AP Ir. Dr. Mohd Hafizi, Atirah announced winners of CITREx 21 Best Awards

PEKAN, 7 April 2021 – A lecturer from the Faculty of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering Technology (FTKMA), Associate Professor Ir. Dr. Mohd Hafizi Zohari received a gold medal and two special awards which are the FTKMA Creativity and Innovation Awards (First Place) and Best of the Best Special Award (Staff Category) in the Creation, Innovation, Technology & Research Exposition (CITREx) 2021 organised by the Research and Innovation Department (JPI), Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP).  

Also receiving the best award is the Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering (FTKKP) student, Atirah Fatini Zin Azmi who received a gold medal and the Best of the Best Special Award (Student Category) from the research project titled Pineapple Enzyme: Beneficial Poultry Supplement.
 
The Outstanding Presentation Award Primary School Special Award was awarded to Sekolah Kebangsaan Baroh Pial, Kelantan, with their research project titled Smart Pipe.

Meanwhile, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Abdul Rahman Talib (SMART) Kuantan won the  Outstanding Presentation Award Secondary School Special Award for the research project IoT Smart Home Automation Trainer System for RBT Teachers.
 
This year, a total of 109 gold medals, 118 silver medals and 39 bronze medals were awarded to the participants of CITREx 2021.

Meanwhile, 22 special awards contributed by faculty, college, centre, centre of excellence and responsibility centre were contested.

According to the Chairman of the UMP Board of Directors, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, he expressed his appreciation towards the organiser and all researchers who participated in this competition. 

The success of this program proved UMP’s determination in solidifying its presence as a public university that takes its role of creating great researchers in line with UMP tagline Technology for Society seriously.
 
“Researchers must be more creative and innovative in confronting the challenges of the new norm to increase the momentum in the field of research. 

“The effort to instil the new norm among the Malaysian people is the task and responsibility of everyone to break the chain of COVID-19 infection in line with the government’s call-to-action through the Embracing New Norms Campaign,” he said.  
 
He added that the research field is not exempt from facing the effects of the spreading pandemic. 

“As we know, expertise in the field of research is much needed and can improve the standard of living of a country as well as to help ease the burden of the community,” he said during the opening ceremony of online CITREx 2021.
 
At the same time, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Ts. Dr. said that 275 participants from primary school to Public Universities (UA) were involved in the 11th edition of CITREx 2021.

“The evaluation method is based on the poster and video of the product made by the researchers.  

“This competition certainly challenges the participants’ creativity to ensure that all the evaluation criteria for the research product are included in the video produced for evaluation by the judges chosen among academics and industry people based on expertise in their respective fields.

“CITREx 2021 made history when the judging of the research products was held online using the i-CITREx application which is an online judging system developed by a lecturer of the Faculty of Computing, UMP, Ts. Aziman Abdullah which clearly proves the calibre of UMP researchers in producing useful innovations in the current situation,” he said.

In conjunction with CITREx 2021, several additional programmes were also organised to support UMP’s initiative for research, innovation and commercialisation, among which were the Talk with Deans of the Research and Innovation Department: Trajectory of UMP Research, Innovation and Commercialisation and the Pitching Competition 2021: Project Pitch Perfect organised by UMP Technology Sdn. Bhd.

CITREx 2021 was held online for the first time for practising the new norm in the effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Among those participating were Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).

Meanwhile for the primary and secondary school categories, the participants consisted of students from Sekolah Kebangsaan (P) Methodist Kuantan, Sekolah Kebangsaan Gambang, Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Batu Pahat, Johor, Sekolah Kebangsaan Baroh Pial, Kelantan, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Abdul Rahman Talib Kuantan, Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Tun Abdul Razak Pekan, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultanah Hajah Kalsom Kuantan and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Rasau Kerteh B5 Kemaman, Terengganu.
 

By: Dina Diyana Rastam Tan, Research and Innovation Department and Nor Salwana Mohd Idris, Corporate Communications Unit, The Office Of The Vice-ChancellorTranslation by: Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, Engineering College/Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology