LONDON: Permata Negara is exploring the establishment of a research centre that will provide an eco-system for the gifted to research and innovate.
Malaysian Prime Minister’s wife and patron of Permata, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, said “We have to develop and nurture an environment that will enable research and innovation to flourish.”
Rosmah said this at the launching of Permata Science Institute workshop at the Royal Society of London here on Monday.
The Royal Society of London is collaborating with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in organising the Science Institute workshop which kicks off tomorrow till May 17.
The workshop involves 26 students from Permata Pintar, Permata Insan , Maktab Rendah Sains MARA, students from the Education Ministry, young scientists and six teachers.
Also present at the function were the Royal Society of London’s Senior Advisor Luke Clarke, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and High Commissioner of Malaysia to the United Kingdom Datuk Ahmad Rasidi Hazizi.
Rosmah hoped that Permata could work with the Royal Society of London in the establishment of the centre.
She said the Science Institute workshop was part of Permata Nobelist Mindset initiative aimed at instilling career leadership, innovative thinking, communication skills as well as field specific studies in our top science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talents.
“By personalising the learning experiences and giving the participants the opportunity to interact with Nobel Laureates and Fellows of the Royal Society we hope they will be able to identify the attributes of Nobel Laureates and understand how they see connection between ideas that others do not recognise, how they use their creativity to solve problems and to have the persistence and tenacity to pursue them to fruition in ways that benefit society,” she said.
Rosmah said since 2011, more than 750 students had studied at the Permata Pintar College and more than 430 were enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in top universities in the US, UK, Australia, Japan, Korea, Germany and Malaysia. --Bernama