MGT300

Tuesday July 19, 2011

Research sciences are rewarding

By YUEN MEIKENG

meikeng@thestar.com.my

SUBANG JAYA: While many parents are encouraging their children to be lawyers or doctors, there is also a rewarding career in research sciences.

Science, Technology and Inno-vation Ministry deputy secretary-general Prof Dr Khatijah Yusof said Malaysia needed more research scientists for the development of scientific research programmes such as bio-technology.

“There are good career opportunities in science as well. We need to promote science as a fun subject that promises a bright future for the young,” she said when met at the launch of MyBio Carnival 2011 at the Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus here on Sunday.

Dr Khatijah said the country’s ratio of research scientists is only at 29.1 per 10,000 people in the workforce and more should be done to promote research science among students.

“We hope to increase the number of research scientists to about 50 per 10,000 people in the workforce by 2015,” she added.

Dr Khatijah said the lack of encouragement from parents was one of the reasons why there are only a small number of reasearch scientists at present.

“More scientists means that we can have our own Nobel Prize winners in science and mathematics,” she added.

She said teachers could also play their roles in inspiring students to take up science subjects.

“The Government needs to do more to generate the interest in science, such as promoting post-graduate programmes related to science and mathematics,” she added.

During the event, Dr Khatijah launched a new science-based newspaper called The Petri Dish, which is published by the Malaysian Bio-technology Information Centre (Ma-bic).

Mabic executive director A. Maha-letchumy said Malaysia was the first country in South-East Asia to have a newspaper based on life sciences.

“This newspaper serves as a platform for issues involving life sciences and is presented in a way that the layman can understand,” she said, adding that the newspaper will be available in public places such as petrol kiosks as it garners more financial resources.