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EVYD Technology and Universiti Brunei Darussalam collaborate in joint research, training and internationalizing higher education

  • Written by Daily Sun


Mr Chua Ming Jie, CEO of EVYD Technology (right) and Dr Hazri bin Haji Kifle, Vice Chancellor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (left), signed the MOU for collaboration in joint research, training and education.
Mr Chua Ming Jie, CEO of EVYD Technology (right) and Dr Hazri bin Haji Kifle, Vice Chancellor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (left), signed the MOU for collaboration in joint research, training and education.

The MOU will run for an initial five years, with an option to extend for another five years. It was signed by Mr Chua Ming Jie, CEO of EVYD Technology, and Dr Hazri bin Haji Kifle, Vice Chancellor of UBD.

Under the MOU, EVYD Technology and UBD will explore collaborative research and studies in fields of mutual interest, leveraging EVYD Technology's proven solutions powered by artificial intelligence and big data and its experience optimizing healthcare systems for countries and companies as well as personalized health management for individuals.

For instance, EVYD Technology and UBD are currently working with the Ministry of Health, Brunei on a joint study of adverse events arising from COVID-19 vaccination. The two MOU partners are also undertaking a research study with the ministry and Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. This study involves the cPass Neutralization Antibody Detection Kit, which measures the real-world evidence of different COVID-19 vaccines in generating neutralizing antibodies against the virus. The results of the study will allow the ministry to assess the immunogenicity of the different vaccines used in the country, as well as inform policy decision-making for any booster program and risk stratified COVID-19 management. The second phase is a longitudinal study where participants from the first phase of the study will be followed up at different timelines within 12 months of vaccination, regardless of their history of COVID-19 infection after vaccination.

Beyond this, EVYD Technology and UBD are also working with the Ministry of Health on a microbiome study involving the same participants from the cPass study. The research will study how the microbiome profile of an individual affects the immunogenicity of different COVID-19 vaccines. It involves the collection of stool samples of participants after COVID-19 vaccination or infection for analysis of their gut microbiome profile, and correlation with their neutralizing antibodies.

Today's MOU also provides for industrial attachments and training stints for UBD students and staff with EVYD Technology and its affiliated companies. The scope may include study visits, field work, discussions, seminars, work attachments and training courses. EVYD Technology may also send its staff to conduct lectures at UBD to educate and equip the students with relevant skills, as well as share their experiences.

Mr Chua Ming Jie, CEO of EVYD Technology, said: "We are pleased to sign this Memorandum of Understanding with Universiti Brunei Darussalam, and it is the latest initiative to reinforce our strong relationship. We have already been working with the university on several projects, as well as recruited its graduates."

"This agreement is a further testament to our commitment to develop the talent pool, research capacity and healthcare ecosystem in Brunei. It ties in squarely with our philosophy on engaging the research community and the many other stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem. Research is the core element that drives the insights and knowledge to power our solutions and enable our artificial intelligence and big data to deliver analyses for more informed decision-making."

"This MOU will bring our partnership with Universiti Brunei Darussalam to the next level. We look forward to working further with them on research, education and training that will benefit the health of many people."

"We are very pleased to sign this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with EVYD Technology," UBD Vice Chancellor Dr Hazri bin Haji Kifle said. "This MOU reaffirms UBD's pursuit of academic and research excellence through strategic university-industry partnership. It will undoubtedly pave the way for more joint research projects with national relevance that bring deep societal impact, as well as promote more staff and student exchange."

He added, "Leveraging the expertise of EVYD Technology in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, our collaboration with EVYD will ensure our curriculum stays relevant and current in today's ever-changing digital landscape, thus allowing us to produce industry-ready graduates."


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About EVYD Technology

EVYD Technology is a healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data company with the mission to transform healthcare using data intelligence. Its solutions enable value-based healthcare that is safer, better and more accessible for global communities. It offers solutions to policymakers to enhance public health monitoring, generate insights for policymaking and implement initiatives such as value-based healthcare and population health management. It also offers solutions to the research community to enhance the efficiency and quality of their research, from which insights generated could be leveraged to benefit the broader ecosystem. The company's flagship EVYDENCE operating platform aggregates raw data that reside in disparate information systems and convert them into computable, structured and standardised data so that they could be further processed to derive deep insights and knowledge using natural language processing, machine learning and other AI technologies. EVYD Technology is a Brunei Investment Agency investee company.

About Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Universiti Brunei Darussalam is one of the fastest growing young universities in the world. Located in the heart of Southeast Asia, UBD is a comprehensive university with a vibrant multicultural campus, an accessible, welcoming environment, a diverse student body and an emphasis on lifelong learning.

At UBD, we believe that empowering students in their education is vital to preparing them for a constantly changing world. UBD's innovative GenNEXT curriculum balances student-centric flexibility with academic rigour and real-world experience. All UBD students are required to leave the university for a Discovery Year, a unique experiential component of our bold and innovative GenNEXT curriculum.

Leveraging on its niche position in Southeast Asia, UBD is a research intensive university. Established peaks of research excellence include Biodiversity, Energy, Asian Studies, Islamic Studies and Governance, Data Analytics, and Herbal and Medicinal research. UBD provides a conducive research environment for dynamic conversations for scholars who want to make real academic, social and economic impact.

Our focus on teaching and learning excellence and an innovative curriculum, our commitment to high impact academic and applied research, our emphasis on international partnerships, makes UBD an ideal base for researchers and students looking for a vibrant academic career.

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