Workshop Highlights: From Sample to Spectrum

The Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, UKM recently conducted a two-day practical workshop on µFTIR technology for environmental microplastic detection, bringing together researchers from across Southeast Asia.

📅 9-10 December 2025
📍 Geothermal Lab, FST, UKM

Organized in collaboration with:

🇹🇭 Songkhla Rajabhat University
🇹🇭 Silpakorn University
🇻🇳 Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City
🇯🇵 Osaka Metropolitan University

The workshop was officially opened by Associate Prof. Dr. Mohd Hariri Arifin, Deputy Dean of Industry and Community Partnerships, FST. This regional collaboration demonstrates the value of cross-border partnerships in addressing shared environmental challenges.

The Challenge: Microplastics have infiltrated water, soil, air, and food systems across the region. Traditional monitoring approaches are no longer sufficient, making accurate detection essential for any credible mitigation strategy.

The Solution: Participants received hands-on training with PerkinElmer’s µFTIR platform, equipping them with analytical capabilities to generate reliable, defensible data that can inform environmental policies at national and regional levels.

The organizing team extends appreciation to PerkinElmer for their strong technical partnership. The workshop was designed to prioritize practical competency and active learning, fostering the kind of collaboration between academia and industry that accelerates effective environmental solutions.

Looking Ahead: The skills developed during this workshop will contribute to future environmental assessments, health risk evaluations, and policy development throughout Southeast Asia.

#Microplastics #EnvironmentalScience #FTIR #RegionalCollaboration #UKM #FST #SustainabilityResearch #SoutheastAsia