KOTA KINABALU: The Faculty of Business, Economics, and Accountancy (FBEA) with the National Institute of Technology, Fukushima College, Japan, and José Rizal University, Philippines, organized the Sustainability Seminar 2022, here recentlty.
With the theme of Enhancing Sustainability through Research with the support of Sabah Tourism Board, the seminar was held using a hybrid mode at UMS and online with Cisco Webex platform.
The seminar objective is to provide academic discourse on sustainability issues in this region that resonates with global concerns, especially on the climate crisis. This year, the seminar is focusing on starting fresh for research in the academic world, which is the propeller of the global sustainability agenda.
The seminar was opened by FBEA Dean’s Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd. Rahime Abd. Karim and officiated by the President of the National Institute of Technology, Fukushima College, Japan. Mr. Osamu Yamashita.
In his officiating speech, Osamu mentions that the research in the universities needs urgent action to fast forward the sustainability agenda.
He said, the example of the Fukushima disaster in 2011 as a strong driving force to address sustainability issues.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the seminar Associate Professor Dr. Awangku Hassanal Bahar Pengiran Bagul says that there are more than 500 active participants from six countries, namely Malaysia, China, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines representing 35 higher education institutions and organizations for this year’s seminar.
“The seminar also features one keynote speaker and six invited speakers both local and international, that talk about their research on how their research contributes to the advancement of the sustainability agenda based on their country’s perspectives.
“The seminar will further reinforce many efforts in raising awareness and concrete actions in the field of sustainability among the local and international academic network.
“This is a testament to the growing partnership and joint endeavor between Asian academic institutions that should be responsive to global needs,” said Hassanal who is also the FBEA Head of Tourism Management Program.
He later added, international partnerships have the potential to significantly raise the standard of higher education, as well as teaching and learning, they can be very valuable in both nations when it comes to addressing the issue of sustainability.
The seminar keynote speaker, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fiffy Hanisdah Saikim, on the other hand, reminded the participants that working across industries, however, is fundamentally difficult and calls for particular talented people and financial resources.
She shared her own experience working as a Director of Strategic Management and Corporate Communication at UMS and calls for education institutions to need carefully crafted enabling environments to help translate evidence into actions.
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