik gu mengajar di sekolah
Mungkin cikgu tidak tahu apa yang diajar di dalam bilik darjah
Mungkin kaedah mengajar tidak menarik minat murid
Mungkin murid tidak belajar apabila cikgu mengajar
Mungkin cik gu syok sendiri
Makanya kurikulum sains ok tapi cikgu gagal menterjemahkan kurikulum untuk sampai dan difahami murid, maka murid tidak faham, tidak minat dan gagal dalam sains.
Suatu penyelidikan segera perlu dilakukan sebelum Malaysia Maju 2020.
UNTUK TAHUN 2020 PELAJAR TINGKATAN 3/PMR TAHUN INI PERLU DIBERIKAN PERHATIAN DAN SEMUA LAPISAN PELAJAR TINGKATAN 4/5/6/MATRIKULASI/PRA-UNIVERSITI/UNIVERSITI PERLU LIHAT MEMEMUHI ATAU TIDAK KEPERLUAN NEGARA MAJU 2020.
Mungkin university boleh membantu menyelesaikan masalah ini segera sebelum 2015

Why Biology is Important!

Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines. Among the most important topics are five unifying principles that can be said to be the fundamental axioms of modern biology:

Cells are the basic unit of life
New species and inherited traits are the product of evolution
Genes are the basic unit of heredity
An organism regulates its internal environment to maintain a stable and constant condition
Living organisms consume and transform energy.
Subdisciplines of biology are recognized on the basis of the scale at which organisms are studied and the methods used to study them: biochemistry examines the rudimentary chemistry of life; molecular biology studies the complex interactions of systems of biological molecules; cellular biology examines the basic building block of all life, the cell; physiology examines the physical and chemical functions of the tissues, organs, and organ systems of an organism; and ecology examines how various organisms interact and associate with their environment.

Towards academic excellence in the university

1. leaders must be strong and united with good vision
2. academic must be well train, focus and productive
3. close collaboration and cooperation and understanding between top leaders, academician and supporting staff
4. good students
5. together with similar vision

Green Volunteer (Sukarelawan Hijau)

Sempena kejayaan UPM dalam World Ranking Greenmetrik, seluruh warga UPM patut berbangga dan mempunyai semangat yang tinggi dalam mengekalkan atau meningkatkan kedudukan ranking ini di masa hadapan. Antara perkara yang perlu dilakukan adalah kesedaran seluruh warga kampus, penglibatan sepanjang masa dalam kegiatan hijau dan amalan kearah aktiviti hijau. Sejauh mana warga kampus mengamalkan 3R (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle), mengurangkan penggunaan kertas, menjimatkan penggunaan air dan letrik, mengurangkan pergerakan kenderaan dalam kampus, mengawal pembuangan sisa bahan kimia dalam sing dan longkang, menjadikan kawasan kampus tidak merokok dan menjaga kehijauan pokok. Mungkin setiap PTJ bersama seluruh Kampus UPM mengadakan aktiviti satu petang serentak pada hari rabu dua kali setahun menyelenggara pokok yang sedia ada, menanam pokok baharu, membaja dan mengindahkannya. Marilah kita bersama menghijaukan kampus. Mungkin juga setiap PTJ mempunyai kelab sukarelawan hijau yang boleh menjalankan aktiviti hijau seperti menanam pokok, meronda tutup lampu yang menyala disiang hari di PTJ masing-masing atau menjalankan aktiviti perkhemahan kesedaran dan kefahaman alam semulajadi.

Universiti sepatutnya menjadi tempat cemerlang dan terbaik untuk bekerja

Tetapi kenapa kita masih merungut dari mula menghampiri kampus, melepasi pintu pagar kampus, masuk pejabat untuk bekerja sehinggalah balik. Universiti tempat ramai pakar, profesor dalam pelbagai bidang. Kenapa kita masih bermasalah dengan sistem trafik, sistem pendaftaran, pemarkahan,pentadbiran, landskap dan macam-macam sistem. Mungkin disebabkan kita tidak menghormati pakar yang kita ada, kita tidak menghargai kebijaksanaan tenaga kita sendiri, kita tidak merujuk pakar, terdapat ketidakselarian pentadbiran, pengurusan dan ahli akademik. Kadang-kadang pentadbiran universiti macam kilang plastik. Kenapa universiti membenarkan penipuan berlaku dalam kampus, orang bisnes menentukan arah tuju pendidikan. Berbaliklah ke pangkal jalan, biarkan academician menguruskan universiti dan membuat keputusan. Keselesaan di tempat kerja akan menjanjikan produk yang cemerlang.

Cigarette and Beer consumer keep increasing and become a trend of success?

MU still Champion: May be we can hire the manager, Sir Alex Ferguson to lead some of our institution to maintain world class standard and meet our KPI

No point to Blame any body after tragedy. Think before action. Learn from experience.

We found the problems, we do research, we spent money, we developed knowledge, experts and technologies, we find solution BUT we do not apply our knowledge. When we will learn to listen from the experts. READ AL-QURAN!

International Biodiversity Day 2011

Importance of Biodiversity for the survival of Mankind through clean air, water, food, shelter, clothing, medicine and all our basic needs for survival; Ecosystem Benefits and Services through the fuction of the ecosystem, nutrient cycles, pollination, interaction between plants, animals and soils,climate regulation; Leisure and Cultures Values through recreation, aesthetic, education, religious and culture values, economy; Supporting Life through biodiversity supports life on earth for the present and future organisms adapting to changing of environmental condition. How may young generation understand and celebrating International Biodiversity Day (IBD) 2011. By right all shools in Malaysia should do some activities to celebrate IBD 2011.

Science: Natural Disaster to Man Man Destroyer? Power Crazy or Power Challenge?

Manusia adalah khalifah di muka bumi ini. Adalah tugas manusia memahami tentang cakerawala, bumi, alam semulajadi, proses yang berlaku untuk di menafaatkan oleh seluruh umat manusia sepanjang generasi dan zaman. Ilmu sains membantu manusia memahami semua itu dan dalam A-Quran telah banyak dibincangkan tentang alam semulajadi, proses dan apa manusia perlakukan. Hanya manusia tidak membaca, memahami, memgamalkan dan menyampaikan.

Pembangunan Rugbi Negara Perlu Kerjasama Universiti dan Komuniti

Probably UPM or UiTM can help this idea to involve schools near their campus.

Alumni and KPI of the University

How Alumni can play roles in achieving University's KPI?
Alumni identify their position, function and location, communicating with university, come back to alma matter, contributing, helping and participating. These will help the university to achieve its mission. Home coming is one of the platform networking the Alumni.

Research, Finding, Application, Communities Benefit and Commercialisation

Research is not just an experiments. Research will take long time and cannot promise many publications in short period. Some time research finding will be very significant to the economy of he country and economy and health of the communities. So university and publication sometime is not relevant. University, Teaching, Research and Extension YES!
So real leaders of research universities must be able to understand and be practicle.

Kelestarian dan kerelevanan Universiti

Tiga fungsi universiti dalam pengajaran, penyelidikan dan pengembangan mesti dilihat penting bagi memastikan kelestarian dan kerelevanan sesebuah universiti.
Tidak dapat dinafikan kemajuan sesebuah negara bergantung kepada universiti. Tiada negara yang maju di dunia ini yang tiada universiti. Malah semua negara maju mempunyai universiti yang terkemuka dan bertaraf dunia. Maka kalau kita mahu maju kita mesti menjadikan universiti kita maju dan bertaraf dunia.
Bagaimana nak menjadikan universiti maju dan bertaraf dunia telah banyak saya bincangkan sebelum ini. Just taip "world class university".
Antaranya ialah menghormati pensyarah @ profesornya, bangunkan bidang mereka ke tahap tertinggi dan pastikan berjaya, mempunyai pelapis generasi muda dan jadikan tarikan utama antarabangsa. Profesor adalah esest penting. Nilai universiti kita sekarang. Adakah ini berlaku atau hanya hangat-hangat tahi ayam sahaja. Ramai pensyarah @ profesor bersara seorang diri penuh kekecewaan kerana bidang yang dipelopori 20-30 tahun terkubur begitu sahaja.Tiada pelapis dan kesinambungan ilmu.
Penyelidikan penting untuk pengajaran berkualiti dan pengembangan ilmu kepada masyarakat luar atau kegunaan negara.
Kepada pemimpin universiti fikir-fikirkanlah fokus universiti, kesinambungan dan kelestariannya serta kerelevanan dengan masyarakat dan negara. Fokus kekuatan univeriti bukan sesuatu yang adhoc. Full of planning and actions.

Pisang dan Kelapa Warisan, sumber makanan dan ekonomi bangsa

Modern Agriculture, Food Security, Education Structure and Leadership

Malaysian history in agriculture as a major income for survival, source of economy, career, heritage and culture are well informed. Most of the festivals celebrate every year are traditionally based on agriculture. Based on that Malaysia still depending on agriculture for food, income, status of leaving and survivals. Now agriculture become more complex, modern and integrated. Therefore a good system needed and education is the trust. Malaysia must look carefully on the education system, structure and leadership in order to achieve country's vision; developed country and high income society.

How this multi million dollars algae can be utilised. Our tradition do not trust our own people, so we gave ideas for others to develop.

The Star: Tuesday April 12, 2011
Microalgae - Jagjit Kaurah thinks he has the answer
By NATALIE HENG
star2green@thestar.com.my

Breaking the algae cost barrier – can one Malaysian scientist do it?

JAGJIT Kaurah thinks he’s onto something. He’s always been an inventor of sorts but this time he’s aiming big, and is ready to take on the big boys.

For years, giants such as Boeing, Exxon Mobil, Bill Gates, BP and the US Military have pumped billions into microalgae research in hopes that these microscopic proto-plants might turn out to be the world’s answer to dwindling fossil fuels.

Up until now, the only thing standing in the way of microalgae and their potential to solve the world’s twin crises of climate change and a looming energy shortage has been the amount of money it takes to produce and harvest the stuff.
Jagjit Kaurah showing containers filled with microalgae at the Universiti Putra Malaysia research station. He intends to grow microalgae in the sea off Port Dickson in Negri Sembilan.

Most commercial operations which do deal with microalgae focus on marketing the more nutritious species as an expensive nutraceutical on the health foods market.

Kaurah, however, says he has developed a method of bringing down production costs to a level where prices will revolutionise both the health food and biofuel industries.

Similar claims have been made before, only to have initial hype fade like a mediocre sunset; so the next six months will be critical for Kaurah, who intends to take his technology commercial near the seaside town of Port Dickson in Negri Sembilan.

If his current claims about finding a way to produce microalgae at a cost of US$1.50 (RM4.65) per kg, (less than half that of current world leader Michael Borowitzka’s US$4 per kg) stand up commercially, he might well put Malaysia on the world map as a leader in microalgae production.

Microalgae have everything you could possibly want from a renewable energy resource. They grow fast, have a high oil content and unlike crops such as sugar cane, oil palm and switch grass, their growth is not limited by the availability of land to grow on. And when they grow, microalgae sequester carbon dioxide.

Up to to 68% of its dry weight is made up of of oil which can be converted to biodiesel through a process that is similar to converting oils from other feedstocks.

Kaurah explains how the idea of growing microalgae cheaply came to him. On a beach trip to Port Dickson one day, he was watching the waves. Up till that point, he was versed to a very basic level on the reasons why microalgae production is so expensive. Among them are the fact that photobioreactors require large capital costs, whilst meticulous temperature regulation and constant agitation are required for algal populations to thrive.

It was then that a light bulb moment occurred; he realised the sea could be a potential solution in breaking the cost barrier, thereby providing a solution to three of the world’s most pressing issues – climate change, dwindling energy resources and malnutrition.

“You see, microalgae are not like plants. With plants if you have a 10 to 15 degree change in temperature it doesn’t affect them too much. With microalgae, even with a four degree change they go into funk. But in the sea, temperature change is almost zero. And the sea waves will give you free agitation ... mixing is very important.”

Kaurah is not the only person to have had that idea. It has surfaced before but there have been no big attempts at setting up a bioreactor for microalgae in the sea. The Floating Bed Method (FBM) is what Kaurah calls it, and after five years of scheming, constructing, failing and re-calculating, he says it finally works.

At the Universiti Putra Malaysia research station in Port Dickson where he conducts his trials, Kaurah points out long, barnacle-covered pipes piled up a short walk from the shoreline – remnants of his final commercialised pilot project which he completed last December.

“We’ll be cleaning off the barnacles soon and transporting them (the pipes) to the new site,” he says.

He’s waiting for state government approval to set up his first commercial plant.

The FBM consists of a large structure of interconnecting pipes that float on a large bed of water. A network of nets or ropes attached to them hold up a colony of big long garbage bags. In these bags there are dense populations of microalgae, scaled up first in a series of vesicles starting from small flasks to five-litre plastic containers to 20-tonne bioreactors.

The entire structure when set up at sea is about 50m by 50m in size. A harvesting system connects microalgae in the “garbage bags” to processing or storage containers on the shore.

The bags are almost completely impermeable, with carbon dioxide and other exchanges taking place through tubes that connect the inside of the bags with the harvesting pipes.

“They act as a totally enclosed bioreactor, so it’s very clean,” says Kaurah.

So what makes Kaurah’s FBM different from the multi-million dollar projects out there? For one thing, it enables a massive reduction in photobioreactor capital costs. Another is that other expensive temperature regulation and agitation services are provided free by the sea and waves. Kaurah also says he has found a solution to scaling issues, however his harvesting system remains for now a closely guarded secret. He is secretive about some things as certain elements of his technology are pending a patent application.

The journey to get where he is wasn’t easy. Many a battered prototype has been washed up onto the shores of Malacca where some of his earlier trials took place. He solved some of the issues by making the entire structure submersible but other issues have kept him from achieving fuel price parity with crude oil.

“We still have problems with fouling, handling the sea currents and waves better, durability of some of our components and other less pressing concerns which require extra labour to handle. That’s the reason our costs are about US$1.50 (RM4.65) per kg.”

To be ready for the biofuels market, he said he would need to push the price of production down to US$0.70 (RM2.17) per kg in order to be competitive.

“But I know what needs to be done, and I am confident I can get it down to US$0.70 within 12 to 18 months.”

While he works on getting the cost of propagating microalgae down, Kaurah’s first commercial operation will produce the variety of microalgae called spirulina.

Aside from egg white, spirulina is the only other “complete protein” source, which basically means it contains all the amino acids the body requires in the correct proportion – part of the reason why it is both a popular nutraceutical and a popular candidate for solving malnutrition. Kaurah intends to supply aid organisations with the world’s cheapest complete protein source to tackle malnutrition problems.

At the moment, he says the cheapest dry bulk suppliers provide spirulina at US$10 (RM31) per kg, so he will bring the price down to US$3 (RM9.30) per kg for aid agencies, and supply other businesses such as health food companies at about US$5 to US$6 (RM15.50 to RM18.60) per kg.

Based on current world aid budgets, Kaurah believes he can supply spirulina at prices cheap enough to eliminate malnutrition across the world.

Unity, sharing and team work for success

Transformasi Rakyat Malaysia

Bila Negara Malaysia mula berubah untuk maju?
1. Zaman Parameswara
2. Zaman Portugis
3. Zaman Belanda
4. Zaman Inggeris
5. Zaman Jepun
6. Zaman sebelum Merdeka
7. Zaman selepas Merdeka
8. zaman perpaduan rakyat (cina, india melayu)
9. zaman selepas 13 Mei 1969 (Menyusun semula masyarakat dan membasmi kemiskinan)
10. zaman pembukaan tanah tanah, pemusnahan hutan dan pembangunan
11. zaman perindustrian
12. zaman pandang ke timur (budaya kerja jepun dan korea)
13. zaman cekap, bersih dan amanah
14. zaman teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi (ICT)
15. zaman internet, globalisasi dan tanpa sempadan
15. zaman reformasi
16. zaman fitnah memfitnah
15. zaman Islam Hadari
16. zaman penyampaian mesej berkesan
17. Zaman Satu Malaysia
18. zaman Transformasi Negara (Kerajaan, Ekonomi....)

Negara membangun yang agresif. Bagaimana status rakyat pribumi.

World Class Education Starts From Pre-School

University should teach the students to adapt for the future.

Why Professors in Malaysia Looked Tired and Stressed?

Are we ready to achieve our leaders mission? Or our leaders are just dreaming,cruel, dictator and unable to think wisely?
How to excel in academic? Is that by producing functional graduates, able to compete at the world stage and marketable can be measured as excellence in academic?
If yes may be we need to assess the quality of academic staff that we have, their capabilities (academically, strength, willingness, etc), students quality (their academic background, skills, English and willing to take the challenges) and supporting staff, systems and facilities.
Based of the above factors, perhaps we can plan for producing functional and marketable graduates.
Firstly, of course the students must have good academic background and tested to meet the minimum requirement of the university's programmes. By doing this there will be less pressure for the professors to supervise, planning for research and correcting the thesis. The strict assessments needed before offering the place, after registration, at the middle and final. The assessments needed such as backgouund knowledge in the specific fields of study, English and some skills on writing (style and formating-especially those from middle east and no English background through their academic systems). Secondly, actually the systems are already there, the only thing are the assessment procedures are not strict and no standard procedures of assessment during the process. For example the seminar series on proposal,progress and final, regular seminar/every semester should be held to assess their progress in research and the improvement in English language. Perhaps the English test is needed among the undergraduate and post graduate to assess theier improvement during their 3 or 4 years in the university. This actions perhaps will help to maintain or enhance the quality of graduates. The idea look difficult but if the professors and secretariat involve are valued (counted in their time&efford) and restpected than the quality graduates can be produced.
By having proper strategies and actions, our leaders mission can be achieved easily.

Can We Fight Global Warming and Climate Change by Just Planting the Trees

More activities needed as listed in the Government Policies. An integrated approaches are important. All agencies in the government departments and related agencies should be together educating people and implementing the government strategies in fighting global warming and climate change. Again right people at the right places and time need to be identified to avoid a dream leaders.

How do we practice our academic promotion exercise?

For the Associate Professors the assessment in many good universities are based on
1) external reviewers—several nationally or internationally prominent academics in the candidate's field will be asked to review the candidate's application for promotion and submit a confidential report;
2) based on this report and evidence of the candidate's accomplishments in his or her curriculum vitae, a committee of members from the candidate's department will make a recommendation for tenure/promotion or denial of such;
3) the department will vote, the peers group assessment are important;
4) the department decision is communicated to a university panel of individuals from outside of the department who evaluate the application and decide whether they agree or disagree with the departmental recommendation;
5) the dean will discuss at the faculty level;
6) the board of governors/president or other upper level governing body endorse the assessment and application.

In fact over 10 years a go universities in Malaysia also followed those procedures. Meaning the old Associate Professors (those are promoted before 2000) are well assessed and refereed. Therefore with new procedures and recognition, those old one should be given some respect and recognition in term of privilege, salary, allowances, supporting, facilities, promotion etc.

After the promotion the individual should maintain an active research program, and excellent teaching, in addition to taking a leadership role in important departmental and extra-departmental administrative tasks and extension services. Full professor is the highest rank that a professor can achieve (other than in a named position) and is seldom achieved before a person reaches their mid-40s. The rank of full professor carries additional administrative responsibilities associated with membership on committees that are restricted to full professors. Therefore the Professors should be treated as a special position.

The question now many of the appointments were missed direct. Many just depending on the self development which is publications and other indexes. Some thought public money cannot be given to promote individuals but to serve the public. Perhaps the old way of assessment was right.

Continous Tree Planting Programmes For Future Generations

Hopefully this is not just a ceremonial. The tree planted will be there and continue their generations. More story at "http://www.upm.edu.my/?kat=1&aktvt=berita&kod= 201105191391542261721654221"

Unity, sharing and team work for success

Look at the different between the natural forest and the monoculture green trees. Not only less in biodiversity of vegetations but may be animals.Monopolise by one tree produced limited product and benefit certain individuals. Diversity of trees certainly produces a varieties of products. Sometime KPI and Indexes do not balance the ecosystems and life is under stress to benefit certain induviduals. Another way of dictatorship.

Target & Destination

Destination without trail or Path without destination. We need to have a clear vision, objectives, and action to accomplish our mission and achieve our goal. When we are rich we dream a lot and winding path without destination. if we are not careful we will lost.

Jealous and how to cure: Honest, responsible, integrity and ibadah

Harga Barang Makanan Naik: A conflict in life?

Perancangan yang baik, kepimpinan yang mantap, perlaksanaan yang jujur, cekap dan berkesan akan membantu kenaikan harga barangan makanan dan menjamin kedudukan economi, kesihatan dan kesejahteraan rakyat.

CSI vs Gossip

Science can help in systematic investigation. Thats why we need to teach science in school and train the younger generation on logic thinking, reasoning, looking for facts and searching evidence. Experiments, observation, analytical thinking will teach the students to make good conclusion. NOT JUST ASKING, HEAR SAY and GOSSIPPING.