KUCHING, July 19: The Singapore Ministry of Education is keen and ready to work with Sarawak’s Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development to improve educational quality and nurture Sarawak’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) talents.
According to a press release, the collaborations were discussed during a dinner hosted by Singapore Minister for Education Chan Chung Sing for Sarawak Minister for Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn during the latter’s working visit to Singapore.
Also at the dinner were Deputy Secretary (Services) for the Ministry of Education of Singapore Lim Boon Wee, Deputy Ministers for Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Datuk Francis Harden Hollis and Dr Annuar Rapaee, and Permanent Secretary to the Ministry Datu Kameri Affandi.
The programmes will include, among others, student exchanges, teacher competency development programmes, visits by Singaporean teachers to Sarawak to share their experience, and programmes to foster interest and talent in STEM.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the Sarawak delegation also paid a courtesy call on the representatives from the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) and Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) which come under the purview of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research Singapore, also known as A*Star.
On hand to meet with Sagah and his delegation were Dr Koh Boon Tong (Executive Director, BTI), Associate Professor Andre Choo (Deputy Executive Director, BTI and Executive Director of BMRC), Dr Matthew Lau (Director for Strategy, Industry, and Projects, BTI), and Benjamin Toh (Deputy Executive Director, BMRC).
In addition, the team from A*Star was also given an introduction to the Sarawak Research and Development Council by its general manager, Dr Peter Morin Nissom.
The meeting resulted in potential research collaboration between Singapore research institutes particularly in areas of natural products development from Sarawak’s biological resources for food, flavours, therapeutics, and medicinal properties.
Also with Sagah and his deputies at the meeting with BMRC and BTI were Kameri, Sarawak Human Resource Unit director Datu Haji Ismail Hanis, and Sarawak State Attorney General’s Chambers senior state counsel Tuan John Wayne Chamberlin Sirau. — DayakDaily
