Birthday Surprises :)

Suddenly, there were two lil cupcakes sitting on the table in front of the class. Then, two individuals were called up to stand in front for all to see. Who were they? 

Mr Tan Ja Houng and Ms Tan Chern Huay!

On the 31st October, the both of them made it past another year of life.. all grown up now.. :P

The class made a fuss out of it, and it was a sweet gesture of them to get the pretty cakes with candles lit and singing the Birthday song to the both of them. 

May the bond of togetherness and friendship last among this class of friends as time goes by! And to the both of you, a very Blessed Birthday and Best Wishes for the years to come.. :D

The Birthday girl and guy being well wished! ^_^





                                                                                                                                        Written by : Mel Ann

Friendships that Last 

How long has it been since we first started out as a class of BIDP trainees.. ?

It’s been almost two years now, since then. And Yes, we still do keep in touch! The feeling is really warm when we meet for a simple lunch / work in the lab together / share stories of projects and difficulties at work places.. or even to recall memories of our class and trainers ~

The friendships made, are truly cherished! Moving forward, may we continue to stay close and united!

Having a Mexican lunch together! :D

Having a yummy dinner @ Pen Mutiara ~ 

Steamboat dinner to show off our cooking skills! :P 

Cheers to the many more meet-ups we will have! All the very best to every one of you in your projects and work places.. Remember, we are always there for each other! 

                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                 Written by: Mel Ann

Dear friends and colleagues who are celebrating, we at HAT would like to wish you all a very 

Selamat Hari Raya Haji! 

Views of BIDP... 4 Oct 2013

When Dr Leong made contact to ask if I was happy to come back to deliver the Downstream course again this year, I quickly jumped at the opportunity to participate yet again in this BIDP programme together with HAT and Talentcorp Malaysia. 

I was looking forward to this trip all summer for some proper warm weather (note the grey skies…), the yummy food and especially as my family was coming back to Malaysia too! But most importantly, the course…

This year, I decided to pack a bit more Mathematics (apologies Mar) into the course. This, I felt was necessary, so that one is able to describe and understand Downstream Bioprocessing unit operations from fundamental principles to include an appreciation for the assumptions and limits of given models.  So, my “itchy fingers” set off to work to update the slides. So, Day 1 – I arrived at IPharm and this was going to be my “home” for the next 3-days. 

IPharm, Penang!

Right from the onset, I immediately felt a warm welcome and connection with this cohort – not only because of my namesake. The diverse background (biotechnology, biochemistry, engineering, microbiology, plant biology, etc) and industrial participants made up an interesting cohort. Over the next three days, we went on a journey from an overview (insulin as a case study), some basic chemical engineering principles (fluid mechanics and heat & mass transfers) to downstream bioprocessing (cell disruption, filtration, centrifugation, chromatography, crystallisation, drying) and wrapped up with discussions about sustainability! I personally enjoyed the derivations but I guess I am only speaking for a select few (hopefully more). So, I am very appreciative (a big thank you!) to all of you for bearing with me and following step-by-step along the way - hopefully the key concept is registered and cemented in your mind now.  

Honestly for me, the most important aspect of this whole programme is you, the participants! 

BIDP II Batch 1 - Pharma track 

In the short space of the 3 days we interacted, I quickly appreciated TalentCorp and HAT’s initiative – to train our next generation of scientists and engineers who would be leading our bio-industry in Malaysia. You have the talent and ability plus the opportunity.  As they say, the world is your oyster! 

In summary, you all made my role as instructor an easy one and very enjoyable (and also a great family holiday). So, thank you very much!

Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end… and I am now back in London – early signs of the autumn now.

Do keep in touch and very best wishes in all your undertakings.

Written by:  Jerry Heng

Words from Wellington, New Zealand for BIDP II !

Wellington, New Zealand 

Greetings from the shaky city of Wellington, New Zealand.

It is always a privilege to write for the BIDP blog. If there is one word I could use to describe this group of BIDP II students it would be “hospitable”. From the first day until the last, I felt welcomed, included and very much a part of the BIDP II community. So maybe to start of this blog, I should really thank them for making me feel welcome and for taking me out to lunch. I especially enjoyed the Chicken Rice near Sunshine Square.

Even as each person is unique, the combination of these unique individuals causes the entire group have its own character and personality. One thing that really stands out to me is how inquisitive this group is. Their eagerness to learn and to experiment sometimes got them into trouble, but perhaps a little mischief does make life more interesting. Perhaps even this could be an indication of a greater level of intelligence needing to be fed and guided. I have to say, intelligence was definitely not lacking amongst the BIDP II group.

It has been 4 months since I was with the BIDP II class over in Penang, and much has happened since then. I hear that they have since completed Phase I successfully, so a big congratulation goes out to each and every one of them. From the limited time we spent together, I know that they will do well in wherever the careers take them. I believe that they have what it takes to become successful, to tackle the challenges that their generation faces in building a better nation, and to build bridges/networks amongst individuals and communities at home and abroad.

If I can indulge in one piece of advice, it would be this: Do not take lightly the relationships you have formed with your fellow BIDP II classmates. Success is a team effort, built of lifting each other up. Think of a human pyramid. The person at the apex can only be there because of those who are underneath, sharing the load and carrying each other. The achievements of your tomorrow and built on the networks of your today. 

Times with the BIDP II group 

                                                                                      Written by: Chor Ee Tan