MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FOR ANTARTICA

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- Two Universiti Malaya (UM) students will
for the first time be setting foot on Antartica to conduct research on the
ecology at the South Pole.

Behavorial Biology student Munira Shaipudin Shah, 24, and Ecology and
Biodiversity student Thary Gazi,21, would be joining 69 students from Japan,
South Korea, China, Canada, Europe and United States in the expedition.

UM deputy vice chancellor Prof Dr Mohd Amin Jalaluddin said the expedition,
with cooperation of the National Antartic Research Centre, was aimed at exposing
Malaysian students to global issues at the South Pole.

"The expedition will hopefully help upgrade UM at international level,
particularly in research," he told reporters here Tuesday.

Malaysian Science Academy chairman Dr Salleh Mohd Nor hopes that the
expedition would give Malaysia the chance to become a member of the Antartic
Treaty System (ATS).

"Although many local researchers are actively involved in research on
Antartica, we have yet to become a member," he added.

The two UM students would be leaving for Antartica on Feb 11 and scheduled
to return on March 3.
--BERNAMA