Latifah Amin, Biotechnology
Faculty

Latifah Amin, Ph.D.

AUSN Visiting Professor of Biotechnology and Bioethics

Professor of Science in Society, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia

Head for Values, Society and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Research Group and Coordinator for Science, Technology and Sustainability, UKM

Vice President for Malaysia, Asian Bioethics Association

Former Vice President for South East Asia, Asian Bioethics Association

Member, National Bioethics Committee, Malaysia

 

Featured AUSN Video lectures (Youtube links)

Bioethics: Bridge to the Future of Modern biotechnology

Measuring Public Reasoning about Biotechnology

Role of Religion in Bioethical Decision-Making

Education

PhD in Environmental Management, specializing in Biotechnology and Society, National University of Malaysia (UKM)

M.Sc. in Molecular Genetics, University of Malaya

B.Sc. (Hons), University of Malaya

 

Academic Appointments

Latifah Amin is a Professor at the Centre for Liberal Education (Pusat Citra Universiti), National University of Malaysia (UKM).  Currently she is the Head for Values, Society and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Research Group and Coordinator for Science, Technology and Sustainability at UKM as well as research fellows at the Institute for Environment and Development and the Institute of The Malay World and Civilisation. At the national level, she is an expert member of the National Bioethics Committee since 2012 where she has been actively involved in assisting the committee in mainstreaming bioethics among policymakers, researchers, industries, educators, practitioners and the public as well as disseminating information and providing direction towards awareness on bioethical issues to the various stakeholders.

In showing her commitment to promote bioethics, she has successfully organized (chairperson) the International Conference on Ethics and Professionalism in collaboration with the Regional Unit for Social and Human Sciences in Asia and the Pacific (RUSHSAP), UNESCO Bangkok in 2010 and coorganizing the UNESCO-UKM Bioethic Education Workshop in the same year.   She has also chaired various national conferences and workshops as well as been appointed as assessors for the Ministry of Education grants at national and university’s levels and reviewers for various international and national journals related to bioethics and societal aspects of biosciences. She has been a member of the Asian Bioethics Association since 2009 and International Bioethics Association since 2010.

She holds a M.Sc in Molecular Genetics and PhD in Environmental Management, specializing in Biotechnology and Society. She is a prominent and active researcher in the field of societal and ethical aspects of modern biotechnology where she has secured several international grants from prestige bodies such as the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), Southeast Asia Region and numerous national grants from the Ministry of Education (FRGS, ERGS, Centre of Excellence) and high profile university’s grant such as the Mainstream and Research University’s Grants.

She is a prolific writer and has published more than 100 research papers in various journals including high impact journals such as Science and Engineering Ethics, PLOS ONE, Public Understanding of Science, New Genetics and Society and Scientific World Journal as well as conference proceedings. She is the author of the book titled Modern Biotechnology: Malaysian Perspectives and editor of the book titled Ethical Issues in Biotechnology.  She has won several international awards related to innovation such as Gold Award for her innovation “MBiotech Model for Public Acceptance of Modern Biotechnology” at the International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition, 2009 and best paper award at the 6th International Conference on Environment, Ecosystems and Development in 2008.  At UKM, she has been awarded the excellence service award in 2011, excellent research group award in 2014 and various research, innovation and publication awards at the faculty level.  

She has been well recognized at the international level where she has been invited as the Plenary Speaker at the 6th Asean Conference on Food and Nutrition Safety 2012, Resource Person for the Training Workshop on Risk Communication for Food Safety Issues 2012 in Jakarta, Plenary Speaker at the 2nd International Biotechnology and Biodiversity Conference 2010, and invited speaker at the 5th International Conference on Islam, Civilization and Science in Kyoto 2014. 

Personal Website