By Nur Azimah Ibrahim

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 – A lecturer and a student from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), secured the prestigious Malaysia Toray Science Foundation (MTSF) Grants, at its awards presentation event which was held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on December 2.

A Faculty of Agriculture lecturer, Prof. Dr. Shamsuddin Jusop, won the MTSF grant for his outstanding contribution in the field of science and technology to the country.

The grant conferred, as a result from his technology innovation that is able to improve the quality of rice production in Malaysia in complying the prescribed standard.

At the event, Prof. Shamsuddin received a check worth RM30,000 from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Datuk Dr. Ewon Ebin.

Meanwhile, a student from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Elaine Chin Jinfeng was awarded the grant through her project, Identification and Bioactive Potential of Endophytes Isolated from Strobilanthes Cripus, A Local Medical Plant in Malaysia.

She received a check worth RM20,000 as a research grant for the success of the research which was jointly conducted with her supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cheah Yoke Kquuen.

"This grant will assist me to carry out my research in the field of medicinal plants at the PhD level," she said.

Also present at the event were the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan, Dr. Makio Miyagawa and Toray Industries Senior Vice President, Mr. Hiroshi Murakami.

MTSF has been established from Toray Japan Foundation, funded directly by Toray Japan Science Foundation to promote science and technology by supporting the efforts undertaken by young scientists, researchers and educators particularly in natural sciences.

It began in 1994 and has since received entries from around the world with three annual programmes; Science and Technology Award, Science and Technology Research Grant Award and Science Education Award.

Date of Input: | Updated: | amir_peli