An APEC-funded project (SCSC 01 2021) on Building Laboratory Capabilities to Assure Water Quality in Asia Pacific Economies
Co-funded by APMP, SIM and PTB
As the final stage of an APEC[1]-funded project to build capabilities of Asia Pacific laboratories in assuring water quality, a Workshop was organized in March 2023 to review results from three measurement activities, an APEC Proficiency Testing scheme on Trace Elements in Natural Water, the SIM[2] Supplementary Comparison SIM.QM-S12 and the APMP[3] pilot study APMP.QM-P41. The Workshop was supported by APEC, APMP’s DEC[4] and CWFG[5], SIM, APAC[6], and PTB[7].
The Workshop Organising Committee comprised:
- Dr Teo Tang Lin [HSA[8], Singapore / APMP Executive Committee (EC) & Co-Convenor of APMP-APAC Joint Proficiency Testing Working Group]
- Dr Angela Samuel (NMIA[9], Australia / APMP EC, Project Overseer, APEC SCSC 01 2021)
- Dr Della Sin (GL[10], Hong Kong, China, immediate-past Co-Convenor of APMP-APAC Joint PT Working Group)
- Dr Siti Nur Nazathul Shima Hashim (KIMIA[11], Malaysia)
- Prof Liandi Ma (NIM[12], China / Chair, APMP Clean Water Focus Group)
- Prof Zoltan Mester (NRC[13], Canada)
- Mr Ping He (CNAS[14], China / Co-Convenor of APMP-APAC Joint Proficiency Testing Working Group)
- Mr Paul McMullen (NATA[15], Australia)
- Dr Samuel Cheung (GL, Hong Kong, China)
- Dr Fransiska Dewi (HSA, Singapore)
The Workshop was held at Impiana KLCC Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 6 to 9 March 2023 and hosted by KIMIA. The Workshop objectives were to provide a forum to discuss the outcomes from the measurements undertaken by participating institutes/laboratories in the three measurement activities, identify capability and knowledge gaps, share requirements and applications of relevant international standards, and propose action plans for future strategies to improve laboratory practices, measurement capabilities and quality infrastructure. Invited speakers came from:
- metrology institutes (Organising Committee institutes and KRISS[16]);
- standards & conformance bodies (those included on the Organising Committee as well as NABL[17], India, and SSC[18]); and
- a regulatory body (Health Canada).
The first two days of the Workshop were conducted in a hybrid format followed by a 2-day onsite workshop involving 36 experts/participants attending in-person and about 40 attendees online from most APEC economies as well as APMP and SIM member/associate member economies. Participants included representatives from metrology institutes, accreditation bodies, as well as testing laboratories in public and private entities from 29 economies.
Participants came from most APEC economies, including Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; the Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; Peru; Philippines; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; and Viet Nam (numbered from 1-16). In addition, participants from non-APEC economies also joined the Workshop, including Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Egypt, India, Kenya, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka (numbered from 17-29).
On 8 March 2023, the Workshop celebrated International Women’s Day with a special panel discussion. Three accomplished women, Dr. Angela Samuel from NMIA, Ms. Anita Rani from NABL, and Dr. Shima Hashim from KIMIA presented their roles in the wider scientific community as well as their views on the skills and attributes that have contributed to their achievements. The session concluded with an inspiring video recording on Women in STEM from the CEO of SSC, Ms Chantal Guay.
Post-Measurement workshop attendees (onsite and online). Onsite participants co-sponsored through SIM funding came from the Laboratorio Costarricense de Metrologia (LACOMET) (3rd from top row), Instituto Boliviano de Metrologia (IBMETRO) (4th from top row), and the National Metrology Institute of Metrology, Quality, and Technology (INMETRO) (6th from top row).
Live dialogue session with three successful women in STEM on International Women’s Day: Dr Shima Hashim, Ms Anita Rani (from left to right) and Dr Angela Samuel (online). The session was chaired by Dr. Teo Tang Lin (on the right).
Workshop attendees in small-group discussion focus on the topic of establishing sustainable quality infrastructure for current and future testing needs.
This article is contributed by: Dr. Fransiska Dewi (HSA, Singapore), Dr. Teo Tang Lin (HSA, Singapore), Dr. Shima Hashim (KIMIA, Malaysia), Dr. Angela Samuel (NMIA, Australia) and Dr. Della Sin (GL, Hong Kong, China).
[1] APEC: Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
[2] SIM: Inter-American Metrology System
[3] APMP: Asia Pacific Metrology Programme
[4] DEC: Developing Economies Committee
[5] CWFG: Clean Water Focus Group
[6] APAC: Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation
[7] PTB: Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
[8] HSA: Health Sciences Authority
[9] NMIA: National Measurement Institute, Australia
[10] GL: Government Laboratory
[11] KIMIA: Department of Chemistry, Malaysia
[12] NIM: National Institute of Metrology
[13] NRC: National Research Council
[14] CNAS: China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment
[15] NATA: National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia
[16] KRISS: Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
[17] NABL: National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories
[18] SSC: Standards Council of Canada
