Two young researchers from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Dr. Syed Abdul Mutalib Al Junid, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Dr. Azlin Mohd Azmi, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering have been selected as 2020 ASEAN Science Diplomat in June 2020. Based on their merits, they beat 365 candidates across nine ASEAN countries to represent Malaysia.
Dr. Syed and Dr. Azlin will represent Malaysia with 12 other ASEAN Science Diplomats in the ASEAN Science Diplomats Assembly (SDA). Not only were they listed as the 2020 ASEAN Science Diplomats, but they also managed to secure a comprehensive development grant to attend the SDA activities including training, capacity building and Participatory Actions Mechanism (PAM) research. The SDA also provides a platform and experience for Science Diplomats to interact with the community and policymakers through PAM. In addition, the program also provides collaborative links between outstanding researchers in ASEAN region.
SDA is an annual flagship program under the ASEAN Secretariat for outstanding science and technology researchers below 45 years with the aim of providing training and capacity building in the areas of Science Communication, Science Diplomacy, Science Evidence-Based Policy and Science Advise to the awardee.
Prior to this, Dr. Azlin received Women2Win: Global Asian Women Leaders Network’ award from the Women Empowerment Institute, Selangor, and The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), Japan. As for Dr. Syed, he has been granted the Industry-Academia Exchange Program: CEO at Faculty Program 2.0 fellowship by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia in 2018, under the mentorship of Datuk Yasmin Mahmood, CEO of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
To read further on research publications by Dr. Syed please access via https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8429-9630 and Dr. Azlin, please access via https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5792-9601.
Published in QS wow news dated 21 July 2020