Prestigious Australian Scholarships awarded to high-achieving Malaysians
Fifteen Malaysian scholars and professionals have been awarded scholarships under the prestigious and highly competitive 2015 Australia Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships program.
The recipients will travel to Australia this year to pursue post graduate studies, research fellowships and professional development opportunities across a broad range of disciplines at Australia’s premier universities and research institutions.
The Australia Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships are an international scheme designed to facilitate links between Australia and its neighbours. The program is fully funded by the Australian Government.
Speaking at a ceremony to present the recipients with their scholarships, the Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, H.E. Mr Rod Smith, said education had always been an important part of the Australia-Malaysia bilateral relationship.
“The Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships were established by the Australian Government to promote knowledge, strengthen education and research links, and build enduring ties between Australia and the world.
“As they travel to Australia to take up their studies this year, these award winners will become part of a large and active community of distinguished scholars that connect our two countries,” he said.
The 2015 Malaysian recipients of Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships are:
| Mr Wong Teck Chi | Mr Wong will be pursuing a Master Program in Public Policy, specialising in economic policy, at Australian National University (ANU), where he will study in the field of macroeconomics and fiscal policies. |
| Dr Lau Yeh Siang | In her research at RMIT University, Dr Lau will study the possible molecular and cellular mechanisms of 3’-4’-Dihydroxyflavonol (DiOHF) in protecting endothelial function from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in hypertensive mice. |
| Ms Yeannie Yap Hui Yeng | As an extension of her PhD project, Ms Yap will pursue research at the Australian National University (ANU), uncovering the secondary metabolites of the medicinal tiger milk mushroom, Lignosus rhinocerotis, using novel genome mining and metabolic engineering approaches. |
| Mr Lee Siu Hoong | In his research at Monash University in Melbourne, Mr Lee will be examining the opportunity for heat and water recovery in an integrated pulp and paper biorefinery (IPPB), in hopes to identify and improve resource conservation in an IPPB. |
| Dr Lau Woei Jye | Dr Lau will undertake research at Victoria University, to explore the potential of using amino-functionalised titanate nanotubes (NH2-TNTs) as hydrophilic/antifouling agent of novel thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane for water treatment process. |
| Mr Ong Wee Jun | Mr Ong is an early career researcher who is active in the areas of advanced materials, catalysis, nanotechnology and reaction engineering. While in Australia, his research at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) is targeted to simultaneously circumvent energy and environmental-related issues. |
| Ms Yap Nan Jiun | At the University of Melbourne, Ms Yap will study how a parasite that causes malaria (Plasmodium knowlesi) invades red blood cells to become sticky and adhere to the walls of blood vessels. |
| Ms Wong Meng Li | Ms Wong will study taxonomy of the simian malaria vectors using molecular markers ITS2 to identify the mosquitoes, by designing a multiplex PCR at the University of Queensland. |
| Mr Anand R Ramalingam | Mr Anand will be pursuing a short term research fellowship at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Victoria, where his study will identify cellular mechanisms for a novel cardioprotective drug that has been discovered by his host institution to prevent heart failure in diabetic patients. |
| Dr Lim Chap Sam | Dr Lim will be spending her sabbatical study at Monash University in Melbourne. Her proposed research involves a cross-cultural comparative study which aims to explore the negotiation and alignment of values in effective mathematics teaching between teachers and students. |
| Dr Wong Wai Peng | At the Centre for Intelligent Systems Research (CISR), Deakin University, Dr Wong will examine manufacturing process modelling, simulation and optimisation. |
| Dr Nortina Shahrizaila | Dr Nortina will be working at The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney and plans to participate in the Forefront Motor Neurone Disease Clinic. |
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Dr Angelina Yee Seow Voon and Dr Chong Aik Lee |
Both Dr Yee and Dr Chong will be spending their time at the LH Martin Institute at University of Melbourne, to develop academic leadership skills and hands-on knowledge of quality and management at faculty level. |
| Mr Jaysal A Bhatt | Mr Bhatt will be pursuing an Advanced Diploma in Robotics & Mechatronics at Chisholm Institute of Technology. He especially wishes to learn about mechatronics industry standards used in Australia, comparing them with Malaysian standards. |
In addition to the Malaysian recipients, two other recipients awarded Endeavour Research fellowships also participated in the award ceremony. Dr Saadi Bayat from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Ms Urszula Krzeminska from Poland, both based in Malaysian research universities, will travel to Australia to undertake research studies at La Trobe University and Monash University Australia respectively.
The Malaysia Australia Colombo Plan Commemoration Scholarships (MACC Scholarships) were also presented at the reception. The two recipients of the MACC Scholarships were Ms Khoo Synn Jye, who will undertake a Double Degree in Bachelor of Health Science/Bachelor of Applied Science (Chiropractic) and Ms Ng Jia Cheng who will pursue a Bachelor Degree program in Food Technology and Nutrition, both at RMIT University, Melbourne.
The MACC Scholarship Programme is spearheaded and coordinated by the Malaysian Australian Alumni Council (MAAC), a national organisation for Malaysian Alumni Associations of Australian Universities, with the support of the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur and the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade).
