Name: Nurul Ezzaty Mohd Azhari
Photo: Mozaid Idris

SERDANG, August 1 – The date August 1, 2004, holds significant meaning for the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences (FBSB), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), as this was when the establishment of the faculty began, in line with the progress and needs of the nation in this field.

The Dean, Prof. Dr. Shuhaimi Mustafa, said FBSB or Biotech UPM will celebrate its 20^th anniversary next year and will continue to strive for excellence in making meaningful contributions to UPM and the nation.

"To date, we have achieved numerous accomplishments at the local or international levels, such as receiving recognition from UNESCO's Carlos Finlay Prize, the Top Research Scientists Malaysia (TRSM) Award, the Polar Young Scientists Award, and many more.

"The accomplishment of bachelor graduates according to duration and admission, which is Graduate on Time (GOT), the faculty recorded one of the highest percentages at UPM, reaching 94.57% in 2019, increasing to 97.77% in 2020 and 97.44% in 2021," he said during the Pre-Launch Ceremony of the Two Decades of Biotech celebration held here today.

He added that shortly, several initiatives will be introduced by the faculty, including, the offer of the Knowledge Transfer Grant (KTGS), the Faculty's Green Sustainability Programme project (PKHF), and others to strengthen the faculty's position and excellence.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Datuk Ts. Dr. Mohd Nor Azman Hassan said establishing the biotechnology field at the university is an effort to propel Malaysia toward a high-tech bio-innovation country.

"The field of biotechnology, also plays a role in food security, health, and even the economy.

"The National Biotechnology Policy 2.0 focuses on three main cores: agricultural biotechnology and food security, healthcare and well-being biotechnology, and industrial biotechnology and circular economy," he said.

During the event, an exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FBSB and Imago Engineering Sdn. Bhd and a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Invest Selangor Berhad and Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad took place to collaborate and develop the biotechnology ecosystem.

Date of Input: 04/08/2023 | Updated: 07/08/2023 | hairul_nizam