JOINTLY organised by the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya (UM) and the Fujian Institute of Oceanography (FJIO), China, 2018 Overseas Training Course on China-Malaysia Multidisciplinary Ocean Observation Technology was held as part of the China-Malaysia human resources training cooperation programme.
The two-week training course took place at UM, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) and Bachok Marine Research Station (BMRS), Kelantan. The training course was fully sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.
FJIO sent experts from ocean observation-related fields to Malaysia to train 50 participants comprising governmental officials, technicians, researchers and undergraduates from scientific institutions and universities in related disciplines of marine scientific research and survey, marine eco-environmental protection for 15 days from 13 to 27 September 2018.
Aside from UM and UMT, the training also received encouraging support and participation from students of local institutions of higher learning which included National University of Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), International Islamic University Malaysia (UIAM), Xiamen University Malaysia, Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
In addition to that, representatives or officials from several government agencies including the Malaysian Meteorological Department, Department of Marine Park, Department of Minerals and Geosciences and the Department of Fisheries are among those participating in this training course.
The training course is important to cultivate a group of urgently needed professional and technical talents in multidisciplinary ocean observation, thus promoting both China and Malaysia’s ocean observation and research in the South China Sea. Moreover, using Chinese advanced resources to help Malaysia to boost marine science development, the training course practices the guideline for China’s neighborhood diplomacy featuring “amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness” by the actual action, and consolidate traditional friendship between China and Malaysia.
Ten experts were invited as instructors for this programme. Among them were, Prof Dr Phang Siew Moi (IOES), who is known for research in microalgae and seaweeds in Malaysia, Dr Lim Po Teen (BMRS), who is the leading researcher in Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) research in Malaysia, Prof Dr Mohd Fadzil Mohd Akhir (UMT) with expertise physical processes in the South China Sea, numerical modelling, ocean circulation, ocean current circulation and ocean forecasting, Prof Dr Chen Zhaohui (FJIO) with expertise in global low-latitude equatorial currents bifurcations, dynamics of low-latitude western boundary currents, observations of multi-scale oceanic processes and Prof Dr Fang Yue (FJIO) with research interest in sea-air interactions and climate change, ocean circulation and tides, and sea-air coupled numerical models. – UM
