Five Malaysians appointed as ISC Fellows 2023

KUALA LUMPUR: Distinguished academician Prof Datuk Dr Looi Lai Meng, together with four other Malaysians received the highest honour after being conferred Fellowship by the International Science Council (ISC) for 2023.

Besides Dr Looi, who was honoured as the inaugural ‘Profesor Ulung Negara’ in 2010, the other four are academician Prof Datin Paduka Dr Khatijah Yusoff, Prof Emerita Datuk Dr Asma Ismail, Datuk Dr Awg Bulgiba Awg Mahmud and Prof Dr Ramesh T. Subramaniam.

Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) said they are among 100 new ISC Fellows globally, who are established scientists and thought-leaders from research and science-policy spheres who had significantly contributed to furthering understanding, use and engagement of science for global public good.

ASM president Datuk Dr Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen said the acknowledgement by ISC underscores the invaluable contributions and capabilities of the esteemed expert network, further solidifying the country’s position on the global stage.

“One of ASM’s missions is to be a ‘thought leader’ in science, technology, innovation and economy (STIE), nationally and internationally.

“The affirmation by ISC proved to be a testament of achievement and an inspiration to strive for greater milestones in pursuing scientific excellence,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec 20).

The ISC Fellowship recognises individuals for their outstanding contributions to the promotion of science as a global public good and the Fellowship is the highest honour that can be conferred on an individual by the ISC.

Dr Looi is one of the 50 Founding Fellows of ASM in 1995 and received the Merdeka Award (Health, Science and Technology Category) in 2016 while Dr Khatijah, the Senior Fellow of ASM is the vice president of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences.

On the other hand, Dr Asma, the immediate past president of ASM, was Malaysia’s first female director-general of Higher Education and the first female to be appointed as the chairperson of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency while Dr Awg Bulgiba is the first Malaysian doctor to gain a PhD in health informatics and was the secretary-general of ASM from 2019 to 2023.

Dr Ramesh, an ASM Fellow elected in 2016, is a material scientist experienced in preparing, developing and characterising polymers and polymer electrolytes as a source of energy for various electrochemical devices.

In June last year, the ISC announced the creation of a Fellowship and appointment of 66 Foundation Fellows, including ASM Senior Fellow Emeritus Prof Tan Sri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid.

ASM, the nation’s thought leader for matters related to STIE and the academy’s network of experts, currently stands at 1,000 individuals across eight scientific disciplines. – BK