Selected info from RSS Feeds- June issue

 

How Sunday blues blight our days off work | Mail Online - Mozilla Firefox http://ow.ly/1RPLr

 

科学网-杜平武的博客-[转载]美国社会的自信 --- -一篇不可不读的好文章 （转载） - Mozilla Firefox http://ow.ly/1RPLy

 

大马选举与英国大不同 网友11要点指出国阵选举烂招 - Mozilla Firefox http://ow.ly/1RPLJ

 

华人人口10年后将下降至18% 市场将以马来人为考量 - Mozilla Firefox http://ow.ly/1RPLR

 

A bacon sandwich a day puts up heart disease by half | Mail Online - Mozilla Firefox http://ow.ly/1RPM1

Exeter loses top10

Exeter loses top10, I think it was over-rated last time frm my previous experience@ other uk uni. Now it's ranked 12, top dozen uni.

 

Further information about the university profile:

 

A student's guide to ... Exeter University - Times Online -  http://ow.ly/20BAb

 

Profile: University of Exeter - Times Online -  http://ow.ly/20BAX

 

Profile: The University of Exeter | Good University Guide - Times Online - http://ow.ly/20BB1

 

University Rankings League Table | The Sunday Times University Guide 2010 - Times Online - http://ow.ly/20BBg

 

As a postgraduate research student, the university reputation is not the major factor to be considered. In research career, I concern about 1) Strength of the PI 2) technical skills acquired 3) professional development & networking.

 

The following articles provided some good points on career & development in research career.

 

Are You Good Enough? | Bitesize Bio - http://ow.ly/20Byd 

 

PhD Students: Should You Switch Labs? | Bitesize Bio - http://ow.ly/20BBJ

Evolution of CKLIM? LOL

Grouped pictures from different venues, ages, etc.

New Flat

The contact period of my university accommodation will be finished soon. Therefore, My colleague and I have rented the new private accommodation. Pictures are as follows:

More pictures, feel free to visit the album at:

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New Parliament building another waste of money?

With regard to the government’s proposal to construct a new RM800 million Parliament building in Putrajaya,
Souce: MCA says new Parliament building a waste of money - The Malaysian Insider - http://ow.ly/1WXSC

Note the difference between house of common in the UK and Malaysia parliament. I guess we can sit comfortably in the lecture theatres at UTAR than the house of common.

No matter how new our building is, the fact is the same, which is first class building, third class mentality.

Let’s compare and contrast, see the MPs’ qualities from these two countries.

The Penang Science Council & the science policy

I am delighted with the effort of the PR-led Penang state government in establishing the Penang Science Council (http://www.psc.org.my/).

I hope this effort will reduce the incident of brain drain that getting worst in our country these days
We have rich resources and talented graduates which should provide strong foundation to us. Unfortunately, we don’t have a sustainable and viable policies, plans to strengthen our advantages. As a result, our science graduates don’t have wider career prospect in the country, this causes them to look for better opportunity in other countries.

I remembered we used to have a very great plan in the National Biotechnology Policies with key research areas to be involved, strategic research assigned to the country’s elite institutions and each state had been allocated with the key development based on their strengths (availability of natural resources). The ambitious projects had attracted numerous students to pursue studies in biosciences, and today let’s us review what are the career outcome these graduates? I believe < 50% are involved in bio-related jobs. The major factor is lack of career opportunities, and of course last but not least lack of interest in this field by our graduates. However, we can't deny the fact that many graduates still wish to pursue career in science. Also, bear in mind that, availability of skilled workers are essential to the bioscience development despite of the natural resources we have.

From my point of view, several factors are essential to make the science policy success in the country:-

1) Sustainable and viable policy, and a S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) goal. Also, we need to form a panel consists of politician, academician, NGOs, public to oversee the policy in order to ensure KPI (Key Performance Indicator) achieved. Recruit most qualified and capable human resources to run the policy with less political intervene. We should promote collaboration and knowledge transfer between local and international renown institutes.

2) World class education for Malaysian. Improve standard and quality of the higher education institutions in the quality, by practicing meritocracy. We should recruit top scholars and home talents come to our country, and prepare a good platform for them to exhibit their skills. I believe RRR (Recruit, Retain and Reward) are keys to attract world class expert to serve in the country!

3) Reform science policy: We need to establish sustained funding systems for scientific research in order to encourage researchers to carry out their studies. Foster innovations and promote technology-based ventures from local entrepreneurs by implementing stimulus plan (increase government funding, loan etc) and tax-relief. Greater government funding for investment in key research areas such as phytochemistry, neutralceutical research.  

Lastly, the most critical success factor is we need to have a good government with likely-minded policy makers. I wonder since the last general election until now is there any MPs question on the future of R&D in the country. To the best of my knowledge, I afraid no!

Therefore I would like to ask is there any ministers/deputy ministers/ MPs debate on national science policy? Don’t you think development on science& knowledge workers are important? What’s the status of Biovalley, etc. To what extent you are going to train local skill workers, and reduce the issue of brain drain to other countries? How much the budget is to be allocated to R&D?

I’m confident and strongly believe that the Penang Science Council is able to deliver a strategic plan that make us stand out of the crowd, to be the key science hub in SEA or Asia.

All the best! As a young researcher and anak Malaysia, I am ready to contribute and share my views. Cheers

Day Trip to Jurassic Coast

The Jurassic Coast is England’s first natural world heritage site, situated at Dorset and East Devon Coast. The Jurassic coast represents 185 million years of the Earth's ancient history in just 95 miles of coast. This is the finest record through the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods of geological time anywhere in the World and a trip along this coastline is like travelling through time! (Source: http://www.jurassiccoast.com/). You can travel around the Jurassic Coast by bus, foot, bike, train and boat.

I used the cheapest and the ‘easiest’ way, that’s travelling by foot. I walked through the South West National Trail Coast Path, which is over 1000 km (630 miles) long. Well, I walked 2 hr and only managed to reach 1/5 of the total coast line, Budleigh Salterton.  The coast path provides a continuous coastal adventure through the site and a great way to experience the breath taking scenery.

**info extracted from the brochure obtained at tourist information centre.

Expenses: I spent £ 2.25 for return train tickets (£ 1.20 discount for youth travel card holder). Meal FOC, as I prepared myself.

For further info, please visit http://www.jurassiccoast.com/

This excited trip, truly refreshed my mind, recharged my body.

 

Some research before travel to the coast

Breakfast of the day

Exit @ Exmouth Train Station, 30 min from Exeter.

been walking along the seaside for about 30 min, before reaching the entrance/ coast path.

   

 

walked through the South West National Trail Coast Path (1000 km long), of course I did not walk for 1000 km.  not easy..I walked 2 h only reached 1/5 of the total coast site    

This Geoneedle unveiled by Price of Wales, in 2002.

The rock has multi millions years of history.

bay view resort

    

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Trip to the Eden Project

2nd trip in Exeter. Visited the Eden Project at Cornwall, 2 h journey. Impress with creative architecture here and there are 2 major biomes (climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar communities of plants, animals, and other organisms.) that can't be missed. These 2 biomes are: Rainforest Biome and Mediterranean Biome.

Surprisingly, our rumah kampung also displayed there, in Rainforest Biome

more pictures, visit the album at:

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