USM PULAU PINANG, 3 Januari 2024 – Genap setahun menerajui Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) sebagai Naib Canselor kesembilan, Profesor Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed menzahirkan setingi-tinggi penghargaan buat semua warga kampus atas sokongan dan komitmen tinggi dalam menyumbang kepada pembangunan Universiti.

Beliau berkata, momentum USM pada ketika ini amat baik dan beliau akan meneruskan segala usaha yang telah dijalankan termasuk memperkasa agenda APEX dan empat strategi yang menyokong dan menjayakan Ekonomi MADANI: Pendidikan Tinggi (4P).

Strategi 4P yang dinyatakan termasuk penyediaan bakat, penyelidikan dan inovasi, pemindahan dan perkongsian ilmu serta pengantarabangsaan.

Katanya, USM turut menjadi perintis bagi beberapa program berimpak tinggi yang dapat memperluas jaringan strategik bersama komuniti dan industri termasuk yang terkini, program Inkubator Penyelidikan dan Serap Industri Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (MRI3).

“Kita telah bermula dengan baik untuk memberi impak kepada pemegang taruh dan kita juga mempunyai hala tuju strategik untuk terus mengimplementasi segala idea yang dirancang ke peringkat seterusnya.

“Kelestarian kewangan masih menjadi fokus Universiti pada tahun ini dan saya yakin kita akan terus bergerak mengikut momentum,” jelas beliau.

Abdul Rahman turut menyuarakan harapannya untuk melihat semua warga Universiti peka dengan dunia luar, termasuk melihat peluang yang boleh dimanfaatkan menerusi teknologi Artificial Intelligence (AI) dan digitalisasi.

“Sekali lagi saya ingin mengucapkan setinggi-tinggi terima kasih buat semua warga USM yang telah sama-sama berusaha dan menjalankan amanah masing-masing dengan begitu baik.

“Saya akui banyak cabaran yang akan dihadapi di masa-masa akan datang namun saya percaya dengan kerjasama dan komitmen semua, USM akan terus melakar pelbagai kisah kejayaan dan memberi impak,” katanya.

Teks: Marziana Mohamed Alias/Foto: Mohd Fairus Md Isa 

USM PENANG, 8 April 2024 – The National Poison Centre (NPC) at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) plays a vital role in addressing poisoning incidents across the nation, closely monitoring emerging trends associated with new products in the market or regulatory alterations.

According to NPC drug and poison information services chief pharmacist, Sulastri Samsudin, NPC has been monitoring poisoning exposure cases related to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and their liquids since 2015, when they were first made commercially available.

“Over the span of nine years from 2015 to the present, the NPC has meticulously observed 111 cases linked to e-cigarettes and their accompanying liquids, with notable surges occurring during two distinct periods, first between 2020 and 2021, and then between 2022 and 2023,” she cited.

Sulastri said the first phase of increase by twice was in 2020 at 13.5 per cent and 2021 at 19.8 per cent compared with 6.3 per cent in 2019, which was during the Movement Control Order (MCO) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The majority of cases then involved children aged below five. This situation can be attributed to the accessibility of these products to children due to inadequate storage practices.

"This is further compounded by the form of product packaging, especially liquid e-cigarettes without safety features and the existence of interesting flavourings such as appealing food and sweets/candies.

"The second phase of increase was after the MCO, which was in 2022 and 2023. Although there was a slight decrease to 18 per cent in 2022; in 2023, the NPC recorded the highest number of e-cigarette exposure calls of 30.6 per cent, a five-time increase compared with 2019,” she said in a statement released recently.

Sulastri also mentioned that in the same year, nicotine was removed from the Poisons Act 1952.  

“The second phase also showed a change in the trend in the age category, where more teenagers aged 15 to 19 years experienced poisoning due to the deliberate use of e-cigarettes.

“Furthermore, more than 95 per cent of reported cases were symptomatic,” she said.

“The majority of symptoms exhibited by patients were consistent with nicotine poisoning symptoms such as severe vomiting, drowsiness, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fainting, and seizures/convulsions.”

She, however, said there were also patients who showed more severe symptoms such as psychosis, hallucinations, aggressive behaviour changes and were suspected of involving drug abuse into e-cigarette liquid.

"Since 2021, the NPC had started receiving cases of exposure to e-cigarettes linked to the drug, Magic Mushroom, or its active ingredient psilocybin, and recorded a total of 23 cases to date.

"Without any control over e-cigarettes, the NPC cannot confirm the content of the substance," she added.

As such, Sulastri urged the government to speed up the implementation of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2023 which was approved last year, to ensure greater control of electronic cigarette products, mitigate e-cigarette-related harm, and safeguard public well-being.

Among the control measures that can be taken are:

• Use safety caps for e-cigarette refill containers;
• Prohibit the use of food flavourings in e-cigarette liquids;
• Limit the concentration of nicotine and the amount of liquid in e-cigarette liquids and refill containers;
• Ensure that products, especially chemicals, are tested and registered for monitoring purposes;
• Set a strict standard operating procedure for product manufacturing processes of e-cigarette products;
• Strengthen the monitoring system for cases of exposure to e-cigarette poisoning;
• Ensure that e-cigarettes are off limit to minors/underaged individuals.

"NPC once again calls for the speedy implementation of control over smoking products, especially e-cigarettes, to prevent more Malaysians, especially the younger generation, from falling victim to nicotine addiction and poisoning," Sulastri said.

Translation: Tan Ewe Hoe

NIBONG TEBAL, 8 March 2024 – In an effort to strengthen international collaborations, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), through the Director's Office of Engineering Campus, today hosted an official visit from Kyushu Institute of Technology (KYUTECH).

Based in Fukuoka, Japan, KYUTECH is one of the leading universities aiming to establish strategic partnerships worldwide and the meeting is part of their initiative to expand its global collaborations, with a target of establishing 10 collaborative relationships with universities around the world by 2026.

The meeting, chaired by the Dean of the School of Civil Engineering, Associate Professor Ir. Dr. Fadzli Mohamed Nazri, is hoped to be a crucial step in strengthening ties and fostering meaningful collaborations between USM and KYUTECH, ultimately promoting research, academic exchange, and international cooperation.

Notably, USM and KYUTECH have already engaged in collaborative efforts within the fields of Civil Engineering,involving programmes such as PhD mobility and supervision,as well as joint initiatives in biotechnology and research.

Representing KYUTECH at the meeting were Special Assistant to the Vice President cum the Chief Specialist of the International Operation Headquarters, Wakabayashi Toshiro; Director of Education & Research Centre in Malaysia cum Director of Collaborative Research Centre for Green Materials on Environmental Technology, Associate Professor Yoshito Ando and Associate Professor Shinya Ikeno.

The collaborative relationship between USM and KYUTECH is expected to mirror successful partnerships between other universities and to include various levels of engagement that have proven to be effective in terms of internationalisation.

This is in line with the University's vision to strengthen its international presence and promote academic collaboration, and the institution also aims to formalise and evaluate these collaborative activities.

As for KYUTECH, it aims to designate USM as its fifth international strategic partner, marking a significant milestone in the growing relationship between the two institutions and opening avenues for further collaborative ventures that will benefit both universities while contributing to the global academic community.

Text: Siti Faizah Abd Halim/Photo: Muhammad Taufik Abdul Rahman

USM PENANG, 4 April 2024 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has successfully retained its recognition as a self-accrediting university accorded by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) until 2027.

The news was well received with pride and joy by the entire USM community.

The confirmation was conveyed in writing by the MQA Chief Executive Officer to USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed, along with the Certificate of Self-Accreditation Status.

This accolade was given following an audit conducted by MQA, which evaluated USM’s strengths and areas requiring attention.

MQA congratulated USM on this achievement and expressed hope that the audit results would assist the university in its future planning endeavors.

USM was granted self-accreditation status by MQA on 29 April 2010, making it eligible to accredit its academic programmes internally based on the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF) and standards set by MQA and the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) from time to time, except for professional programmes requiring accreditation from relevant professional bodies.

However, as a self-accrediting university, MQA conducts Institutional Audits every five years to retain this status. The audit process is carried out through the Code of Practice for Institutional Audit (COPIA) and Code of Practice for Program Accreditation (COPPA).

Reflecting on the recent audits, USM underwent Compliance Self-Audit on 8, 9, and 14 February 2022, followed by a subsequent Audit on 17 August 2023, to ensure compliance with self-accreditation criteria.

Following the completion of these audits, USM successfully retained its self-accreditation status effective from 25 March 2024 until 2027.

The university extends its gratitude to the USM Self-Accreditation Centre, led by its Director, Professor Dr. Azura A Rashid, and all PTJs/departments involved in the audit process.

Text: Tan Ewe Hoe

TOKYO, JAPAN, 24 March 2024 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shizenkan University in Tokyo, Japan.

The MoU was signed between the Dean of the Graduate School of Business (GSB), Associate Professor Dr. Fathyah Hashim who represented USM, and Professor Katsuhiko Yoshikawa, Vice President of Shizenkan University.

The endorsement from both parties symbolised a shared commitment towards nurturing collaborative endeavours in various domains of academia, as well as cross-cultural exchange and global citizenship.

The key collaborative areas highlighted as part of the MoU include networking activities (among faculty members, researchers, and students), research collaborations, student and researcher exchange programmes (international academic mobility), symposiums and conferences, and teaching and learning initiatives.

Following the MoU signing ceremony, an event to kick-off the Pan-Asian Business School Network also took place, marking an immediate outcome of this collaboration.

At this event, Fathyah delivered a keynote speech on "Sustainability Leadership from an Asian Perspective" in a hybrid forum.

The MoU signed between USM and Shizenkan University represents a new beginning in the pursuit of academic excellence and international collaboration between the two institutions.

Also present were key officials from both universities.

Text & Photo: GSB USM/Editing: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin