By: Mohd Sukor Su’ait, Zone Councillor (Alternate) – Zone 6 (Asia-Pacific) American Chemical Society (ACS) 2026-2028; Immediate Past Chair of ACS Malaysia 2024-2026
Dated: May 21, 2026
Bangi, Selangor, 21 May 2026 — The Level Up Scientific Communication Seminar, jointly organized by the American Chemical Society Malaysia Chapter and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) through Perpustakaan Lingkungan Kedua UKM, was successfully held on Thursday, 21 May 2026, at the Auditorium, Level 2, Perpustakaan Lingkungan Kedua, UKM.
From Left: Dr Nurul Huda (Chair-Elect ACS Malaysia Chapter; Advisor ACS UKM Student Chapter), Prof. Goh Choo Ta (Editorial Advisory Board for ACS Chemical Health & Safety), Dr Low May Lee (Chair ACS Malaysia Chapter), Mandy Sum (ACS Publication), Nor Asiah Mohamad (Head of Second Cluster Library, UKM), Jamain Manap (Assistant Chief Librarian, Second Cluster Library UKM, Dr Mohd Sukor (ACS Zone Councellor – Asia Pacific; Immediate-Past-Chair ACS Malaysia Chapter; Advisor ACS UKM Student Chapter), Dr Azeana and Dr Vannajan (Advisor ACS Universiti Malaya Student Chapter)
The seminar was organized with the support of the ACS UKM International Student Chapter and ACS Publications as part of the global celebration of ACS 150: Chemistry is Everything.
Designed for undergraduate students, postgraduate researchers, early-career scientists, and academic stakeholders from the central region of Malaysia, the seminar aimed to strengthen participants’ scientific communication skills while fostering professional networking and interdisciplinary engagement.
In her opening remarks, Chair of the American Chemical Society Malaysia Chapter, Asst. ChM. Dr. May Lee Low, expressed her appreciation to all participants, collaborators, and supporting partners for their presence and commitment toward strengthening scientific engagement initiatives. She emphasized that effective scientific communication and writing skills are increasingly important for researchers in today’s competitive and interconnected research environment.
“Strong scientific communication skills are essential for researchers to effectively share their discoveries, increase research visibility, and create meaningful impact beyond the laboratory. Through programmes like this seminar, we hope to equip students and early-career researchers with the confidence and practical skills needed to communicate science clearly and professionally,” she said.
The program featured a keynote presentation titled “Effective Scientific Writing” delivered by Prof. ChM. Dr. Goh Choo Ta, Director and Principal Fellow at the Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, who also serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of ACS Chemical Health & Safety. The session highlighted practical strategies for scientific manuscript preparation, grant writing, and public-facing science communication. Participants were introduced to key principles of effective scientific writing, including understanding target audiences, building persuasive scientific arguments, avoiding imprecise language, and improving research visibility through impactful titles and abstracts.
The programme also featured a panel discussion titled “From Research to Publication: Practical Tips for Early-Career Researchers”, moderated by Assoc. Prof. ChM. Dr. Mohd Sukor Su’ait from the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), UKM, who also serves as ACS Zone Councillor (Alternate) for Zone 6 (Asia-Pacific Region), Book Editor of ACS Symposium Series and Guest Editor in ACS Applied Polymer Materials.
The distinguished panelists included:
Prof. ChM. Dr. Goh Choo Ta — Director & Principal Fellow, Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), UKM; Editorial Advisory Board Member, ACS Chemical Health & Safety.
Prof. Dr. Vannajan Sanghiran Lee — Head, Centre of Excellence for Quantum Information Science & Technology (UMQiST), Universiti Malaya (UM); Advisor to the ACS UM International Student Chapter.
ChM. Dr. May Lee Low — Assistant Professor at UCSI University and Chair of the ACS Malaysia Chapter as well as a Guest Editor in ACS Applied Polymer Materials.
Among the key takeaways shared during the seminar and panel discussion were the importance of mastering scientific storytelling, selecting suitable journals for publication, handling reviewer feedback constructively, leveraging collaborations and interdisciplinary networking, and adapting communication styles for different audiences ranging from journal editors to the general public. The speakers also emphasized the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research workflows, while reminding participants to maintain scientific integrity, originality, and ethical publication practices.
In a separate interview, Nor Asiah Mohamad, Head of Perpustakaan Lingkungan Kedua, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, welcomed the involvement of internationally recognized scientific organizations and publishers in engaging with local academic institutions and libraries.
“The library greatly welcomes collaborations with internationally reputed publishers and scientific organizations in providing valuable exposure and beneficial knowledge-sharing opportunities to our academic community. Seminars such as this not only enrich students and researchers with practical communication skills, but also strengthen the role of the library as a hub for academic learning, research support, and intellectual engagement,” she remarked.
The event further served as a platform for networking and knowledge sharing among students, researchers, academics, and professionals, reflecting the organizers’ shared commitment toward nurturing a vibrant and connected scientific community in Malaysia.
The organizers expressed appreciation to all participants, collaborators, and supporting partners for contributing to the success of the seminar and reaffirmed their commitment to organizing more impactful scientific engagement programmes in the future.
For more information about upcoming activities and initiatives, please visit:
[ACS Malaysia Chapter] (https://www.acsmalaysiachapter.com/)
[Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia] (https://www.ukm.my/portalukm/)
[ACS Publications] (https://pubs.acs.org)