Curtin Malaysia law lecturer has ‘a really amazing experience’ with Asian Research Institute for Environmental Law

Miri – 2 April 2018 – A recent two-month internship with the Asian Research Institute for Environmental Law based in Chiang Mai, Thailand turned out to be a really amazing experience for Dr. Loh Ing Hoe, a law lecturer from the Faculty of Business at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia).

Dr. Loh said he really appreciated the opportunity to be attached to an international research institute where the work environment was quite different from what he was accustomed to as a university lecturer.

“It was a great opportunity for me to gain industry exposure and enhance my research skills,” said Dr. Loh.

Daily living in Chiang Mai was also a point of fascination for Dr. Loh as his chosen mode of transportation was by bicycle, allowing him to occasionally get off the beaten track and gain interesting insights into the lifestyles of the local populace.

His work at the research institute was also interesting and challenging. He was involved in carrying out an environmental impact assessment of the Mekong region given his experience in environmental law research.

“Learning how environmental impact assessments are done in other countries in the region was a real eye-opener. Matthew Hamilton Baird, the director of the institute is also a consultant for environmental impact assessments in Myanmar, so I was very privileged to learn from a very knowledgeable and experienced mentor,” said Dr. Loh.

He said he was given the further privilege of co-authoring a paper entitled ‘Developing the Guidelines for Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment in the Mekong Region’ with Hamilton Baird, which has been sent for peer review and is expected to be published in the IUCN Cebu 2017 Colloquium publication this year. Dr. Loh also completed several other papers related to environmental law during his internship.

In addition, he had the opportunity to get acquainted with international non-governmental group Earthrights International and is in negotiations with them to give guest lectures on environmental law to Earthrights activists from across the world in the near future.

“That would be a great achievement for me as an academic and representative of Curtin Malaysia, which as Curtin University’s global hub in Asia, is committed to expanding Curtin’s intellectual footprint in the region,” Dr. Loh remarked.

He added that industry attachments can be very beneficial for academics to keep up with real-world developments and gain hands-on knowledge and experience. This helps them ensure that what they teach their students have real industry relevance and real-world applications.

“A lecturer doesn’t just impart knowledge. You should always keep up to date of what’s happening in the industry, and constantly engage and stay connected with industry practitioners. Only then are you able to keep your teaching relevant and effectively prepare your students for work in industry,” declared Dr. Loh.

Though his internship has ended, Dr. Loh still keeps in touch with the Asian Research Institute for Environmental Law in his ongoing research on strategic impact assessments, the One Belt One Road initiative, and animal law.

Dr. Loh Ing Hoe