IPI Seminar Series 4/2025: Early Career Professionals Webinar with APN-ECAP and 2025 APN Call for Proposals

 

24 October 2025 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

The Institute of Climate Change (IPI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), successfully organised a virtual seminar featuring the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), providing a platform for researchers and early career professionals to explore research funding opportunities, capacity development initiatives, and regional collaboration in global change and sustainability research. The webinar brought together over 85 participants from Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, and the Philippines, reflecting strong regional interest in advancing collaborative research and scientific capacity building across the Asia-Pacific region. Representing the APN Secretariat, Ms Naomi Young delivered an insightful presentation introducing APN and its 2025 Call for Proposals, covering two key funding programmes: the Collaborative Regional Research Programme (CRRP) and the Scientific Capacity Development Programme (CAPaBLE). Her presentation highlighted the priority research areas for 2025, eligibility criteria, submission timelines, and opportunities for regional research collaboration. She also emphasised APN's commitment to supporting early career professionals and strengthening science-based policymaking for sustainable development. The webinar also featured Ms Susmita Mishra from the Center of Research for Environment, Energy and Water (CREEW), Nepal, who introduced the Asia-Pacific Network of Early Career Professionals for Global Change Research (APN-ECAP). Her presentation highlighted the network's objectives, activities, and opportunities for researchers under 40 to engage in regional networking, professional development, mentorship, and policy-related initiatives. She emphasised the importance of empowering emerging researchers through the concept of “ECAPs in Networking, Planning and Action.” Adding a valuable perspective from UKM, Dr Wan Shafrina Wan Mohd Jaafar, Head of the Earth Observation Centre (EOC), IPI UKM, shared her experiences as a participant in APN's Proposal Development Training Workshop (PDTW), a successful CRRP grant recipient, and a member of the APN-ECAP Advisory Committee. She highlighted her APN-funded research project, “Assessing Urban Heat Islands in Southeast Asia Megacities” (CRRP2024-08SY-Wan), which applies geospatial analysis to strengthen urban climate resilience. She also shared how her participation in APN initiatives contributed to enhancing research proposal development skills, expanding international research networks, and fostering collaborations that support sustainable urban management. Through this webinar, IPI UKM reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening international research partnerships, promoting scientific capacity development, and empowering the next generation of researchers to address emerging climate change and sustainability challenges. IPI UKM extends its sincere appreciation to the APN Secretariat, invited speakers, and all participants for their valuable contributions towards the success of this programme. Together, we continue to advance climate research, knowledge exchange, and regional collaboration towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.