MoU promotes good health and well-being

Ninth from left: Grace Tan, Prof Chuah, Winston Yoo and Prof Ewe with DietChain Inc. delegates and UTAR staff

In an effort to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) No. 3, which is to promote healthy lives and the well-being of people, UTAR signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with DietChain Inc. at UTAR Sungai Long Campus on 19 April 2019.

Signing the MoU were UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik and DietChain Inc. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Winston Yoo Seng Keong while witnessing the signing were UTAR Vice President for Internationalisation and Academic Development Prof Ir Dr Ewe Hong Tat and DietChain Inc. Marketing Manager Grace Tan Cheau Voon.

Also present at the event were DietChain Inc. Chief Technology Officer Keith Lau, PR, Media Event and Government Department Affairs Consultant Phang Chew Hock, Diet Therapy Consultant Anne Toong, Dietitian Veeny Ng, Diet Therapy Consultant Desmond Heng, Founder of 360 Natural Hormone Balancing Therapy Michelle Fong and Vistage Coach Lau Boon Leong.

Representing UTAR at the MoU signing ceremony were Division of Community and International Networking Director Assoc Prof Dr Lai Soon Onn, Faculty of Science (FSc) Dean Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng, FSc Deputy Dean for R&D and Postgraduate Programmes Dr Phoon Lee Quen, FSc lecturers Dr Phuah Eng Tong and Chung Kok Heung, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Prof Ts Dr Lim Yang Mooi, Centre for Extension Education (CEE) Director Lim Guat Yen and CEE Assistant Manager M. C. Kaarthic.

Prof Chuah said, “UTAR is happy to collaborate with DietChain for further initiatives and we hope that our staff and students will be able to gain support and experience from this collaborative partnership in terms of research, training, internship and healthcare. I’m very happy to know that DietChain is involving the Blockchain and AI technology to help in this important area of healthcare. I believe new technology such as AI and Blockchain will have great impacts on the way we live, our food and medication intake. This collaboration will also align us with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) No. 3 which is to promote healthy lives and the well-being of people. We are hopeful that this collaboration will give more exposure to our students and staff and benefit the nation as well.”

“Unhealthy eating habits cause eleven million people to die each year. People with different health conditions should have different food intakes. DietChain creates an online system which customises your personal diet plan within three steps through filling in one’s health conditions to understand one’s body constitution. A customised diet solution and the related recipe will be given without any charges. We aim to cultivate a healthy diet culture among the nation and guide them back to nature. It is a great honour to have such opportunity to collaborate with UTAR on the diet therapy training programme and development of more new recipes including how to obtain good food processing technology and internship arrangement while promoting the corporate social responsibility projects. Together with UTAR, we are able to create better welfare for the people,” said Winston Yoo.

Through the MoU, the two parties will work closely on joint projects involving collaborative research and share expertise. The MoU also aimed to facilitate exchanges of ideas and facilities which include mutual visits by staff members to pursue research, curriculum development, and to participate in seminars, conferences and workshops which are relevant to the industry. Aside from that, DietChain and UTAR also aimed to facilitate industrial study visits of UTAR undergraduate and postgraduate students and mutual visits by staff members of both parties for the purpose of enhancing the learning experience, professional development and curriculum development as well as to facilitate industrial placement of UTAR students.

Prof Chuah and Winston Yoo (right) exchanging the signed document to signify the collaboration between UTAR and DietChain Inc. 

Prof Chuah (left) and Winston Yoo (right) exchanging souvenirs