Priming Future R&D Workforce for Sarawak

article prepared by Asha Kaushal

Like many other
agencies and departments, the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) is a popular
choice for final year university students who have to carry out their
respective practical or industrial training, particularly for those who are
undertaking courses related to biotechnology, the pure sciences and
biodiversity.

In Year 2007 alone,
SBC accepted its highest number of industrial trainees ever, i.e. 36 students
from various public and private institutions of learning within Malaysia, as
well as overseas universities. This
figure is an evident increase as compared to previous years. For example, SBC only
managed to accommodate 11 industrial trainees in Year 2001. The increase in the intake of industrial trainees
was made possible with the building of SBC’s new R&D laboratories and
facilities in Year 2005 and the implementation of its R&D/Bioprospecting
Programme ensuing from the amendment to the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre
Ordinance in Year 2003.

The industrial
training experience at SBC is one that is unique. Industrial trainees must have consistently
obtained good grades through their previous semesters at their respective
higher institutes of learning and should preferably have maintained a minimum
Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0.

Students who are accepted to carry out their industrial training under the R&D programme at SBC will be expected to perform actual laboratory work and must carry out a mini project during their training at the Centre.
	Industrial trainees at SBC carry out actual laboratory work

The mini project has to be relevant to SBC’s research programme and will
be presented by the respective students to an audience consisting of SBC’s
research officers at the end of the training period, who will evaluate the mini
project. Likewise, with those who train
under SBC’s Traditional Knowledge Documentation Programme and Awareness and
Appreciation Programme.

	The industrial trainees are expected to embrace the actual work norms at the Centre and they are not exempt from administrative procedures at the Centre. On average, industrial trainees spend between 2 to 3 months at SBC. Their duration here varies, depending on the universities they attend.
SBC requires industrial trainees to conduct their own mini projects during their duration of the  training at the Centre

Those who have
trained at SBC have agreed, in general that the training at the Centre has indeed
been worth their while as they have had the opportunity to be involved in
actual research work, experience the process of proposing a project and
carrying it out and learn interpersonal skills in interacting with the staff.

The training
programme also allows SBC to scout for potential research officers from among
the outstanding trainees when they graduate.
SBC has employed several of its previous trainees under the R&D
programme and the Traditional Knowledge Documentation Programme.

It is hoped that by
providing an actual work environment for the students, SBC’s programmes and its
R&D facilities can successfully function
as a training ground for the next generation of biotech researchers and
scientists.

In short, and echoing YAB CM’s call to carefully recruit the right people
for the job, SBC believes that highly effective, proactive and suitably trained
students are the key ingredient in building the State’s capabilities in the
field of biodiversity and its related R&D.

At the end of their training, the students have to present their mini projects to their peers and the Research Officers at SBC	The industrial trainees conducting a gotong royong to propagate and plant plants at SBC under the supervision of SBC Staff