Zilfalil Alwi: Champion of his fellowmen

Zilfalil Alwi, chair of the local organising committee of the 2015 Human Genome Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, tells what organising international conferences in Malaysia helps to connect local professionals with their international peers and elevate the profession

Congratulations on the recent triumph. How did this wonderful opportunity to host the 2015 Human Genome Meeting in March come about?
Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Medical Sciences submitted a bid for the 2015 meeting at the edition in Dubai in 2011, competing against Thailand, Japan, the UK and Italy.

What do you think clinched the deal for Malaysia?
I believe the council members of the Human Genome Organisation (HUGO) liked the idea of having the meeting in an emerging country because it will benefit the country in terms of capacity and technology building in the field of genomics. In this respect, Thailand was our greatest competitor as it was the only other emerging nation to bid for the conference.

Another winning factor was that about 40 per cent of our local chapter members comprised students in the field of genetics. They were master’s and doctoral students in private and public universities in Malaysia and a sizable number of them were foreigners. The council members at HUGO liked the idea of cultivating the interest of the next generation and having a succession plan for the country chapter.

Having foreign students as Malaysia chapter members in the local supporting institutions for this conference, such as Malaysian Society of Human Genetics, Genetic Society of Malaysia and Medical Genetics Society of Malaysia, provided the added advantage of exposing them to a global conference and developing international links which they can continue to build when they return to their home countries and work in this field.

I was also lucky because I knew a number of council members and I think personal relationships may have helped somewhat.

Also the proposed venue, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, overlooks the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. HUGO council members were not just interested in the scientific content, but also in experiencing the destination.

Securing sponsorship is often a challenge for association events. Was it the same for your team with this conference?
Yes, partly due to the world economy not doing so well and companies in general were cutting back on expenditure.

Pharmaceutical companies, in general, shied away because the impact of drugs related to genetics are not immediately seen, but only in mid to long term.
Thus we banked on regular sponsors that have been supporting HUGO in the past and they came through for us. These were mainly multinational companies that specialise in laboratory technologies.

Where else did funding come from?
Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) provided us with funds to market the conference here in Malaysia and overseas, which we started doing right after winning the bid.

What other forms of support did MyCEB provide?
MyCEB helped with the Powerpoint presentation by giving the committee pointers on what to highlight (in the bid document), how to pitch and based on its experience, what council members usually look for in bid documents.
We had no difficulty finding a suitable PCO to support the conference planning and delivery because MyCEB gave us a list of PCOs to consider.
MyCEB also helped us secure media exposures.

MyCEB is an expert in association event and its officers were always there to advise us.

So which PCO did you appoint eventually?
In 2013 we asked several PCOs to present what services they could offer, and from there we shortlisted potential candidates. We eventually appointed MCI Malaysia as we had worked with Yap Shook Fung (the agency’s managing director) and her team in the past. They are easy to work with and proactive, and we have a comfortable working relationship.

How has hosting this conference benefitted Malaysia, besides the advantage of chapter development mentioned earlier in this interview?
One of the conditions of organising this conference was that about 30 per cent of the speakers must be locals, an arrangement that allowed us to share with the international community what Malaysia has to offer in the fields of genetics and genomics.

Our speakers highlighted the strengths of Malaysia’s bio-economy and how genetics has helped biotechnology to grow our bio-economy.

We secured speakers from all over the country to speak on their areas of specialisation. For example, Mohd Nazlee Kamal, CEO of Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation, spoke on how genetics and biotechnology have contributed to the Malaysian economy.

Another speaker, Norwati Muhammad from Forest Research Institute of Malaysia delivered a piece on how genetic research was improving the quality of timber.
We also had a session highlighting ethical issues surrounding genetics and genomics, which is very relevant in the Malaysian context as the population is made up of multiple cultures and religions.

Through the 2015 Human Genome Meeting, we showed all delegates our capability of organising a successful international conference. It has helped to spur interest in the field of human genome and genetics and its development in Malaysia. It has also helped improve networking between local and international members, which I believe is vital for further growth of genomics and genetics in this country.

Membership in three local organisations, namely the Malaysian Society of Human Genetics, the Medical Genetics Society of Malaysia and the Genetic Society of Malaysia, have increased between 20 to 30 per cent as a result of this conference.

What’s next for you, after this conference?
I am also head of the Malaysian Node of the Human Variome Project. Together with MyCEB in 2016 we will bid to host the International Conference of Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumours in Malaysia come 2019.

It is obvious you are supportive of conferences. Why?
Conferences bring people together. It helps the local community of researchers, medical personnel and students to connect with their overseas counterparts. Indirectly, conferences help to elevate the local expertise. I guess I am also a nationalist who wants to showcase Malaysia’s capabilities.

Do you have a wish list?
I wish that relevant government bodies such as the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation will provide us with funds to run activities and grow the association further. Currently, we rely on membership fees to run events.