On 19 April, the renewed Board of Study (BoS) had its first meeting to discuss about the new membership, terms of reference and next steps to build partnership to improve MJIIT’s DRM Program. Professor Dr. Ali Selamat chaired the meeting that was participated by experts and from Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Philippines shown below.
From government agencies:
- Mr. Zainan Azman Abu Seman, Deputy Director General, National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA), Prime Minister’s Department
- Ir Rohani Binti Ahmad, Director of HTC, Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
- Ir. Che Hassandi Abdullah, Director, Centre of Excellence for Engineering and Technology (CREaTE), Public Work Department, Ministry of Works
- PPJ (PA) Norhafifi Hj. Ismail, Director of Policy Planning and Coordination, Civil Defense Force (APM), Prime Minister’s Department
- Dr. Azhari Mohamed, Director, Department of Surveying and Mapping (JUPEM), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
- Dr. Dzul Khaimi Bin Khailani, Senior Principal Assistant Director, Federal Department of Town and Country Planning, Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government
Malaysian and international experts:
- Dato’ Haji Zakaria Mohamad, DPPC fellow and Scientific Expert Panel to NaDMA, Malaysia
- Hariyati Shahrima Abdul Majid, Malaysian Medical Relief Society (MERCY Malaysia)
- Dr Alwi Abdul Rahman, Head of the Selayang Hospital Emergency, Trauma and Disaster Management Department, Malaysia
- Professor Dr. Jun Asanuma, Chair of DRM Subcommittee, Tsukuba University, Japan
- Professor Dr. Kaoru Takara, Co-chair of DRM Subcommittee and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability (GSAIS), Kyoto University, Japan
- Mikio Ishiwatari, Senior Advisor, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan
- Dr. Ir Djoko Legono, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia
- Professor Dr. Andres W.C. Oreta, Civil Engineering Department, De La Sallle University, Philippines
Originally established to design the Master of Disaster Management (MDRM) Program, the previous BoS has completed its role and the new members will now take on new a function that involves support for reviewing and improving the MDRM program and taking part in professional training and research and field activities of MJIIT’s DRM program.
Active discussions were held among the experts on the next steps for the BoS, including joint publications and regional DRM conferences that could be organized in Malaysia as well as other countries of the BoS members. The next BoS meeting is planned to be held on the occasion of the Japan-ASEAN Science and Technology Innovation Platform (JASTIP) Regional Conference that is planned to be organized in Kuala Lumpur this October.
