July 2021

The Ocean covers over 70% of the planet and 76% of the Tropics is Ocean. It is our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on Earth. The Ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen, is home to most of Earth’s biodiversity, and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the world. An estimated 40 million people will be employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.

Leading up to the International Conference of Tropical Sciences (TropSc 2021) with the theme of “The Future Belongs to The Tropics”, the Mahathir Science Award Foundation (MSAF) together with the Academy of Sciences Malaysia successfully organised its 12th webinar titled “Together for the Tropics”. This webinar was conducted in conjunction with the International Day of Tropics that is celebrated worldwide on 29 June annually, as a way to appreciate the unique diversity of the Tropics as well as addressing challenges and opportunities in tropical regions.

The Preliminary Level of the 2021 National Science Challenge has run its course. The top 79 teams have been identified and was announced on 22 July 2021. The 2021 NSC is organised in collaboration with strategic partners such as the Ministry of Education Malaysia, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science and Technology Centre, or CREST for short, and the Malaysian Society for Microbiology. The excellent Young Scientists Network-ASM was on board to strategise the concept and content of NSC, while Sasbadi Online Sdn Bhd acted as the technology partner.