KUCHING – The two-day 1st Borneo Research Education Conference kicked off yesterday (20 August), with postgraduate research students taking centre stage.
Datuk Dr Adi Badiozaman Tuah, Director of the Sarawak Islamic Council Educational Services Bureau, in officiating the opening of the conference gave an insight into what makes a good researcher and shared his research experience.
Researchers, he said, are motivated by several factors including personal and professional.
“Once you start doing research you mustn’t stop after your work has been published. It must continue,” said Adi, who also sits on the board of directors at Swinburne Sarawak.
“The questions of ‘why, what and how’ are key to making research a success,” he said.
In his speech, BREC chairman Dr Ismail Ait Saadi said research education conference, which focuses on the researcher rather than the outcome, is relatively new.
“BREC is an attempt to create this awareness about the necessity to restore the balance between these two elements (research outcome and researcher development) and highlight the other side that has not been given the attention needed, and that is you the researcher,” said the senior lecturer from Swinburne Sarawak.
To achieve this goal, he said, the organising committee came up with a theme that is clear, relevant and most importantly consistent with the understanding of research education objectives and principles.
The theme of the conference “Developing as a researcher through the culture of sharing”, Ismail said, was not chosen by chance or convenience.
“This theme reflects the core meaning of research education which puts greater emphasis on three key elements: the researcher as opposed to research; research process as opposed to research outcome; and research community as opposed to individual researchers.”
The conference, which begins from 20 to 21 August, attracted 42 research students from 18 universities. The majority are from Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah. Two African students who are studying in India are among the participants.