KUALA LUMPUR, 26 February 2020 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) continues its winning streak in research and innovation by scoring a 100% win at the Malaysia Technology Expo (MTE) 2020 held at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here recently.

USM scored a 15-medal haul from the 15 innovations entered for the competition: 6 Gold, 7 Silver and 2 Bronze, along with 1 Best Award and 3 Special Awards.

USM was also chosen to be the proud winner of the MTE 2020 Best Award through Dr. Low Hui Min, from the USM School of Educational Studies, with her product "The Story of Khamdy - An e-Module for Teacher Training on Autism and Inclusive Education", winning in the Education Technology and Pedagogy category, and which also earned her a Gold Medal.

 

Three other USM researchers caught the attention of the international jury with their research products; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Husnul Azan Tajarudin from the School of Industrial Technology won the "Croatia Inova" Special Award; Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Cheah Chee Ban from the School of Housing, Building and Planning won the "Haller Pro Inventio Foundation Poland" Special Award; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdul Hafiz Ab. Majid from the School of Biological Sciences won the "Japan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA)" Special Award.

The Gold Medals which USM won were from the research products of Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Cheah Chee Ban (School of Housing, Building and Planning); Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdul Hafiz Ab Majid (School of Biological Sciences); Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Leo Choe Peng (School of Chemical Engineering); Dr. Muaz Mohd Zaini Makhtar (School of Industrial Technology); Dr. Low Hui Min and Dr. Nor Asniza Ishak (School of Educational Studies).

In addition, USM took home 7 Silver and 2 Bronze medals, maintaining its 100% success as with past achievements.

The Director of USM Centre for Innovation and Consultation, as the Head of the Researchers’ Delegation to MTE 2020, Professor Ts. Dr. Hanafi Ismail said that the achievement serves as a testimony of USM’s success in moulding young researchers having the potential in research and development in the country.

"USM’s achievement this time around at MTE 2020 is truly encouraging, and I would say that it exceeded last year’s, judging from the winning entries of our researchers," Hanafi said when interviewed after the award and prize-giving ceremony.

According to Hanafi, what’s more interesting is that a majority of the researchers whose products were featured there are young researchers who have exhibited excellence in their research done at USM.

"This is an encouraging development for the future of USM, being a research university in the country," he said further.

At the same time, he said that three products that were featured in the competition have undergone the licensing process and are now in the commercialisation phase with the assistance of USAINS.

Also present was the USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, Professor Dato' Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed, who spent some time at the venue giving support to the USM researchers at the competition.

He also expressed his thanks and congratulated everyone on the success at MTE 2020 and hopes that the momentum from this success could be maintained for other research-based competitions in the future.

"I am truly happy and extending my utmost congratulations to all the USM young researchers for their well-earned success, and this has surely proven that our researchers are already at the standards set by the university," he said.

Here’s the list of the researchers and their winning inventions/innovations that made USM proud at MTE 2020 – The 19^th International Expo on Inventions and Innovations:

BEST AWARD

Dr. Low Hui Min (School of Educational Studies)  

Title of Invention/Innovation: The Story of Khamdy - An e-Module for Teacher Training on Autism and Inclusive Education

Category: Education Technology & Pedagogy

SPECIAL AWARD

"Croatia Inova” Special Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Husnul Azan Tajarudin (School of Industrial Technology)

Title of Invention/Innovation: Conversion of Food Waste via Two-Stage Fermentation to Controllable Chicken Feed Nutrients by Local Isolated Microorganism

Category: Agriculture, Livestock & Horticulture, Aqua Cultures and Fisheries

“Haller Pro Inventio Foundation Poland” Special Award

Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Cheah Chee Ban (School of Housing, Building & Planning)

Title of Invention/Innovation: ECO-CRETE

Category: Building

“Japan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA)” Special Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdul Hafiz Ab Majid (School of Biological Sciences)

Title of Invention/Innovation: Bio-BacChi Termite

Category: Agriculture, Livestock & Horticulture, Aqua Cultures and Fisheries

GOLD

Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Cheah Chee Ban (School of Housing, Building & Planning)

Title of Invention/Innovation: ECO-CRETE

Category: Building

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdul Hafiz Ab Majid (School of Biological Sciences)

Title of Invention/Innovation: Bio-BacChi Termite

Category: Agriculture, Livestock & Horticulture, Aqua Cultures and Fisheries

Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Leo Choe Peng (School of Chemical Engineering)

Title of Invention/Innovation: Carbon+ Calcium

Category: Protection of the Environmental, Energy, Water, Wastewater, Sanitation & Green Technology

Dr. Muaz Mohd Zaini Makhtar (School of Industrial Technology)

Title of Invention/Innovation: Smart RE-Watering

Category: Protection of the Environmental, Energy, Water, Wastewater, Sanitation & Green Technology

Dr. Low Hui Min (School of Educational Studies)  

Title of Invention/Innovation: The Story of Khamdy - An e-Module for Teacher Training on Autism and Inclusive Education

Category: Education Technology & Pedagogy

Dr. Nor Asniza Ishak (School of Educational Studies)  

Title of Invention/Innovation: PsychoSTEM

Category: Education Technology & Pedagogy

SILVER

Dr. Mohd Rosli Mohd Hasan (School of Civil Engineering)

Title of Invention/Innovation: Accelerated Laboratory Vacuum Saturator (ALVS)

Category: Machinery, Equipment and Tools (Heavy equipments, Industrial machinery)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Husnul Azan Tajarudin (School of Industrial Technology)

Title of Invention/Innovation: Conversion of Food Waste via Two-Stage Fermentation to Controllable Chicken Feed Nutrients by Local Isolated Microorganism

Category: Agriculture, Livestock & Horticulture, Aqua Cultures and Fisheries

Dr. Nur Arzuar Abdul Rahim (Advanced Medical & Dental Institute, IPPT)

Title of Invention/Innovation: e-Method Verification Software Product tagline: “In-house Local Brand That Meets the International Standard, User Friendly, Stable, Secured and ISO Compliance in Laboratory Testing

Category: Healthcare, Personal Care Technology, Biotechnology and Life Sciences

Dr. Fatanah Mohamad Suhaimi (Advanced Medical & Dental Institute, IPPT)

Title of Invention/Innovation: Glucopro

Category: Healthcare, Personal Care Technology, Biotechnology and Life Sciences

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norehan Mokhtar (Advanced Medical & Dental Institute, IPPT)

Title of Invention/Innovation: Mobile Augmented Reality for Orthodontic Education

Category: Healthcare, Personal Care Technology, Biotechnology and Life Sciences

Assoc. Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Zuratul Ain Abdul Hamid (School of Materials & Mineral Resources Engineering)

Title of Invention/Innovation: Innovative Eco-friendly and Anti-Microbial Denture Adhesive

Category: Healthcare, Personal Care Technology, Biotechnology and Life Sciences

Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Abdul Naser Abdul Ghani (School of Housing, Building & Planning)

Title of Invention/Innovation: Zero Energy Sediment Removal Systems from Dam

Category: Social Innovations & Entrepreneur Management

BRONZE

Ts. Dr. Nur Azlina Mohamed Mokmin (Centre for Instructional Technology & Multimedia, PTPM)

Title of Invention/Innovation: IHAB-Intelligent Health Assistant Bot

Category: ICT

Assoc. Prof. Ts. Ir. Dr. Pung Swee Yong (School of Materials & Mineral Resources Engineering)

Title of Invention/Innovation: PRG-P3

Category: Protection of the Environmental, Energy, Water, Wastewater, Sanitation & Green Technology

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin