USM PENANG, 2 August 2025 – The Schools' Camp for Advanced Reasoning Skills (SCARS) 2025 officially concluded today at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), marking another successful milestone in the University’s mission to foster critical thinking and intellectual growth among school students.

Held at the School of Languages, Literacies and Translation (SoLLaT), USM Health Campus in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, SCARS 2025 welcomed a total of 46 student participants from a diverse range of educational institutions.

This year’s cohort included students from six primary schools, eleven secondary schools, two fully residential schools (SBP), one MARA Junior Science College (MRSM), and two international schools.

SCARS is a flagship programme introduced at USM following a strategic partnership formed in 2022 with the Malaysian Institute for Development of Professionals (MIDP).

Formerly known as the Malaysian Institute for Debate and Public Speaking, MIDP organised the SCARS programme to nurture high-level reasoning, communication, and problem-solving skills among young learners.

SoLLaT Health Campus representative Ahmad Siddiki Abd Kadir was present on the first day of the camp to welcome and address the participants.

The 2025 edition of the camp continued to build on its established foundation, offering participants an immersive and intellectually stimulating experience aligned with national education goals and global competencies.

A unique highlight of this year’s camp was the participation of eight students under the age of 13.

These students originated from the first cohort of the Soft Skills Development session introduced in 2024, which was attended by 38 primary school children aged between 7 and 12.

According to USM-MIDP coordinator, Siti Aishah Meor ZulKefli’Auni, MIDP programmes are aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which focuses on Quality Education—specifically through Target 4.4, which promotes soft skills development.

“The collaboration between SoLLaT and MIDP, which began during the tenure of then-Dean Professor Dr. Salasiah Che Lah in 2022 and is now fully carried forward by the current Dean, Professor Dr. Hazri Jamil, has made soft skills more accessible and student-friendly for our youth, especially in the East Coast,” she said.

For 2025, SCARS was managed by the School of Languages, Literacies and Translation, Engineering Campus, under the Programme Chairperson, Ajuntha Kuppan.

It is hoped that the USM–MIDP collaborative flagship events will be introduced at the USM Main Campus in Penang and the USM Engineering Campus in 2026, with a renewed commitment to promoting critical thinking and lifelong learning among Malaysian youth nationwide.

Text & Photo: SoLLaT, USM Health Campus & MIDP/Editing: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin