KUCHING – Two postgraduate students from Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus were recently awarded scholarships by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) for their research on corals and marine fungi.
Masters students Felicity Kuek Wen Ik and Onn May Ling were awarded RM10,000 each and an additional RM3,000 each for their thesis and related expenses under the MOHE’s MyBrain15 program which was set up to stimulate the growth of research and innovation in the country.
“Although this isn’t a full scholarship, the amount awarded helps. I see this as recognition by MOHE that my research is worth funding. At the very least, I don’t have to burden my parents, who are supporting me, too much this semester. I am grateful to MOHE for the financial assistance,” said Kuek who hopes that her research on corals will be completed by the middle of next year.
She is studying the effects of increased temperatures on corals, the effects on their native microbiota, their susceptibility to pathogens and ultimately their role in coral bleaching.
“Corals have a narrow range of thermal tolerance, and the effects of climate change have subjected many to temperature stress. Outbreaks of diseases, such as the black band disease and bleaching, are enhanced by increased temperatures in the sea. Coral immunity decreases during these periods of stress, making them vulnerable to opportunistic disease-causing bacteria,” she explained.
“The scholarship award is a great opportunity for all graduates who plan to further their studies locally, and we are really privileged to be offered the scholarship,” said Onn whose research aims to determine the abundance and distribution of marine fungi in Sarawak’s mangrove ecosystems and their conservation for biochemical, genetic and molecular studies.
Onn, from Petaling Jaya, said the marine fungi would be screened for natural bioactive compounds in the hope of discovering new drugs. She hopes to complete the project by early next year.
“We are grateful to MOHE for the scholarships and I believe it’s the right way to go in encouraging research and innovation. They will serve to motivate and encourage our students to excel in their studies. At our end, we have a strong emphasis in practical training to ensure that our graduates meet, if not exceed, industry demands,” said Dr Moritz Mueller, a lecturer at Swinburne Sarawak who is the main supervisor of the two students.