UTAR M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Faculty of Science, in collaboration with the Centre for Agriculture and Food Research, Dr Wu Lien-Teh Centre for Research in Communicable Diseases, and the Centre for Biomedical and Nutrition Research, successfully organised the first National Conference on Integrating Research in Agriculture, Food, and Communicable Diseases towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (IRAFCD-SDG) 2024 from 10 to 11 June 2024 at UTAR Kampar Campus.

The conference began with an opening ceremony attended by UTAR Vice President for R&D and Commercialisation, representing UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat, Organising Chairperson Dr Saw Seow Hoon, esteemed plenary speakers, presenters, participants and members of both the organising and scientific committees, as well as UTAR staff and students.

This year’s National Conference IRAFCD-SDG was a hybrid event, attended by more than 100 participants both in-person and online. The conference aimed to bring together experts, researchers, industry professionals, and stakeholders from diverse fields to discuss and explore the intersections of communicable diseases, agriculture, food research, and biomedicine in the context of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goal was to explore innovative solutions, best practices, and collaborations in food safety and sustainable development.

Themed, Integrating Research in Agriculture, Food, and Communicable Diseases towards Achieving SDGs, the conference reflected the urgency and importance of finding synergies to contribute to the realisation of the United Nations’ SDGs.

In his opening remarks, Prof Faidz emphasised, “Today’s conference aims to serve as a platform for researchers, academicians, practitioners, policymakers, and industry leaders to exchange ideas, share insights, and collaborate towards building a sustainable future. Through our collective efforts, we hope to foster innovation and partnerships that will drive progress in these critical fields. In line with UTAR’s commitment to sustainable development, it is our firm belief that through collaborative efforts and a multidisciplinary approach, we can create a more resilient and sustainable future for generations to come. The conference is designed to encompass a wide spectrum of topics, including the impact of climate change on agriculture, innovations in food production and distribution, advancements in disease prevention and control, and the role of technology in achieving sustainable development.”

He encouraged participants to embrace the opportunity to forge new collaborations, foster partnerships, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge that transcends disciplinary boundaries.

Meanwhile, in her welcome remarks, Dr Saw expressed immense pleasure and pride in welcoming everyone to the conference. She stated that, as the Chairperson of this significant gathering, she was honoured to be part of an event that brought together brilliant minds and experts from around the world to deliberate on critical issues with far-reaching implications for the global community.

After the opening ceremony, the conference continued with the first plenary and symposium titled “Microbiological science and infectious diseases”. The first plenary speaker of day one was Prof Yeo Chew Chieng from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia. He delivered an insightful hour-long talk focusing on the genomic epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) from a One Health perspective. In addition to that, four speakers in total delivered talks on various topics, including infectious diseases caused by contaminated food sources, leveraging metagenomics to outsmart tough pathogens, enhancing crop productivity, and fermented food safety.

The first plenary was followed by a second session titled “Agricultural, food, and nutritional science.” Assoc Prof Dr Reza Tahergorabi from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, USA, delivered a plenary talk titled “Development of deep-fried surimi with b-sitosterol-loaded oleogel in combination with citrus peel fiber in batter”. This was followed by three additional talks on topics such as New Zealand robotics in horticulture, metabolite production and Omics techniques.

On day two, the conference featured five significant talks by esteemed speakers. The topics covered included rescuing the planet Earth, organic meals, regenerative agriculture, research on probiotics, and adjunctive therapy. Following these talks, the conference included a series of oral presentations.
The first National Conference on Integrating Research in Agriculture, Food, and Communicable Diseases towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals concluded on 11 June 2024, with UTAR Faculty of Science Dean Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng presiding over the closing ceremony. This was followed by the announcement of the winners of the Oral Presentation. The list of winners is as follows:

Oral Presentation: