Miri – 24 April 2021 – Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) will be hosting its second free public webinar on aquaculture on 29 June 2021 in conjunction with the introduction of its new Master of Science in Sustainable Aquaculture coursework degree next month.
This webinar, titled ‘Challenges and Opportunities of Aquaculture in Malaysia and Indonesia’, follows an earlier webinar titled ‘Aquaculture in Sarawak: Challenges and Opportunities’ in April, which was attended by over 50 participants from academia, government and industry.
It will be from 9 am to 12 noon (UTC/GMT +8) and those interested to join can pre-register at https://bit.ly/AquacultureWebinarRegistration and follow the live stream at https://bit.ly/AquacultureWebinarWebex on the day.
Mohd Azrul bin Mahmod, Department of Fisheries Malaysia.
While the previous webinar featured sustainable aquaculture experts from Curtin University in Perth, the Sarawak Department of Agriculture and Sarawak Regional Fisheries Biosecurity Centre, the panellists this time will comprise Mohd. Azrul bin Mahmod, senior fisheries officer from the Department of Fisheries Malaysia headquarters; Dr. Desrina, coordinator of the Aquaculture Laboratory at Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia; and Professor Sjarief Widjaja, chairman of Indonesia’s Agency for Marine and Fisheries Research and Human Resources.
Mohd. Azrul will talk about the current status and development of the aquaculture industry in Malaysia, and Dr. Desrina the challenges and opportunities of blood cockle farming in Indonesia, while Professor Sjarief will talk about advances in the Indonesian aquaculture industry.
Mohd Azrul was previously a fisheries officer in the Planning, Development and International Division at the Department of Fisheries Headquarters before his present position, and before that, he was an officer in the Fisheries Department’s Development Section in Kedah.
Dr. Desrina, Aquaculture Laboratory, Universitas Diponegoro.
Dr. Desrina has 20 years’ experience as a lecturer and researcher in fish diseases and fish health management. She has a master’s degree from Auburn University in the United States and a PhD from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Her areas of interest are fish parasite ecology and control, and the role of polychaetes in shrimp pathogen transmission.
Professor Sjarief Widjaja, Agency for Marine and Fisheries Research and Human Resources Indonesia.
Professor Sjarief, meanwhile, has been the Chairman of the Agency for Marine and Fisheries Research and Human Resources since 2018. He was previously the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and Vice-rector for Finance and Administration at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) in Surabaya.
Moderating the webinar will be programme director for the Master of Science in Sustainable Aquaculture, Dr. Tony Hadibarata, and aquaculture lecturer Dr. Lee Lih Yin from Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science.
Curtin Malaysia’s Pro Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Simon Leunig, remarked that it is good for academics, researchers, government officials and industry practitioners involved in aquaculture in Sarawak to learn more from these experts. According to Professor Leunig, the main objective of the webinars is to gather more knowledge and discuss ways to develop a more sophisticated aquaculture industry in Sarawak, including related research and development and manpower training.
He added that a better understanding of the aquaculture industry in the region would be also helpful in ensuring the relevancy of the Master of Science in Sustainable Aquaculture to industry needs.
Professor Leunig said the introduction of the two-year course and the establishment of an aquaculture research facility at Curtin Malaysia is timely in view of the anticipated rapid development of commercial aquaculture in Sarawak in the coming years.
“We see the opportunity to establish ourselves in a number of research areas that are suited for our location and tropical environment in Sarawak. Curtin in Australia has been carrying out aquaculture research for many years and much of that research activity will actually be moved to Sarawak to benefit the aquaculture industry here,” he said.
“We are committed to working very closely with the state government and making sure our research is aligned to the state’s development agenda. Our aquaculture facility will be the most significant aquaculture research facility at a tertiary institution in Malaysia in terms of expertise, technology, equipment and research.”
Commenting on the course, meanwhile, Dean of Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science at Curtin Malaysia, Professor Tuong-Thuy Vu, said it will prepare students for work in a number of fields related to aquaculture.
They will explore the principles of aquaculture and factors influencing the viability of aquatic animal farming and food production systems. They will also explore the commercial business of sustainable aquaculture, and learn the skills to establish, manage and appraise aquaculture enterprises. In addition, they will have opportunities to engage in the aquaculture research being conducted at Curtin Malaysia.
For more information on the Master of Science in Sustainable Aquaculture, visit https://courses.curtin.edu.my/courses-and-study/postgrad/coursework/.
Information on Curtin Malaysia can be found on its website at www.curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.
Online Education Fair 线上教育展
Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia)
科廷大学马来西亚分校
https://edufair.fsi.com.my/curtin
