MonashRISE colloquium connects 141 early career academics across three universities
A group photo with the participants.
The MonashRISE: MUM ECAN Research Colloquium brought together 190 attendees from Monash University Malaysia, Sunway University and Taylor’s University on 21 July at Hilton Hotel, Petaling Jaya, with 141 early career academics presenting their research, exchanging ideas and exploring opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.
Initiated by Monash Malaysia, the colloquium aimed to strengthen the research capabilities of early career academics and build connections across disciplines and institutions.
Professor Chai Siang Piao delivers the opening address.
Professor Chai Siang Piao, Interim Vice President of Research and Development at Monash Malaysia, opened the event by highlighting the important role early career researchers play in shaping the future of research and higher education. Emphasising the importance of quality and integrity, Professor Chai encouraged participants to prioritise excellence over quantity and uphold the highest ethical standards throughout their careers.
"We [must] keep reminding ourselves that research integrity must remain at the heart of everything we do,” he said. “No matter the pressure to publish or to produce results, we [must] never cross the ethical boundaries. This is extremely important to ensure that our research remains credible and trustworthy, [and that the] public has trust and confidence in us."
Professor Emeritus Dato' Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman shares her insights during her keynote address.
Professor Emeritus Dato' Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, President and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Monash Malaysia, reaffirmed the University's commitment to supporting early career researchers as future research leaders. She also highlighted the close relationship between research and teaching.
"We firmly believe that the two go hand in hand,” she said. “Excellent teaching comes with excellent research, and vice versa. You can't separate them, particularly in this fast-moving world that we live in."
Professor Adeeba also emphasised the importance of collaboration in an increasingly competitive research landscape. She encouraged participants to embrace cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional partnerships, citing the Triple Alliance between Monash, Sunway and Taylor’s as an example of how collaboration can strengthen capability, create greater impact, and unlock future funding opportunities.
Experts sharing ideas and experiences during the panel discussion.
The colloquium featured a panel discussion titled ‘Winning Research Funding and Building Meaningful Postgraduate Supervision’, moderated by Dr Lim Wei Meng from the School of Pharmacy. Panellists included Dr Susilawati and Professor Narayanan Ramakrishnan from the School of Engineering, and Professor Mai Chun Wai from the Institute of Research, Development and Innovation at the International Medical University.
Drawing from their own academic journeys, the panellists shared advice on navigating the early stages of an academic career. They spoke about overcoming common challenges, seizing opportunities, building strong professional networks, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, and ensuring their research remains relevant and impactful.
Early career academics presenting their research.
Following the panel discussion, participants took part in three-minute pitch sessions, presenting their research ideas to fellow academics across four themes: Science, technology, data and innovation; Sustainability, environment and future systems; Society, culture, policy and governance; and Health, wellbeing and life sciences.
The event concluded with a briefing on upcoming sessions and networking activities.
MonashRISE’s next session will take place on 27 October, with a focus on proposal development and grant readiness. Seed funding will be available to support promising cross-institutional research projects and encourage future external grant applications.