3rd September 2024 – The Forward Research Dialogue (FRD) in collaboration with the Research, Industrial Linkages, Community, and Alumni department, UiTM Sabah organised a one day writing workshop this year with the theme,  Factor in Journal Papers: What Do Reviewers Look For.  The workshop was held on 3rd September at Dewan Ibnu Khaldun, Ujana Sarjana on UiTM Kota Kinabalu Campus. The session was attended by the Deputy Rectors of RICAEN and Academic Affairs Department, Associate Professor Dr. Viduriati Sumin and Professor Imbarine Bujang, respectively.

The morning session was led by an esteemed guest speaker, Dr. Aaron Tham from the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia while the afternoon session saw UiTM Sabah's Dr Jocelyn Lee Yee Vun from the Academy of Language Studies as its insightful speaker. Both speakers lend their experiences and insights into the world of research to the crowd of lecturers. The Q & A session was met with lots of intriguing questions from lecturers of various disciplines. It was truly an illuminating afternoon. The participants had a chance to work on their drafts, banter with their colleagues and receive feedback about their research. The event was emceed by Jenna D. Robert, a secretariat member of both RICAEN and FRD. The event was also attended by special guests – postgraduate students pursuing their master’s and PhD.

The objectives of the event were to enhance writing skills among the academicians at UiTM Sabah and to foster a collaborative research environment. This workshop succeeded in equipping participants with essential skills and knowledge on what makes impactful journal papers with focus on the criteria that reviewers look for. This is with hope that there will be an improvement in the quality of submission of journals by UiTM Sabah. Furthermore, the workshop provided a platform for lecturers to engage in meaningful dialogue and share insights and critics to further improve their own research drafts, while promoting a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement at the campus.

In conclusion, the writing workshop organised by FRD together with the Research, Industrial Linkages, Community and Alumni Department, successfully brought the academic community together to enhance their writing skills. Thus, it is hoped that more collaborative endeavours like these will encourage more academicians to produce quality journals and foster future collaborations with others for research excellence at UiTM Sabah.