19 December 2024

Dato' Ir Dr Dennis Ganendra is the CEO of Minconsult Sdn Bhd and an ASM Fellow. Minconsult is a proud Malaysian engineering firm that’s made its mark in 28 countries, working on projects like Brunei’s first power plant and Cambodia’s first expressway. Here at home, they’ve brought us cool innovations like the Green Hydrogen transit system in Kuching, the Petronas Leadership Campus, and the Valdor Waste Treatment Plant, which generates green energy.

Dr. Muhammad Abdul Hadi Bunyamin from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia is here to share how he’s changing the way physics is taught. After getting involved in a STEM competition, he moved away from traditional methods and started using project-based learning. This approach lets students get hands-on with real-world projects, like building solar ovens and pulley systems. In this talk, Dr. Hadi will talk about the ups and downs of shaking up physics teaching and how it can make a real difference for students.

Join Associate Professor Dr. Jaya Seelan Sathiya Seelan, Deputy Director (Research and Innovation) at the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, for an insightful exploration into the world of zombie fungi. These parasitic fungi, primarily from the Ophiocordyceps genus, manipulate insect behavior to complete their life cycles, showcasing remarkable ecological interactions. With over five years of fieldwork in Borneo’s biodiverse rainforests, Dr. Seelan will reveal how these fungi influence insect populations and ecosystem balance. This talk will also highlight their potential in medicinal research, emphasizing the importance of preserving Borneo’s biodiversity.