What is  Science Shop?
Who can use the Science Shop?
What seems to inspire us all the way?
Where can you get more information?

What is  Science Shop?

Science Shop is a link between people in the university and community. Problems faced by the community often require special skills available from the universities. This would require them to know who to contact in the university. Science Shop members in a university can help members of community to get access to university researchers. This concept has started in the late 1960s in Dutch Universities and since then, the idea has spread to universities all over Europe. The idea came to Malaysia in mid 1990s and UMS took this opportunity to become the first university in Malaysia to establish Science Shop in order to improve the quality of environment we live in. The Northern Borneo Science Shop (NBSS) is an initiative of Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation (IBTP), University Malaysia Sabah (UMS).

The establishment is in line of its commitment to improve quality of life of the community, utilising Science and Technology as a tool. In addition this effort will promote the significance and understanding of the environment. Therefore, Science Shop community services always emphasises on environmental issues and conservation.

Various projects have been conducted to meet this sole objective which encompasses a wide range of aspects from environmental issues, students welfare, awareness schemes, capacity building to generating funds.

So far we have conducted some activities which are in line with environmental issues and conservation such as Kota Kinabalu City cleanliness campaign at Gaya Street Sunday Market, recycling campaign at UMS campus, the use-less of plastic bag campaign at schools, scientific expedition at Imbak Valley and Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Our recent ongoing activity is to develop materials for environmental education at Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary, a piece of wetland set aside for the conservation of mangrove flora and fauna.

Who can use the Science Shop?

The Science Shop works with groups of people rather than individuals. The group we work with should have no commercial aims and should be in a position to use the research or information to further improve the quality of life and socio-economic development of the group. The group is requested to give a small amount of contribution to the cost of work carried out by Science Shop.

Cooperation has to start somewhere. NBSS can assure this. Therefore, it is to these activities we hope students and members of the public to not only contribute to society but also to relish themselves to personal growth. Since the Science Shop was initiated, strong collaboration and integration have also been developed with institutions and international organizations currently working on related activities.

What seems to inspire us all the way?

We attribute this to our mission and vision which we've set upon.

Vision: to act as a facilitator to cultivate science and technology into the lives of the community

Mission: to help create a society that is scientifically minded, progressive and sensitive towards the environment through education and transfer of skill and competency.

Together - to build a future worth having.

Where can you get more information?

To get more information, please contact us. At the moment we are at the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation office, UMS.

The Northern Borneo Science Shop
Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Locked Bag 2073
88999 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah, MALAYSIA
(Attn.: Mr. Mahadimenakbar M. Dawood)
Tel:+6088-320104, +6088-438440 ext. 5700
Fax:+6088-435311
E-mail: scienceshop@hotmail.com

Universiti Malaysia SabahInstitute for Tropical Biology and ConservationWild Cats of Borneo

§ Enlightenment Through Sharing §

by:

Assoc. Prof. Datin Dr. Maryati Mohamed, Mahadimenakbar M. Dawood and Dg. Suzita Sheena James
Last updated: Nov. 30,  2000