Samsung Malaysia Electronics and Universiti Malaya’s STEM Centre announced the winners of the Solve for Tomorrow 2021 competition which kicked off on 14th July 2021 and culminated in a Finale Presentation & Prize-Giving Ceremony today.
Team ‘TAZ’ from Malacca’s St. Francis Institution bagged the first prize for their innovative idea to develop an app that connects Malaysian students who may leverage each other’s help to further their knowledge in a particular subject.
The 2nd and 3rd place winners were Team ‘Fintech Semporna’ from MRSM Semporna in Sabah and Team ‘Climate Crew’ from Kolej Genius Insan in Negeri Sembilan respectively. Consolation prizes were awarded to Team ‘The Inventors’ from SMK Rantau Panjang in Selangor and Team ‘Ardent Learners’ from SMK Seri Bintang Utara in W.P Kuala Lumpur.
After months of research, dedication and hard work, the five finalists presented their ideas and prototypes through a virtual presentation to a panel of esteemed judges comprising of experts from Samsung Malaysia and professors from Universiti Malaya.
Their creativity and innovative solutions in tackling issues in the areas of ‘Environmental Sustainability’ and ‘Access to Education’ strengthened their knowledge and passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), while helping the Malaysian community at large.
“We are impressed with the unique and highly innovative ideation and execution by the participants of the competition this year. These high-achieving, exceptional young students have developed solutions to real-life problems faced by our communities. Through Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow, we aim to provide the younger generation with a solid platform to learn, grow and pursue a career in STEM.”
Dato’ Roh Jae Yeol –
Director of Corporate Affairs, Samsung Malaysia Electronics
1st prize winners, Team ‘TAZ’ from St. Francis Institution, Malacca developed an educational app that connects Malaysian students who may leverage each other’s help to further their knowledge in a particular subject. The team is awarded Samsung products worth RM12,000 that will be presented to the school and each student will receive Samsung products worth RM6,000.
The 2nd prize went to Team ‘Fintech Semporna’ from MRSM Semporna, Sabah who identified the potential use of producing bioplastic materials from green seaweed. Team ‘Fintech Semporna’ is awarded Samsung products worth up to RM10,000 for their school, while each student will be given Samsung products worth up to RM5,000.
The 3rd prize was awarded to Team ‘Climate Crew’ from Kolej Genius Insan, Negeri Sembilan who developed a Recycling Tracking Application called “myPLANET” to encourage people to participate in the noble act of recycling.
The team will receive Samsung products valued up to RM8,000 for their school and each student will receive Samsung products worth RM4,000 each The teams in 4th place and 5th place are Team ‘The Inventors’ from SMK Rantau Panjang, Selangor and Team ‘Ardent Learners’ from SMK Seri Bintang Utara, Kuala Lumpur respectively. Each team will receive Samsung products worth RM6,600 as consolation prizes.
The winners were selected by a panel of jurors from Samsung Malaysia and Universiti Malaya who assessed the projects based on feasibility of the idea, creativity and uniqueness of the solution, application of STEM knowledge and presentation skills. The judges included Dato’ Roh Jae Yeol, Director of Corporate Affairs, Samsung Malaysia Electronics; Ir. Dr Mas Sahidayana Mohktar, Head of Universiti Malaya STEM Centre; Professor Dr Rofina Yasmin Binti Othman, Associate Vice-Chancellor (Industry & Community Networks), Universiti Malaya; and Professor Dato’ Dr Mohamed Shariff Mohamed Din FASc, Special Interest Group Biodiversity Akademi Sains Malaysia.
The Winning Ideas of Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow 2021 Competition
Team ‘TAZ’ – St. Francis Institution, Malacca
First-place winners, Team ‘TAZ’ identified a means to connect Malaysian students in the country to find study buddies in the same areas of interest, learn about subjects through gamification and also explore ways to manage their time wisely. This app makes use of existing technology for educational purposes. Students facing financial constraints and those struggling with their syllabus may use the app to facilitate access to learning materials.
The team comprises of Tan Zhang Li, Adam Sim Kah Lock and Zachary Sim Kah Yao who were mentored by Mr. Naavish Nair from Samsung Malaysia Electronics and supervised by teacher, Puan Loh Ev Onne
Team Fintech Semporna – MRSM Semporna, Sabah
In second place, is Team Fintech Semporna from Sabah. They acknowledged the ever-prominent issue of plastic pollution in our oceans by coming up with a possible solution through the transformation of green seaweed (Kappaphycus sp) into a potential bioplastic that could be used as an alternative material for the manufacturing of everyday items such as straws, cups and bowls. This idea was the collective effort of Mohammad Fahim Nazhan bin Mohammad Pauzi, Muhammad Fauzan bin Lakarani and Muhammad Fauzi bin Lakarani. Their mentor, Ms. Diane Gan of Samsung Malaysia Electronics and supervisor En. Mohammad Shahrul Hafiz bin Abdul Ghani also played a large role in guiding them.
Team ‘Climate Crew’ – Kolej Genius Insan, Negeri Sembilan
In third place, Team ‘Climate Crew’ developed a Recycling Tracking Application called “myPLANET” to encourage and motivate people to recycle used items effectively, reducing waste pile up. The innovative features in the app will not only bolster the rate of recycling but also make an impact on global warming in the long run. The “myPLANET” app is free of charge and will include a neat design interface making it user-friendly. Users will also be able to redeem “green points” from other shopping platforms.
Through STEM-based solutions, the app indicates the nearest recycling centre closest to the user and upon scanning a QR code, users may redeem “green points”. Users may track the progress of their recyclables, view their end product upon recycling and also understand how much greenhouse gas has been saved.
The team comprising of Yahaya bin Basiron, Anis Batrisyia binti Ja’afar and Muhammad Amirul Firdaus bin Muhammad Ariff were guided by their mentor, Mr. Sanjeef Kumar Subramaniam from Universiti Malaya and supervised by Dr Liyana Amalina binti Adnan.
Team ‘The Inventors’ – SMK Rantau Panjang, Selangor
Coming in fourth, Team ‘The Inventors’ targeted the 12th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), Responsible Consumption and Production. The team invented a biodegradable pot made of banana pseudostem, banana peel, chicken faeces and lemongrass that can be used by home gardeners, plant nurseries and agro entrepreneurs. This is an excellent alternative to plastic and other non-degradable materials used in making pots.
‘The Inventors’ comprised of Nur Afrina Najla, Naylie Adriana and Fatin Amni, who were mentored by Ms. Aisyah Maisarah binti Abd Razak of University Malaya while being overseen by teacher, Puan Rabaitul Adawiyah Binti Suep.
Team Ardent Learners – SMK Seri Bintang Utara, Kuala Lumpur
Fifth place was awarded to Team Ardent Learners of SMK Seri Bintang Utara, Kuala Lumpur for developing the Paper and Cardboard Recycler, a portable recycling device that converts old paper and cardboard materials into a new paper that households can reuse whilst also still being eco-friendly through the power of solar energy.
The team comprising of Chuah Yee Jia, Saniyyah binti Shah Jahan and Raja Aisha binti Raja Azlan were guided by their mentor, Ms. Lee Shen Ni of University Malaya and teacher, Madam Lee Saw Im.
With support from Universiti Malaya STEM Centre, Samsung Malaysia’s Solve for Tomorrow 2021 competition strived to enhance STEM knowledge amongst Malaysian youth by sparking interest in innovation and creativity. Students were challenged to identify real-life problems and develop high-impact solutions to tackle them, making STEM more engaging and fun in the process.
“The younger generation are dealing and adapting to constantly evolving technology that is shaping the world we live in today. Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition aids in strengthening students’ STEM knowledge, while encouraging them to think out-of-the-box, learn about real-world problems and find a solution, ultimately making the environment a better place for all. The standard of submissions from the teams shows their level of dedication and passion. I am certain that Solve for Tomorrow will continue to inspire young minds and nurture our STEM leaders of tomorrow,”
Ir. Dr Mas Sahidayana Mohktar –
Head of Universiti Malaya STEM Centre
