USM PENANG, 26 June 2025 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) proudly rises to national prominence once more, with the School of Housing, Building and Planning (HBP) celebrates a landmark achievement.

Bringing this national and institutional pride to the forefront is Associate Professor Sr Ts. Dr. Md Azree Othuman Mydin, a distinguished inventor and the Dean of HBP, who has secured the RISM Excellence Award 2025, honouring excellence in Innovation and Technology.

This highly coveted award recognises Malaysia’s most forward-thinking inventor of the year and reinforces USM’s standing as a cradle of innovation, excellence, and leadership on the national stage.

The award was presented at the One World Hotel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor during the grand 64^th Anniversary Dinner of the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM), underscoring Azree’s groundbreaking contributions to innovation and the future of the built environment.

This award is presented annually by the RISM, to honour individuals who have made significant contributions to the surveying profession nationally through the development or application of cutting-edge technologies and innovative practices.

It recognises exceptional innovators who push the boundaries of the built environment and surveying fields, helping to shape future industry standards.

The event brought together approximately 750 surveyors from across Malaysia. This grand gathering celebrated the outstanding achievements and innovations within the surveying profession, providing a platform for industry leaders, professionals, and experts to network and share insights.

The event not only honoured exceptional contributions but also fostered collaboration and inspired continued excellence among Malaysia’s surveying community, marking a significant occasion in the nation’s built environment sector.

Azree’s cutting-edge drive in material science and innovative construction technologies for almost 20 years has earned him this distinguished national recognition, further elevating USM’s reputation as a hub for academic and research excellence.

His most groundbreaking and distinguished contribution as an innovator is the pioneering development and successful commercialization of foamed concrete interlocking blocks.

These innovative blocks have been widely deployed not only throughout Malaysia but also in Türkiye, Iraq, Indonesia, and numerous other developing nations, providing critical infrastructure solutions for emergency shelters and low-cost housing projects that directly improve the lives of vulnerable communities.

Beyond mere invention, Azree has engineered a proprietary foamed concrete mix design, now copyrighted and recognised as an international benchmark in countries including United Kingdom, Germany, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Sweden.

This revolutionary mix formula has become a cornerstone reference for sustainable construction practices worldwide, exemplifying how local innovation can catalyze global transformation in affordable and resilient building technologies.

His efforts have significantly strengthened USM’s strategic partnerships with both local and international stakeholders, reinforcing the university’s reputation as a powerhouse of innovation and academic excellence.

Furthermore, Azree has amassed an extraordinary portfolio of winning 35 international innovation and invention awards, highlighting his global influence and leadership in research.

His prolific academic contributions include over 250 publications in prestigious, high-impact international journals, widely cited by researchers globally.

Beyond his research accomplishments, he is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of scientists and fostering robust industry-academia collaborations.

Azree enthusiastically conveyed that this influential recognition serves as a spark, reigniting a powerful drive to position USM at the forefront of addressing Malaysia’s most urgent national priorities.

“This honour is more than symbolic; it’s a call to action. It inspires us to persistently engage in innovative solutions that align seamlessly with Malaysia’s ambitious sustainable development goals, particularly in the realms of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities),” he affirmed.

This prestigious honour firmly establishes USM-HBP as a front-runner and national leader in the built environment and construction research fields, pushing the university to the forefront of Malaysia’s drive towards sustainable infrastructure, smart city innovation, and cutting-edge technological breakthroughs.

This award underscores USM’s dedication to nurturing groundbreaking ideas and talents that drive positive societal impact, reinforcing its role as a leading institution advancing knowledge for the betterment of Malaysia and beyond.

Text & Photos: School of Housing, Building and Planning (HBP), USM