On October 12, JSPS Alumni Association of Malaysia (JAAM) organized an online forum entitled “Deep Dive Into the Journey of Women in Ocean Science.”

It invited following four women ocean scientists from Malaysia, Japan, and Indonesia:
– Prof. Dr. Kazumi Wakita (Tokai University / Japan)
– Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yoko Iwamoto (Hiroshima University / Japan)
– Prof. Dato’ Dr. Noraieni Mokhtar (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; UMT / Malaysia)
– Dr. Wulan Koagouw (Indonesian Institute of Sciences (Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia; LIPI)/ Indonesia)

In the forum, the four panelists shared their experiences, feelings, motivations, difficulties, and goals as a female researcher, under the moderation of Prof. Dato’ Dr. Aileen Tan (JAAM / University of Science Malaysia; USM).

The panelists

Prof. Dato’ Dr. Aileen Tan

The discussion revealed their other roles than a researcher, such as a mother, a daughter, or a wife. They all have different personal experiences and background, but they have a strong motivation to research in common.

The forum was successfully finished with about 40 participants.