Peri-COVID-19: For better or worse, till death do us part, humanity must prevail.

Dear readers and to my future self (when I review my articles some day, some time in the days/ weeks/ months/ years to come): After a long hiatus, I'm back. Hopefully much wiser, to venerate moments that has slipped through our fingers like sands of time. 

    For better or worse, the COVID-19 has left an indent in the lives of homo sapiens breathing in the 21st century. While some of us have successfully learnt to acknowledge, accept, and adjust to the catastrophic changes that it has brought upon this planet, many of us are grappling with whomever who has a say in life decisions matters about SOPs and vaccines - predominantly policy makers for sanctioning loose decisions without proper public awareness exercise and plenty of us are merely exhausting our coping mechanisms hustling to make ends meet without loosing our sanity. Needless to say, it is an era that will test our physical, mental, and emotional fortitude and prowess.  

    Having said that, now is the time for humanity to prevail. And for that, we need to embrace our differences with humility and collaborate in all facets to triumph over obstacles. Despite the pandemic halting the planet to almost a stand still, yet we never cease to continue to living. Such is the resilience of the homo sapiens race. Right in the smack of a pandemic and economic recession, we continue to perpetuate into the IR 4.0 and soon IR 5.0 will be right at our doorsteps before we can process what has happened in this decade. 

    Living and working in isolation as well as communicating through machines powered to the satellite constellation goes against the grain of neuroscientists researching the fact that how face-to-face communication between two people activates the language and comprehension parts of the brain rather than a non-interactive isolated behaviour. This discovery is pivotal because evolution of the anatomy of the brain in the language and comprehension area is what sets us apart from other primates. This goes to say that we need one another for longevity of the mind and soul, besides the carnal need to coexist to procreate. What message will this send to the new race of human beings? Will they persevere to preserve the notion that human beings are social creatures? Or build acquaintances as and when they deem necessary, and start and end relationships with a touch of a button? 

    Life is so much more than finding a cure for a disease. Life must be cherished and lived to one's fullest capacity; for it is temporary yet deeds live on for eternity, fragile yet robust, simple yet a mystery. As the days mark the end of the unforgettable year 2020, one can only hope for a much pleasant year to unfold. One thing is for sure is that research in arts and science will discover great changes in the human markup in years to come from the turmoil that 2020 has impacted us all. 

    I'm grateful for the learning curve COVID-19 has left me with and I look forward to embrace a brand new year (norm) to come. 

    

Postgraduate Day at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of UPM 2018

Hari siswazah baharu dan lama berhimpun, kongsi pengalaman

DR. KULANTHAYAN KC MANI, PENASIHAT KELAB SISWAZAH 12 December 2018

SERDANG - Kelab Siwazah Fakulti Perubatan dan Sains Kesihatan (FPSK) Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) telah menganjurkan program tahunan mereka iaitu Hari Siswazah pada 29 November lalu di FPSK, UPM.

Menurut wakil fakulti, Profesor Dr. Shamsul Bahri Md Tamrin (Timbalan Dekan FPSK, UPM), tujuan program ini dianjurkan ialah sebagai satu tapak untuk semua pelajar siswazah baharu dan lama serta dalam dan luar negara yang seramai 1,000 orang di FPSK, UPM berhimpun dan bertemu sesama mereka serta dengan staf FPSK UPM.

Program ini dirasmikan Timbalan Naib Canselor Hal Ehwal Pelajar dan Alumni (TNC HEPA) UPM, Profesor Dr. Mohd Roslan Sulaiman dan beliau bangga dengan kejayaan Kelab Siswazah FPSK UPM yang berjaya menganjurkan majlis gilang gemilang melibatkan pihak akademia dan industri serta perkongsian kebudayaan pelajar antarabangsa melalui pakaian tradisional dan makanan negara masing masing.

Ucapan perasmian oleh TNC (HEPA) UPM. (FOTO UPM)

Kemuncak program pada tahun ini ialah sesi forum bersama dengan dua tokoh pemimpin tanah air dalam bidang mereka iaitu Profesor Emeritius Datuk Dr. Mazlan Othman yang sinonim sebagai pemimpin bidang akademik dan sains serta merupakan ahli astrofizik pertama tanah air serta Ketua Pengarah Pertama Agensi Angkasa Negara.

Mazlan turut berkongsi pengalamannya dalam bidang astrofizik di Malaysia. (FOTO UPM)

Beliau juga merupakan seorang perintis dalam bidang sains dan teknologi di Malaysia.

"Atas dasar tersebut, pihak penganjur menjemput beliau untuk berkongsi pengalaman beliau dalam bidang sains dan teknologi," kata Pengerusi Kelab Siswazah, Pri Hansini. 

Pengerusi Kelab, Pri Hansini Chaskar. (FOTO UPM)

Mazlan berkongsi pengalaman bagaimana beliau mengambil keputusan untuk menceburi satu bidang yang baharu yakni astrofizik di Malaysia.

Menurutnya, ‘Hanya apabila kita bersedia untuk memimpin, barulah bidang-bidang baharu dalam sains dan teknologi dapat diterokai’ sambil berharap lebih ramai lagi siswazah tempatan akan menyahut seruan beliau dan memulakan penerokaan mereka untuk kesejahteraan sejagat.

Sesi dialog bersama pelajar siswazah antarabangsa. (FOTO UPM)

Tokoh pemimpin tanah air kedua yang dijemput adalah Datuk Wira Dr. Ameer Ali Mydin seorang tokoh usahawan terkenal dan termaju dalam negara yang naik tangga demi tangga dalam satu jangkamasa lama dan stabil.

Ameer berkongsi kejayaan perniagaannya, Mydin, dari sebuah gerai kecil di Kota Bharu sehingga kini sudah lebih 75 buah pasar raya di seluruh tanah air.

Resepi kejayaan keluarganya ialah panduan daripada orang tuanya yang 'pantang' dengan pembaziran dan menekan kepentingan menepati waktu dalam semua tugas harian.

Pesanan Ameer kepada warga siswazah; pilih bidang yang mereka suka dan belajar serta bekerja sepenuh hati dalam bidang pilihan berkenaan.

Ameer berkongsi pengalaman dalam forum bersama moderator, Pri Hansini. (FOTO UPM)

"Lambat laun, hasil dan rezeki akan sampai. Jangan kerja untuk duit dan nama, ia tidak akan berkekalan. Ia mungkin akan datang dengan cepat dan kemungkinan besar akan hilang juga dengan cepatnya. Bila kita kerja dengan sepenuh hati dan buat benda yang baik, akan sampai masanya wang dan rezeki bergolek sendiri tanpa undangan," kongsinya lagi.

Malaysia Picked as Asian Hub for Startups

M’sia picked as Asian hub for startups

by Thanesh Jeyaram, The Star Online, Wednesday, 19 Sept 2018. 

Members of the WSF International board and ambassadors during Launch of the first WSF labs in Asia.

WORLD Startup Festival (WSF) in partnership with Telekom Malaysia's (TM) digital mobility service provider, Webe Digital, is offering free co-working space for all local and foreign startups in Malaysia. 

The WSF has chosen Malaysia as the Asian hub of its global entrepreneurship programme. 

The co-working space, also known as WSF Lab which conducts incubation and accelerator programmes to help startups grow their ideas, gets funding for the ideas and scale them through carefully designed programmes. 

WSF president Freda Miriklis said, "We are confident that WSF Labs will grow to become one of the biggest generators of innovative and successful businessmen in the world, through our partnership with five core stakeholders consisting of startups, corporation, governments, investors, and society.

WSF regional director for Asia Udesh Chaskar said the startups learnt the hard way that to succeed, they needed more than just funding from investors.

"In order for us to truly help startups, WSF will be providing free co-working space for both local and foreign startups to help them grow," added Udesh. 

Webe Digital chief executive office Moharmustaqeem Mohammed said the partnership platform is for startups to engage with the community and the use their network for connectivity.

"This partnership platform we have activated with WSF is the beginning, through our networking circles and the commercial relationship we can assemble greater opportunity to the startups," he added. 

WSF Labs, having garnered around 5,000 startups from different regions, is poised o be a central hub for the cross-border movement of startups around the world, focusing on tech industries and it will also be open to small businesses keen to adopt the technology. 

Tags / Keywords: Central Region 

Why This Team Lets Startups Work In Their Co-Working Space In M'sia For Free

0 

Justin Lee

2018-09-12 13:50:20 (From the Vulcan post https://vulcanpost.com/646436/wsf-labs-tm-webe-free-coworking-startup/) 

• World Startup Festival (WSF) is a global non-profit organisation that brings together startup ecosystems across the globe. 
• The World Startup Festival (WSF) and its accelerator partner, D’Academy have partnered with Telekom Malaysia to foster regional startup champions for funding and market access.

The late former CEO of Cradle, Nazrin Hassan, once said, “The problem of startups here in Malaysia is never funding. It’s the inability to expand.”

Indeed the failure rate among startups globally is at an appalling rate of 90%. One of the main factors identified? The startup ecosystem today is very elitist and favours only the urban well-to-dos in a tight ecosystem of startup entrepreneurs and their investors.

Startups learn the hard way that to succeed, they need more than just funding from investors. They need the community.

Starting Up A Community

Image Credit: World Startup Festival

With this in mind, The World Startup Festival (WSF) was founded on the belief that startups need a self-sustaining community comprising startups, investors, corporations, government and civil society into one single platform.

World Startup Festival (WSF) is a global non-profit organisation based in California that brings together startup ecosystems across the globe through training and mentorship, cross-border collaborations, funding, media exposure and market expansion of startups at different levels of growth.

WSF believes that this community is the perfect incubator and that the key to success of every startup is cross-border market expansion,” said the WSF team.

On the 7th of August, WSF chose Malaysia as the Asian hub of its global entrepreneurship programme by partnering up with Webe Digital, a company of Telekom Malaysia.

Udesh Chaskar, WSF Regional Director for Asia, said, “In order for us to truly help startups, WSF will be providing free co-working space for startups, both local and foreign, to help them grow”.

What’s The Catch And Why Here?

Image Credit: World Startup Festival

WSF’s team stated that they chose Malaysia as it is a very important gateway to all the key markets in Asia.

“It also has a very conducive business climate and a positive outlook for business. The government of Malaysia has always been very supportive in the development of startups.”

“Even with the change of government, entrepreneurship especially of the young, is one of the main issues that the government is looking at. The startup ecosystem has a lot of room to grow, and we are excited to be a part of it,” said the WSF team.

If you are a startup and want to work in their co-working space, you won’t need to pay a single cent. Although the space is free, the printing facilities run on credit, and they have personal lockers which startups can rent monthly.

“Since we are offering the space for free, it is in our interest to make sure startups grow into a successful business. When they grow, we grow. As such, we do need to take careful measures to ensure that startups under our wing steadily improve their business.”

“The space will be given free for 3 months, and upon satisfactory progress of the startup, the tenure will be continued for another 3 months, and more when startups progress further in their business,” the WSF team added.

Future Of Startups In Southeast Asia

Based on data recorded last year, Southeast Asia’s internet user base has grown rapidly and will grow further. There will be 330 million monthly active internet users by year-end 2017, adding over 70 million new users since 2015 at 13%.

In Southeast Asia, mobile is the internet, as more than 90% of Southeast Asia’s internet users are on smartphones. It is hard to overestimate the absolute prominence of mobile as the access point and driver of Southeast Asia’s internet economy.

Users in Southeast Asia are incredibly engaged, spending an average of 3.6 hours per day on mobile internet,1 more than in any other region in the world.

“This means that increasingly, more and more people will get connected to startup services and the market will only grow bigger and bigger. But in order to achieve great leaps for startups, we need more cross-border collaboration between startups in the region and we will be a very strong startup powerhouse in no time.”

They envision more startups from Europe and Africa to come over to Asia to collaborate with their Asian counterparts.

WSF Labs is in midst of positioning to be a central hub for the cross-border movement of startups around the world, focusing on tech industries such as blockchain, AI, and IoT. It will also be open to small businesses keen to adopt digital technology.

Freda Miriklis, President of WSF said, “We are confident that WSF Labs will grow to become one of the biggest generators of innovation and successful businesses in the world, through our partnership with 5 core stakeholders consisting of startups, corporations, governments, investors and civil society.”

Reposted by PKP pmneus

Food for thought:

BANGSA MALAYSIA : BERSATUPADU & HIDUP DALAM HARMONI.....

Lagu patriotik negara Malaysia menyatakan, “Kita satu bangsa, kita satu negara dan kita satu Malaysia.” Lirik ini menyatakan, masyarakat Malaysia yang bersatu padu dan hidup dalam keadaan yang harmoni dengan satu wawasan. Persoalannya, sekiranya masyarakat Malaysia hidup bersama-sama, kenapakah mereka mengenalkan identiti dirinya dengan menggunakan bangsa masing-masing tanpa menggunakan bangsa Malaysia? “Saya orang Melayu, saya orang Cina dan saya orang India,” inilah yang sering disebut oleh masyarakat Malaysia. Tetapi dalam masa yang sama lagu-lagu ataupun filem-filem dalam media memaparkan tentang “Bangsa Malaysia.”

Adakah itu setakat paparan ataupun propaganda pihak-pihak tertentu?

Hakikatnya, perkataan-perkataan patriotik seperti itu hanya setakat mewujudkan satu keadaan yang harmoni antara masyarakat yang berbilang kaum. Namun realitinya, rakyat hanya mementingkan bangsa mereka tersendiri dan bersifat individuvalistik tanpa memikirkan kepentingan orang lain. Disebabkan teknologi yang maju dan perkembangan ekonomi menyebabkan ramai daripada kita hanya mementingkan dirinya sendiri tanpa mengamalkan nilai-nilai berdemokrasi.

Terdapat banyak persoalan tentang hak masing-masing dan keperluan setiap bangsa sehingga mewujudkan berlaku kekecohan antara satu sama lain. Bagaimana pula dengan masyarakat pribumi dan Bumiputra Sabah dan Sarawak? Mereka hanya menerima apa yang diberikan oleh pihak-pihak tertentu tanpa mempersoalkan disebabkan kekurangan pengetahuan dan kurang peka dengan isu-isu semasa.

Walaupun kita menikmati pelbagai kelebihan berbanding mereka, tetapi masih wujud jurang antara kaum dan sikap sentiasa mengetengahkan bangsa masing-masing. Sekiranya, semua bangsa termasuk masyarakat pribumi, Sabah dan Sarawak bersatu menjadi satu bangsa Malaysia, tiada hairanlah jika Malaysia akan menjadi sebuah negara demokrasi contoh di Asia.

Posted 1st January 2016 by PKP pmneus

Writing Publications by Prof Philip Baker

WRITING PUBLICATIONS                            by Prof Philip Baker             (26/4/2012)

• a manuscript that has been published is scholarly
• it establishes leadership and authority
• each journal has guidelines 
• find a gap who wants to read your work
• journal might hold back your manuscript to gather a few other manuscripts to categorize them according to themes, so don't get disheartened to wait but no longer than 6 months
• no hard or fast rules in how to write manuscripts, you may have your own style of writing..nevertheless keep in mind to have your thought flow systematically...some suggestions:-

1. objective
2. methodology
3. results
4. introduction / discussion 

should keep linking back the methods and results to the objective of the study..in that way you will not get the reader's thought to be deviated.. and your study makes sense too 

• state the benefits of your study design and compare it with other studies and state clearly why did u choose this particular protocol/method..is it beneficial? is it more accurate? etc...
• your  study may lead to other publications - methodology challenges and state clearly how effective methods are to the results
• You may email editors of other journals simultaneously while submitting your manuscript to a distinguished journal to be reviewed. do not send the entire manuscript to the editor just a brief email telling him/her about your study and whether he/she is interested to publish it?never send to more than one journal simultaneously as this is unethical and u must attache a cover letter when u submit your manuscript to a particular journal stating a declaration of not submitting to other journals.
• look for journals which has published work similar to your study...

(the author is an adjunct professor at the School of Public Health and Services, Queensland, Australia and is also a peer reviewer and an editor to the Cochrane collaboration)

http://www.cochrane.org/contact/centres (on asia regional )

http://www.cochrane.org/search/site/philip%20baker ( on philip baker)

GUIDE TO WRITING A JOURNAL ARTICLE

By SAGE publishers

* US$ 3,000 to publish an article via SAGE

1. Abstract
 -  do not just introduce the title/topic
 -  get the reader to have the interest
 -  use it as a tool to sell your article
 -  don't have an abstract that reads like a plan
 -  have a plan/structure
 -  shout out to the readers
 -  do not include footnotes/citations

2. Example of a good abstract
 -  why u embark on the project?
 -  a gap/debate/persistent social problem
 -  state why/what/how
 -  state your agruments
 -  state your recommendations

3. Why articles are rejected?
 -  too narrow/broad/poor structure/insignificant/dogmatic
 -  too defensive/not really original/too many spellings and grammatical errors
 -  NO ARGUMENT!!

4. 5 R's in Selecting journals:-
 -  Relevance - aims/scope
 -  Ranking on JCR
 -  Reputation of journal and editors
 -  Research the referencees
 -  Rejection rate

5. Query Letters to the Editors:-
 -  how many journals recieved per year?
 -  what is the turn around time?

6. Guidelines:-
 -  is the right reference?
 -  have you compelled with the word limit?
 -  past tense

*submit manuscript via SAGE track:- http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/