Seizing the Challenge of Sustainability: Future-Proofing Tourism in the New Normal

Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Malaysia organized a forum entitled “Seizing the Challenge of Sustainability: Future-Proofing Tourism in the New Normal” on 8th January 2021. Prof. Dr. Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan, Executive Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management & President of ASEAN Tourism Research Association (ATRA) was invited as the moderator of the session. The forum consisted of a good mixture of experts from government, academia, and industry. This forum served as a platform to explore new insights, opportunities, and solutions to reinvent the tourism sector by adapting to the new normal with the hopes of emerging stronger and more sustainable than ever before.

Apart from that, the role of the newly launched Malaysian Tourism Policy (2020-2030) was extensively debated in the forum and the speakers welcomed the newly developed policy by the government. Survivability of tourism agencies especially the Small and Medium Enterprises was raised by many of the viewers. The role of the government in implementing short-term strategies to create a resilient industry was also explored by the panel speakers. The panel speakers also agreed that there is a need for a paradigm shift among the industry players to adapt to the current scenario of the tourism business which is highly uncertain and fragile. The creation of niche areas in the post-vaccination era, usage of technology, and readiness to cater domestic market are the key strategies mutually agreed upon by the panel speakers to revive the tourism industry in 2021.

Taylor's University Launches New Lab Facility to Empower the Next Frontier of Social Psychology

The first-of-its-kind lab facility in Malaysia and Southeast Asia is equipped with advanced technologies to further mental health and related studies in the country. Taylor’s University has officially launched its new lab facility, Taylor’s Centre for Human Excellence and Development (CHED), a first-of-its-kind research and therapy centre in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

The centre, intends to revolutionise study and applied research in the areas of psychology and behavioural sciences in Malaysia. CHED was officiated by the Deputy Minister of Health, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Dr. Noor Azmi Ghazali. “The establishment of the Taylor’s University Centre for Human Excellence and Development is an excellent step in the right direction to address rising mental health concerns in Malaysia. I hope to see a proliferation of research in behavioural science, psychology and other aspects of social sciences with the commencement of this centre,” he commented during the virtual launch ceremony.

As part of the planned growth of Taylor’s Psychology agenda, the Centre represents a key support system for researchers, students and practitioners. The launch of CHED enables academics and researchers to embark on advanced studies in behavioural sciences across disciplines including psychology, food studies, education, business and social sciences. As such, the Centre integrates research through the Socio-Behavioral Lab with community welfare and mental health through the Clinical Centre.

The Socio-Behavioral Lab aims to provide a multi-functional space to advance the research, innovations and interventions in multi-disciplinary areas of physical, cognitive, emotional and social contexts of behaviour. It leverages on an extensive range of advanced Artificial Intelligent technology components such as face-tracking cameras, brain scanners and virtual reality equipment that tracks facial and eye movements to identify emotions in facial features. The emotional recognition software is proprietary to Taylor’s University and will enable its students, researchers and psychologists to conduct live research on human interactions.

The Clinical Centre is a therapeutic space and includes four individual therapy rooms, a family room and a group therapy centre. It is tailored predominantly as a training and skill development centre for students of the Master and Undergraduate programmes who seek to develop therapeutic skills. The Centre, which is in addition to the current University Counselling facilities, may be utilised by Taylor’s staff, students and external therapists to conduct counselling, therapy, training, workshops and assessments.

Currently, Taylor’s Centre for Human Excellence and Development is supporting a research project on Prader-Willi Syndrome, which has received a grant under the Hubert Curien Partnership France-Malaysia Hibiscus (PHC Hibiscus). The project is led by prominent Taylor’s University lecturers, Associate Professor Dr. Anasuya Jegathesan, Dr. Elise Line Mognard and Professor Dr. Jean-Pierre Marie Poulain from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management (FSLM).

Research Grant on Developing and Documentation of Malaysian Menus

Three researchers from the School of Food Studies & Gastronomy: Dr. Chong Li Choo, Chef Sharizan Azali and Chef Mohamad Zamri have successfully secured a RM50,000 research grant on “Developing and Documentation of Malaysian Menus” from Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) through collaboration with Malaysia Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI). One of the main objectives of this research is to document our country's National Food “Nasi Lemak” “Roti Canai” “Satay” “Char Kuey Teow” “Teh Tarik” and keep their identities intact.

Currently there is NO official documented standard of recipes, menus and food presentation for Malaysia's National and traditional foods. With the completion of the project, this identified gap can be narrowed. This research also aims to conserve and preserve Malaysia's National Food “Nasi Lemak” “Roti Canai” “Satay” “Char Kuey Teow” “Teh Tarik” using local agriculture, livestock and fisheries. There is a need for local culinary industry to focus on the farm-to-fork concept along with local agro-food supply chain, to ensure the sustainability of local agriculture, livestock and fisheries.