On 8 to 10 August 2022, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus (UPMKB) through the Faculty of Agricultural And Forestry Sciences (FSPH) has organised the An Introduction to Forestry in Sarawak and Japan e-mobility programme in  collaboration with Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI) which aims to provide exposure to Malaysian and Japanese university students on forestry in Sarawak and Japan.  This mobility program was participated by 28 UPMKB students and 10 students of Tokyo NODAI and Chiba University. The three-day e-mobility programme was conducted online through the Webex Meeting platform coordinated by Dr. Keeren Sundara Rajoo from the Forestry Science Department, FSPH UPMKB.

The speakers were UPMKB lecturers, namely Dr. Zamri Rosli, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Geoffery James Gerusu, Dr. Suziana Binti Hassan, Dr. Keeren Sundara Rajoo, Dr. Khan Waseem Razzaq, Dr. Daljit Singh and En. Philip Lepun. Among the topics discussed are wildlife conservation, plant use among the Sarawak community and Fully Protected Areas (TPA) in Sarawak. This program is also a platform for discussion between the two parties to further expand the field of research and teaching at UPMKB and Tokyo NODAI.

In addition, four lecturers from Tokyo NODAI, Prof. Iwao Uehara, Prof. Kazuyuki Inubushi, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pachakkil Babil and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mami Irie, shared on forestry activities conducted in Japan. One of the topics that has been discussed is Shinrin Yoku, or forest therapy which is of great interest to participants, so there is a discussion to establish research cooperation between UPMKB and Tokyo NODAI in this field.

The closing ceremony was officiated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mami Irie, senior lecturer at Tokyo NODAI. He commented and hoped that the cooperation between Tokyo NODAI and UPMKB will continue for years to come, not only in terms of student mobility but also in terms of research and teaching. He also expressed a desire to conduct a physical mobility program in Tokyo NODAI especially for UPMKB students next year, if the situation allows.

Date of Input: 12/08/2022 | Updated: 12/10/2022 | lanz