Sagah (centre) and Sarawak delegates pose for a photo during their official visit to Imperial College in London.
KUCHING (July 16): A delegation led by Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Roland Sagah recently held a discussion with a team from Imperial College London in the United Kingdom (UK) on infectious diseases surveillance, data analytics, molecular diagnostics and therapeutic development.
According to a statement from the ministry, the meeting was part of planning and strategy to establish research and talent development partnerships between Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) and the College.
Imperial College’s senior International Relations officer for Asia, Alexander Page emphasised that communicating science to the community is an important component in translating research findings to the population and lauded the SIDC’s effort to engage the public through its Covid Awareness Workshop and Covid Vaccine Serology Study.
A result from the meeting was a proposed project by SIDC to set up a real time disease surveillance programme which Prof Charles Bragham of Imperial College has identified as a project his team would follow up to partner with SIDC.
“The delegation also agreed in principle on students and staff exchange programmes including six to twelve months sabbatical/attachment programmes.
“Human capital development programme will start from projects to eventually evolve into long-term human capital development programme for the Centre,” said the statement.
During the working visit to the UK, the delegation also met with the Raspberry Pi Foundation in Cambridge to have a better understanding of Raspberry Pi learning contents and usage for students and teachers.
The Ministry said the meeting was a fruitful one as the delegation had the opportunity to visit the Foundation’s workplace, makers-space and learn about the standards established for educational programmes utilising Raspberry Pi.
The highlight was a hands-on introductory coding session on how to use Raspberry Pi computer and Scratch programming to simulate an electrical circuit that activates LED lights.
“The outcomes of the meeting were the Ministry and Raspberry Pi Foundation will hold further discussion on collaboration; conduct suitable programmes and activities for students and teachers in Sarawak; garner participation from Sarawak in the Foundation’s annual online coding competitions; and collaborate to set up a Raspberry Pi research centre in the upcoming Sarawak Science Centre.”
The delegation also met with a team at the Science Museum in London as Sarawak is targeting to set up its own Science Centre.
The Sarawakian delegates were briefed on the operational and sustainability model of the London Science Museum, its strategy in engaging with audiences and creating curiosity in the sciences, as well as its STEM outreach and educational programmes. They were also briefed on how the Science Museum develops and manages its permanent, thematic and traveling exhibitions.
As an outcome, the Ministry and the Science Museum agreed to further discuss areas of collaboration for exhibits, content and programmes for the upcoming Sarawak Science Centre in addition to the Science Museum’s continuous professional development programmes for STEM teachers and communicators.
The Sarawak delegation to the UK comprised of Deputy Ministers for Talent Development Datuk Francis Harden Hollis and Dr Annuar Rapaee; Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Division Datu Kameri Affandi; Deputy State Attorney General Saferi Ali; as well as officers from the Ministry, Sarawak Research and Development Council, Clinical Research Centre of Sarawak General Hospital and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak.
from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3cfRyeQ
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment