From the suburbs of Bukit Mertajam to the bustling streets of Tokyo, Dr. Amy Poh has certainly come a long way. A multidisciplinary researcher who holds two PhDs in Economic Management and Mathematical Sciences, Dr. Amy is nothing short of a force in the field of academia.
Her outstanding qualifications have culminated in her current role as Special Research Fellow at the University of Tokyo, where she is focusing on developing a model to evaluate the factors influencing the public acceptance of security measures in smart grid initiatives. At the same time, she is chairing the inaugural Malaysia-Japan Visionaries Conference 2024 (MJVC), which aims to facilitate dialogue and knowledge exchange among academics, academicians and industrialists from both Malaysia and Japan.
On top of all that, she is a loving wife and mother to two children, demonstrating her remarkable ability to balance work and her personal life. This is the story of how she got to where she is today, and how she is working to strengthen the ties between Malaysian and Japanese researchers.
Balancing Academia and Family Life
Prior to moving to Japan in 2015, Dr. Amy first stepped foot on Japanese soil in 2010 to pursue her first PhD at Meiji University’s Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences. She went on to hold research positions at esteemed institutions around the globe, including the University of Tokyo, California Institute of Technology, University of Hong Kong, Taiwan’s Tamkang University and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
Following her marriage, she made the decision to move back to Tokyo, Japan, to start a family. Over the next four years, she earned her second PhD from the Division of Mathematics and Physics at Okayama University’s Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, supported by a scholarship.
During this time, she also grew her family by welcoming a son and a daughter.
Speaking on her research focus, Dr Amy revealed that it was inspired by her formative years at SRJK (C) Sin Ya, which instilled in her a deep appreciation for nature’s power. Besides that, her inspiration is “rooted in the belief that secure digital technologies are pivotal in shaping a resilient and sustainable future for energy distribution,” said Dr. Amy.
Leading the Malaysia-Japan Visionaries Conference 2024
Besides her research work and motherhood, Dr. Amy is keeping busy by chairing the Malaysia-Japan Visionaries Conference 2024.
Due to take place from 14 to 16 September this year at the University of Tokyo, the conference is a partnership between the two nations in every way, with a team of 45 Malaysian and Japanese researchers on the organising committee. Furthermore, the event will see 500 participants gather to discuss advancements in various disciplines such as Science and Technology, Social Sciences and Humanities, Law and more.
Among these participants are 100 presenters, who will be submitting papers for publication in a 500-page proceedings book titled ‘Proceedings of the Malaysia-Japan Visionaries Conference 2024 – Integration and Innovation across Diverse Disciplines’.
Moving forward, these proceedings will serve as a valuable resource for industries in both Malaysia and Japan who seek R&D collaboration opportunities. As the strategic partner, TalentCorp is providing a ¥1 million (equivalent to RM30,000) grant to support the conference, as well as a RM50,000 bursary to assist up to 20 participating Malaysian researchers.
Inspiring the next generation of researchers
In the long run, Dr. Amy hopes to continue collaborating with more Malaysians via MyHeart, to give back to Malaysia. Receiving scholarships from the Malaysian government for her undergraduate and master’s studies has fostered in her a strong sense of responsibility to contribute to Malaysia, regardless of where she may be stationed.
As such, she hopes to engage with TalentCorp and MyHeart to explore ways to work together to support the development of talent and promote research excellence across borders.
For Malaysians inspired to go down the same path as her, Dr. Amy advised starting by cultivating a solid academic foundation and seeking mentorship to navigate the global academic landscape effectively.
She also encouraged staying connected to one’s roots, as one’s cultural heritage is a source of strength and identity that can foster meaningful connections and collaborations worldwide.
Are you a Malaysian abroad seeking to collaborate with other Malaysians in your field of work? Sign up on MyHeart to explore collaboration opportunities or discover potential collaborators.
