PENANG, 4 August 2015 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is the only university in the country that offers a specialisation in the field of Applied Biological Sciences and Management of Vectors and Parasites under the School of Biological Sciences at the undergraduate level.

According to Professor Dr. Zairi Jaal, 61, the course which has been getting more response from students of Biological Sciences shows that, the benchmark set for this field has increased and the field has become more popular among the students, as those who opted for this specialisation would not only study about the insects, but also learn about the management and control of vectors and insects.

Zairi further added, the marketability of graduates in this field has been proven with 75% of those who graduated gained employment in the private and the government sectors immediately after graduation while the rest pursued their studies at the Master’s level.

Graduates of Applied Biological Sciences and Management of Vectors and Parasites are also in high demand especially from the neighbouring countries such as Singapore and this is a great accomplishment by the School of Biological Sciences.

"Some of the students have even been offered jobs prior to the completion of their studies, with many of them involved in the study of insects and attached to the Ministry of Health (KKM), the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Pest Control Operators (PCO) in Singapore," he further said, having served for 32 years at USM in the field of Vector and Insect Control.

Translation: Sharifah Zafirah Syed Nassir/Text: Syuhada Abd. Aziz & Siti Naquiah Abdillah/Photo: Hafiz Meah Ghouse Meah & Mohd Azrul Mohd Azhar​