JOHOR BAHRU, 25 September 2026 – The Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), officially concluded FS Research Month 2026 with a closing ceremony held at Auditorium Al-Razi, T02, Faculty of Science, marking the completion of almost two months of research capacity-building activities across the Faculty.
The ceremony was officiated by Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Muhammad Safwan Abd Aziz, Director of the Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (ISI-SIR), together with Faculty management, academic staff, researchers and members of the organising committee. The programme also featured addresses by Ts. Dr. Siti Pauliena Mohd Bohari, Director of FS Research Month 2026, and Assoc. Prof. Ts. ChM. Dr. Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik Malek, Deputy Dean (Research, Innovation and Development), Faculty of Science.
Nearly Two Months of Research Development
FS Research Month 2026 began on 4 August 2026 and continued through August and September, covering almost the entire research journey of an academic—from writing and publishing to securing grants, building collaborations, protecting intellectual property and considering how research outputs can be translated beyond the laboratory for the benefit of industry and society.
In her closing reflection, Ts. Dr. Siti Pauliena highlighted that 14 programmes had been successfully implemented in 2026. These included activities related to publication, international research grants and research commercialisation, among others. She noted that the strength of the programme lay in its practical and relevant content, while online delivery for selected sessions provided greater flexibility for participants.
The programme covered several major areas of academic research development, including research book writing, journal publication, Industry Matching Grants, external and international research grants, MoU and MoA collaborations, patent and copyright protection, STEM module intellectual property, and research commercialisation.
Building the Research Ecosystem
In his address, Assoc. Prof. Ts. ChM. Dr. Nik Ahmad Nizam emphasised that Research Month should not be viewed simply as a series of individual activities, but as a representation of the research ecosystem that the Faculty of Science seeks to strengthen.
He described a connected research journey in which data can lead to publication, publication can stimulate new grant ideas, grants can create collaborations, and collaborations may generate technologies, modules, products or intellectual property. Where suitable, these outputs can then progress towards real applications for industry and society, including opportunities for start-ups and commercialisation.
Participants were encouraged to convert what they had learned into concrete action: preparing new grant proposals, completing pending manuscripts, reviewing research outputs for intellectual property potential, engaging industry and continuing discussions with potential collaborators.
The Deputy Dean also highlighted the interdisciplinary strength of the Faculty of Science across Biosciences, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematical Sciences, noting that combining these areas of expertise could support stronger collaborative and interdisciplinary research.
Looking ahead, he proposed that future editions of Research Month could move beyond sharing sessions towards more hands-on clinics, where participants actively develop grant proposals, improve manuscripts and assess real laboratory technologies from the perspective of market readiness.
From Research Activity to Research Impact
In his officiating address, Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Muhammad Safwan described research as a value chain that begins with a meaningful research question and sound methodology but continues through publication, strategic networking, research funding, intellectual property protection and the translation of findings into impactful solutions.
He stressed that fundamental research remains crucial to a science-based faculty because many transformative technologies originate from basic scientific discoveries. At the same time, stronger bridges must be created between fundamental research, applied research, industry and society so that scientific knowledge can generate wider impact.
He further emphasised that the value of Research Month ultimately depends on what participants do after the programme. Knowledge gained from publication workshops should lead to better manuscripts, exposure to grant opportunities should generate stronger proposals, while commercialisation sessions should encourage researchers to identify outputs with potential for further development.
This perspective is closely aligned with UTM’s aspiration of “Innovating Sustainable Solutions”, requiring strong scientific foundations, interdisciplinary collaboration and the ability to translate knowledge from laboratories and academic work into outcomes that benefit people and society.
Recognising Research and Innovation Achievements
A major highlight of the closing ceremony was the presentation of Research Month Achievement Awards, recognising Faculty of Science academic staff for accomplishments in research and innovation.
The Patent Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Nurhafizah Hasim from the Department of Physics. The Copyright Achievement Award recognised ChM. Dr. Muhammad Amirul Aizat Mohd Abdah, Dr. Siti Mariam Norrulashikin, Dr. Nurul Aini Jaafar, Ts. Dr. Siti Salwa Alias and Ts. Dr. Siti Pauliena Mohd Bohari.
The Publication Achievement Award, recognising achievements in journals indexed by Web of Science and Scopus, was presented to researchers from Mathematical Sciences, Physics, Biosciences and Chemistry, including Dr. Ang Tau Keong, Dr. Dzuliana Fatin Jamil, Dr. Mohd Rashid Admon, Dr. Nur Syarafina Mohamed, Dr. Izyan Hazwani Hashim, Dr. Abdul Fatah A. Samad, Dr. Mohd Helmi Sani, Dr. Wan Fatin Amira Wan Mohd Zawawi, Dr. Mohd Aizuddin Mohd Lazaldin, ChM. Dr. Amirah Farhan Kamaruddin and Ts. ChM. Dr. Mohamad Shazwan Shah Jamil.
The ceremony also featured a montage highlighting activities conducted throughout Research Month, followed by the presentation of awards, an appreciation token, the singing of UTM’s official song “Keunggulan Terbilang”, and a group photography session.
Continuing the Momentum Beyond Research Month
The closing ceremony reinforced an important message: the success of Research Month should not be measured only by the number of programmes conducted, but by the outcomes that follow.
As highlighted during the Deputy Dean’s address, the real indicators of success will be whether more manuscripts are submitted, more research proposals are developed, more intellectual property is filed, more collaborations are established and, most importantly, whether research increasingly benefits the university, society, industry and the nation.
The Faculty of Science also expressed its appreciation to the programme director, organising committee, speakers, facilitators, management and all participants who contributed to the success of FS Research Month 2026.
With the conclusion of its third edition, FS Research Month 2026 has further strengthened its role as a platform for cultivating a collaborative, productive and impact-driven research culture across the Faculty of Science.
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