Sarawak to collab with Australian varsity on forestry research

BRISBANE: The Sarawak government, represented by the Forest Department Sarawak, signed and exchanged a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), Australia, signalling a potential bilateral collaboration in forestry research, capacity building, and technology transfer.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Deputy Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan.

The LOI was signed on behalf of the Sarawak government by Datuk Hamden Mohamad, director of Forests, while Professor Helen Bartlett, vice-chancellor and president of UniSC, signed for the university.

“This agreement marks the beginning of discussions aimed at fostering cooperation between the Sarawak government and UniSC. The collaboration is expected to include the exchange of technical information, joint studies, and research, as well as knowledge and technology transfer. These efforts will focus on data collection, analysis, and the development or implementation of forestry-related initiatives,” it said through a statement today (Aug15).

“Before the LOI signing, the delegation was briefed on various research topics through presentations by four lecturers and researchers from UniSC and the Forest Research Institute. The presentations covered subjects such as “Breeding and Silviculture to Improve Plantation Productivity and Value” and “Pest Management in Plantation Forests in Borneo,” it said.

Also present at the ceremony were Datuk Seri Mohd Naroden Majais, advisor to the Ministry for International Trade, Industry and Investment Sarawak; Datuk Saferi Ali, State Attorney-General; Datuk Haji Abdullah Julaihi, permanent secretary for Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development (MUDeNR); Datuk Hamden Mohammad, director of Forests; Jack Liam, controller of Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB); Zainal Abidin, general manager of Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC); and Abang Arabi Abang Aimran, general manager of Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).