SULTAN NAZRIN PRESENTS MERDEKA AWARD GRANTS TO THREE RECIPIENTS

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- The Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Nazrin Shah today presented the Merdeka Award Grants for International Attachment 2018 to three recipients who will be pursuing their research at internationally-recognised institutions of their choice.

The three recipients are Dr Lee Tian Khoon, 32, a post-doctoral researcher at the Fuel Cell Institute of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; Dr Ong Wee Jun, 29, an Assistant Professor at the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering of Xiamen University Malaysia; and Aishah Ismail, 29, a PhD candidate at the Centre for Intelligent Signal and Imaging Research, Universiti Teknologi Petronas.

Choosing Oxford University, United Kingdom for his short-term attachment, Dr Lee plans to strengthen his research in converting rubber material for advanced energy storage and conversion.

Dr Ong, who chose the California Institute of Technology, in the US will be focusing on research in solar energy conversion and energy storage to address energy security and environmental issues.

Meanwhile, Aishah intends to focus her research on the application of Deep Learning Approach in identifying stroke biomarker at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also in the US.

Their names were announced by Merdeka Award Trust founding member and president and group chief executive officer of Petronas, Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, before they were presented with the grants by Sultan Nazrin, who is also the royal patron of the Merdeka Award Trust.

All recipients will undergo a three-month attachment abroad where they will enhance their research work, establish a wider network of contacts and share their new-found knowledge and experience with other Malaysian researchers in their respective fields upon their return.

Meanwhile, Wan Zulkiflee in his speech said to date, 14 young Malaysians had received the grant, with 11 of them having completed their international attachments since it was launched in 2012.

"Each year, we continue to identify young individuals who have demonstrated a pioneering spirit with their novel ideas and proposals that are relevant in meeting the modern-day challenges and needs of the nation and the world," he said.

-- BERNAMA