Unimas vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi (centre) poses with some of the winners from Unimas.
KUCHING: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) has secured one special award, three gold, five silver, six bronze medals and one merit award at the Malaysia Technology Expo 2020 (MTE 2020) held in Kuala Lumpur recently.
A statement from Unimas said it competed with more than 500 inventions from leading researchers and innovators, academics, research institutions, young entrepreneurs and the industry at the MTE 2020, which was organised by Professional Trade Exhibition and Meeting Planners (Protemp), and Malaysian Association of Research Scientists (Mars).
It said the Unimas invention which won the special award was ‘W-D Joints The Masonry Building Retrofit Solutions’ led by Dr Abd Razak Abd Karim from the Faculty of Engineering.
The ‘Intelligent Stormwater Management System (I-StoMS)’ led by Dr Charles Bong Hin Joo (Faculty of Engineering), ‘W-D Joints The Masonry Building Retrofit Solutions’ led by Dr Abd Razak Abd Karim (Faculty of Engineering), and ‘Feature Extraction of Retinal Microvasculature of Retinal Images’ led by Dr Kuryati Kipli (Faculty of Engineering) and Dr Muhammad Hamdi (Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences) won the gold medals.
The silver medals went to TRIZ Based Co-Design Tool for Pusat Internet (PI) Centres’ led by Prof Narayanan N. Kulathu Ramaiyer (Institute of Social Informatics and Technological Innovations), ‘Dengue Hotspot Identification System’ led by Assoc Prof Dr Jane Labadin (Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology), ‘Eksplorasi Reka Bentuk Dan Fungsi Alat Permainan Kanak-Kanak: Cerebral Palsy’ led by Assoc Prof Dr Musdi Shanat (Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts), ‘Body Enclosure for Corpse’ led by Assoc Prof Dr Saiful Bahari Mohd Yusoff (Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts), and ‘ASELTY: Online Disability Assistance in Community-Based Rehabilitation Centre’ led by Ahmad Sofian Shminan and Dr Lee Jun Choi (both Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development).
The bronze medals went to ‘Educational Tool: Scientific Inquiry System for Chromatography and Spectroscopy’ led by Assoc Prof Dr Sim Siong Fong (Faculty of Resource Science and Technology), ‘Environmental and Biological Cues for Blooming of Sergestid Shrimps Acetes (Decapoda: Sergestidae) in Miri led by Assoc Prof Dr Ruhana Hassan and Abang Mohammad Hudzaifah Abang Shakawi (Centre for Pre-University Studies), ‘PeatCrete: Subgrade Stabilization of Road Embankment Construction’ led by Dr Norazzlina M. Sa’don (Faculty of Engineering); ‘Digitising Sarawak Material Culture’ led by Dr Faridah Sahari (Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts), ‘Eco-plasti’ led Dr Vu Thanh Tu Anh (Faculty of Resource Science and Technology), and ‘The Sarawak Malay Houses of Kampung Seberang Hilir’ led by Yon Syafni Samat (Faculty of Built Environment).
The ‘Design and Develop Low Cost Smart Device on Evaluation and Monitoring System of Occupational Noise in Factory’ led by Mohd Azrin Mohd Said (Faculty of Engineering) won the merit award.
“The excellent performance by researchers from Unimas has provided encouragement and motivation to persevere and industrious in their research endeavours.
“With the excellent haul of 15 medals and awards, this has provided Unimas with strong encouragements that these innovations would lead towards commercialisation, and ultimately empower Unimas towards attaining excellence in the research and innovation ecosystem,” said the statement.
It added that MTE 2020 comprises international participation from countries such as Croatia, Indonesia, Iran, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and it was held with common principle that invention is the foundation that drives the world’s technology and new orders of wealth creation.