By Dr. Lau Kwan Yiew (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia)

The first committee meeting of the International Conference on the Properties and Applications of Dielectric Materials (ICPADM) 2021 was successfully held at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) on 18 January 2019, in conjunction with the 2019 MyHVnet Annual General Meeting (AGM). The meeting was attended by committee members of ICPADM 2021 from different universities and industries across Malaysia.

The meeting began with opening remarks by Prof. Dr. Zulkurnain Abdul Malek of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, the General Chair of ICPADM 2021. Prof. Dr. Zulkurnain then briefed the committee members on ICPADM, a fully sponsored conference by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society (DEIS). The conference will be held in Malaysia in 2021 and as such, much work is currently being planned to ensure the success of the conference.

ICPADM is a conference combining research and application practice in dielectrics covering the general areas of electrical insulation in power equipment and cables, outdoor insulators and bushings, monitoring and diagnosis of insulation degradation, insulation for HVDC systems, ageing and life expectancy of insulation, dielectric phenomena and applications, partial discharges, electrical and water treeing and surface tracking, electrical conduction and breakdown in dielectrics, surface and interfacial phenomena, nano-technology and nano-dielectrics, space charge and its effects, new and functional dielectrics, dielectric materials for electronics and photonics, eco-friendly dielectrics, bio-dielectrics, dielectrics for superconducting applications, new diagnostic applications.

During the committee meeting, expectations of ICPADM 2021, which were discussed with Dr. Harry Orton, the Chair of the International Advisory Committee of ICPADM, during his visit to Malaysia in August 2018, were highlighted to the committee members. This would ensure that the committee members had a good grasp of ICPADM 2021 before embarking on their roles as committee members, as follows:

General Chair
• Prof. Dr. Zulkurnain Abdul Malek (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia)
General Secretary
• Ir. Dr. Lau Kwan Yiew (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia)
Finance Committee
• Dr. Mona Riza Mohd Esa (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia)
• Dr. Noor Azlinda Ahmad (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia)
Technical Program Committee
• Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Hazlee Azil Illias (Universiti Malaya)
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohamed Afendi Mohamed Piah (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia)
• Ir. Dr. Nor Asiah Muhamad (Universiti Sains Malaysia)

Publications and Local Arrangement Committee
• Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd Zainal Abidin Ab Kadir (Universiti Putra Malaysia)
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Azrul Mohd Ariffin (Universiti Tenaga Nasional )
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hidayat Zainuddin (Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka)
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Miszaina Osman (Universiti Tenaga Nasional)
• Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohamad Kamarol Mohd Jamil (Universiti Sains Malaysia)
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Taufiq Ishak (Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia)
• Assoc. Prof. ts. Dr. Muzamir Isa (Universiti Malaysia Perlis)
• Ir. Dr. Mohd Aizam Talib (TNB Research)
• Dr. Amir Izzani Mohamed (Universiti Malaysia Pahang)
• Dr. Mohd Hafizi Ahmad (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia)
• Dr. Norhafiz Azis (Universiti Putra Malaysia)
• Dr. Yanuar Zulardiansyah Arief (Universiti Malaysia Sarawak)
• Dr. Zulkarnain Ahmad Noorden (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia)
• Dr. Zuraimy Adzis (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia)

After actively discussing the arrangement of the conference and the role of each committee member, Prof. Dr. Zulkurnain adjourned the meeting, and thanked the committee members for their active participation during the meeting. More details to come.