Prof Ir Ts Dr Adnan Zainorabidin 

Professor of Geotechnical Engineering,

Research Center for Soft Soil Malaysia (RECESS)

Institute for Integrated Engineering

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

SPEECH TITLE:

"Geotechnical Forensic: Challenges and Opportunity for Malaysian Tropical Peat" 

BIOGRAPHY

Prof Ir Ts Dr Adnan Zainorabidin is currently a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering,  Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. Since obtained his Certificate of Civil Engineering in 1994 from Polytechnic Port Dickson, where he excelled in his academic studies and was awarded a Ministry of Education scholarship to continue his tertiary education under a collaboration program between the Malaysian government and the World Bank.  In 1997, he graduated with a BSc. (Hons) Civil Engineering and obtained his Master’s Degree in Research (Geotechnics), majoring in “Geotechnical properties of peat soil in Johor” in 2003. He furthered his enthusiastic interest in peat soil research and successfully obtained his PhD from the University of East London, United Kingdom in 2011. 

He joined UTHM in 2000 and has had over 24 years of experience in teaching,  research, and consultancy. Currently, he is appointed the Head of the Centre, Research Centre for Soft Soil Malaysia (RECESS) He is also one of the founders who set up and established this centre in the year 2004. Under his dedicated management, RECESS rapidly established and became well known as a pioneering research centre both at the national and international levels focusing on soft soil technology.  Prior to this, he was a Director, of the Centre of Advancement and Alumni Relations (CARE), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Deputy Dean (Research, Development, and Publication), and Head of Department at UTHM’s Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering

He has supervised and continues to supervise more than 40 research students reading for their PhD and Master’s level qualifications. He has over 150 publications in journals, conference proceedings, symposiums, and consultative committees where his enthusiastic research has been shared and disseminated in the public domain. For conferences, he has delivered more than 10 keynote speakers and invited talks for local and international.

His expertise focus areas at present are on innovative ground improvement methods for peat ground, the development of new testing methods of field testing on peat, and innovative method construction on peat area. Due to his knowledge and experience, he was always appointed as an advisor not only in research but also in consultancy work focusing on forensic studies on failure construction on peat areas. These contributions and expertise in the technology of peat ground were duly acknowledged when appointed as a committee member to develop Guidelines for Construction on Peat Soil under the Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM) in 2015 and 2020. Due to his passion and enthusiasm, he has been awarded as Top 10 Outstanding Researcher (2020-2021) and Top 10 UTHM Researchers (3rd Rank International Grant, 2021).

Associate Professor Ir. Dr. Nurmin Bolong

Faculty of Engineering,

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)

Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia

SPEECH TITLE:

"Guarding the Flow from the Threat of Emerging Contaminants to Water Security"

BIOGRAPHY

Nurmin Bolong is an accomplished Civil and Environmental Engineering lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), located in North Borneo, Malaysia. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Science Malaysia (USM), Perak. She went on to earn a master’s in engineering for Development from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom. Her doctoral studies at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Johor, which she completed in 2009, focused on fabricating hollow fibre nanofiltration membranes for wastewater treatment, specifically on Bisphenol-A (BPA) removal.

Nurmin Bolong has extensive experience in institutional administration. In 2003, she was appointed Head of Programme for Civil Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, UMS. Later, she served as the Deputy Dean of Academics from 2011 to 2014, where she oversaw academic operations and played a crucial role in curriculum development and implementation. From 2014 to 2016, she was appointed Deputy Dean of Student Affairs and Alumni, responsible for developing and implementing programs to enhance the student experience and foster alum engagement. She is currently the research unit leader of GMACT and also serves as the chief editor for the Sustainable Engineering Journal of UMS. 

As an experienced academician, Nurmin Bolong teaches several courses in fluid mechanics, hydraulic and hydrology engineering, environmental engineering, and water and wastewater engineering. She believes an academician's unlimited responsibilities include ensuring high-quality teaching standards that meet exceptional output and industrial and community demands. 

Nurmin Bolong's research have contributed significantly to membrane technology, water supply, wastewater treatment, sustainable and green material construction, and engineering education through publishing over a hundred papers and articles in conferences, books, and journals of great repute. 

In addition, she is an active member of several professional bodies, including the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM), the Institute of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) and the Environmental Management & Research Association of Malaysia (ENSEARCH). Her involvement in these organizations reflects her commitment to advancing the field of engineering and promoting sustainable solutions to global challenges.

In summary, Nurmin Bolong is an experienced Civil and Environmental Engineering lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. She is a highly qualified academician who has significantly contributed to her field of expertise through her research and publications. In addition, her involvement in professional organizations highlights her commitment to advancing the field of engineering and promoting sustainable solutions to global challenges.

DR. Jaeyong Chung (JYC)

SOH Wind Engineering, LLC, USA

Asian reginal manager.

SPEECH TITLE:

"Unforeseen Events in Wind Engineering – To make foreseen events"

BIOGRAPHY

Jaeyong Chung is the current Asian Regional Manager at SOH Wind Engineering LLC in Williston, VT, USA. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Physics and Civil Engineering from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, and his Master's degree in Fluid Dynamics of Civil Engineering from the same institution.  Since completing his Master's degree, he has worked as a civil engineer specializing in wind engineering at the Wind Engineering and Fluid Laboratory at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, USA, since 2005.

From 2004 to 2008, he was involved in various wind engineering projects at the Research Center of Samsung E&C. These projects included studying wind effects on high-rise buildings and estimating wind loads on low-rise buildings such as airports and seaside resorts. He possesses specialized knowledge in interpreting wind tunnel test results and applying them to building design.

He has also worked as a senior researcher at Tokyo Polytechnic University in Japan, studying wind environmental issues using CFD or wind tunnel tests. Specifically, he has conducted research on wind comfort studies for pedestrians in urban areas and natural ventilation in urban planning. During this time, he supervised Ph.D. candidates in their research on wind environmental issues.

Since 2015, he starts to branch office of SOH Wind Engineering LLC, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He has been working with SOH Wind Engineering LLC in the USA to promote wind engineering consulting services in the South-East Asia region. He has experience working as a commercial consultant, evaluating wind loads on structures, and as participated in an outside supervisor for the School of Mechanical Engineering at Universiti Teknologi MARA.

With 19 years of experience since completing his Ph.D., he has extensive knowledge of wind engineering and conducts seminars to promote its physical meaning.