USM PENANG, 8 May 2026 - A group of six first-year students from the School of Educational Studies (PPIP), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), proudly achieved success when they were ranked among the top two teams in the recent PINANG'26 Innovation Competition.

Carrying the vision of 'Future Borderless Learners', the success was achieved through the Development of Mobile Digital Products under the theme of ‘Educational Innovation in the Mangrove Ecosystem’.

The achievement of winning one gold medal and five silver medals also reflects the excellence of USM members in integrating educational technology with the global sustainability agenda, namely:

1.  Borderless Education (SDG 4): Empowering access to quality learning through interactive and mobile digital innovation suited to the needs of future generations.

2.  Conservation of Marine Treasures (SDG 14): Using digital creativity to cultivate deep awareness on the importance of the Mangrove Ecosystem among the community and primary school pupils.

The victory in the external invitation category, achieved at the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG), Penang Campus, also demonstrates the credibility of the PPIP USM first-year students as technology users who are not only digitally literate, but also sensitive to the sustainability of the world's natural environment.

Original Text & Photo: School of Educational Studies, USM/Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin