Kuala Lumpur, Tuesday, 5 May 2015 – Malaysia’s top graduate and post-graduate students in the life sciences field convened with renowned biotech and healthcare experts at the Malaysia BioCamp 2015, the first ever to be held in the country. Held at BiotechCorp’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur from 5-6 May 2015, the workshop is hosted by Malaysia Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp) in partnership with Novartis Malaysia and supported by the Ministry of Education and Industry Centre of Excellence (ICoE), Healthcare Cluster.

This marks Malaysia’s first participation in the local BioCamp, which aims to identify 2 outstanding young intellectuals focused in biotechnology-related research from Malaysia. Based on academic excellence and professional experience, the winners will represent the country and join selected students from other leading international universities around the world at the prestigious International BioCamp, which will be held at Novartis’ headquarters in Basel, Switzerland from 23-26 August 2015.

Organised by Novartis, the annual International BioCamp will give students a first-hand experience in starting and running a biotech company while giving them the chance to network with industry leaders and fellow peers, and to explore career opportunities in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

The 35 finalists at the Malaysia BioCamp were selected from the regional BioCamp pitching sessions held earlier this year in Sarawak, Perlis, Kuala Lumpur, Pahang and Sabah. A lineup of distinguished speakers including Prof Dr Abdul Hamid Adom, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research & Innovation Universiti Malaysia Perlis (on behalf of the Chairman, ICoE Healthcare, Ministry of Education); Michaela Dinboeck, President and Managing Director of Novartis Malaysia and Razwin Sulairee Hasnan Temizi, Chief Operating Officer, BiotechCorp were invited to the Malaysia BioCamp to inspire the promising young scientists, as they gained insights into innovations in medicines, developing and launching pharmaceuticals, amongst other topics. The event also comprised of group discussions, presentations and interactive sessions in career grooming and personal branding before announcing the winners on the second day.

Guest of honour YBhg Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister and Chairman of BiotechCorp gave a talk on Fostering A Creative & Innovative Environment in Malaysia. “Through BioCamp, young Malaysian scientists will understand trends and challenges in the biotechnology sector. These challenges are key to fostering innovative and creative culture, as they stimulate ideas to execute innovations. By taking on these challenges, talents will be encouraged through creative brainstorming processes to create, innovate, and envision alternative futures,” he said.

YBhg Dato’ Dr Mohd Nazlee Kamal, Chief Executive Officer of BiotechCorp, gave his welcoming remarks, saying “BiotechCorp is always looking for ways to provide a conducive environment for entrepreneurs to translate research activities into exciting business opportunities.” He said that BioCamp plays an important role in attracting and developing top life science talents in Malaysia, as “it is a unique platform that allows students to think creatively and explore science in an innovative way while equipping them with the necessary skills to face the evolving market needs of the bio-based industry.”