29-31 December 2025

Professor Ir Ts Dr Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi FASc is a professor at the Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, UTM. She is a chemical engineer who helps industries reduce energy use, cut carbon emissions, and plan realistic pathways towards net zero. In her talk, she will share how everyday products carry a “hidden” footprint from the energy and emissions generated across supply chains. She will highlight Verbund thinking—designing industries so that one plant’s waste, heat, or by-products can become another plant’s useful input—helping to reduce both costs and carbon.

Academician Professor Dato’ Dr Ahmad Ibrahim FASc is a distinguished Malaysian academic and industry leader renowned for his contributions to chemical engineering, environmental science, and national science policy. “The End of the Trash Can: Why the Circular Economy is Capitalism's Great Upgrade” explores the urgent shift from the outdated linear economic model—built on extraction, production, and disposal—to a smarter, more resilient circular economy. The talk highlights how the traditional notion of “away” has collapsed under the weight of environmental degradation, supply-chain instability, and resource constraints. By reframing waste as value and redesigning systems to emulate nature’s regenerative cycles, the circular economy offers a powerful pathway for businesses to enhance profitability, reduce risk, and build long-term economic and ecological resilience.

Academician Dr Koh Chong Lek FASc is a multi-award-winning scientist and one of 30 Senior Fellows of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia. Dr Koh has a special interest in Gac fruit and its products. In this talk, he will share some useful and fascinating facts about Gac fruit and its various health benefits.

Professor Ts Dr Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman FASc is a professor at the Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, UTM. His research focuses on the development of innovative ceramic and polymeric membrane technologies for fluid separation, particularly for pollutant removal from water and wastewater, desalination, fuel cell systems, and carbon capture. Through his spin-off company, Filt Us Sdn. Bhd., he actively translates membrane research into practical solutions, thereby advancing Malaysia’s membrane and desalination initiatives. In addition, Professor Hafiz is deeply committed to education and mentorship. His interests span sustainable water treatment, next-generation desalination technologies, and high-performance membranes for clean energy and environmental protection.

Professor Dr Fatin Aliah Phang Abdullah FASc is a professor at the Faculty of Educational Sciences and Technology, UTM. In her talk, she will address the pressing issue of declining enrolment in science in Malaysian schools. Although, generally, the culprit is often pointed to students' interest, she shows that the evidence points otherwise. Using data from international surveys, there is a sharp decline in students' confidence in learning science as enrolment declines. Students' confidence in learning science is closely related to how science is taught in schools.

Professor Dr Zulkifli Yusop FASc is a professor of environmental hydrology at UTM. He specialises in integrated river basin management and sustainable water management. "Impact of Future Floods: The Cost of Not Doing Anything" emphasises the urgency of allocating sufficient resources to climate change adaptation, particularly flood mitigation, now rather than later. Climate change is increasing rainfall intensity, sea-level rise, and the frequency of extreme weather events, exerting more pressure on already fragile urban and rural catchments. Future floods will be catastrophic, especially given the rapid development that has diminished the ecosystem's ability to regulate hydrological processes.