UMPSA leads Festival Idea@Pahang in expanding ecosystem of knowledge and innovation

GAMBANG, 12 October 2025 - The organisation Festival Idea@Pahang 2025 was celebrated with great enthusiasm and innovation through the Commercialisation Day, AI Generation Festival (AiGenFest), Advanced TVET Exhibition, Open Laboratory Day, and I’m Mahasiswa UMPSA Open Day, strengthening the hub of strategic thinking and innovation through the participation of various ministries, government agencies, industries, and higher education institutions, particularly in Pahang.

The organisation of this festival is an important initiative to elevate the culture of knowledge and innovation, especially in Pahang, in building a future-oriented thinking ecosystem.

The organisation of Festival Idea, which has now been expanded nationwide, is a commendable effort by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to spread intellectual discourse that can be shared with the local community.

According to the Pahang State Executive Councillor for Investment, Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Mohamad Nizar Dato’ Sri Mohamad Najib, the organisation of Festival Idea, which has now been expanded nationwide, is a commendable effort by MOHE to spread intellectual discourse that can be shared with the local community.

“This programme can directly revitalise the excellence of the culture of knowledge and cultivate a society that appreciates knowledge.

“It is not only a platform for the exchange of ideas but also a main avenue for realising innovation- and creativity-based solutions for the well-being of the people and the nation’s progress.

“The Pahang State Government itself is actively implementing various innovation culture programmes, strengthening the digital field, developing technology hubs and industrial zones in an effort to establish an advanced technology ecosystem in Pahang,” he said.

He added that this commitment is an initiative to train local talents in high-skilled fields and attract local and international investors to operate in Pahang.

“The Pahang State Government remains committed to strengthening the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem as a driver of the state’s socioeconomic development.

“The implementation of initiatives such as the Pahang Innovative Startup Accelerator (PISA) clearly demonstrates that the state government views innovation not as an option, but as a strategic necessity to ensure economic sustainability,” he said when officiating the Closing Ceremony of Festival Idea@Pahang 2025 held at the UMPSA Sports Complex Hall, Gambang Campus.

Also present were the UMPSA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr. Yatimah Alias; Assistant Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Dr. Mohd Hasbi Ab Rahim, who is performing the duties of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), UMPSA; and Head of Strategic Management Section representing the Department of Higher Education, MOHE, Mujahidah Khairun Nisak Rosli.

Meanwhile, Professor Dr. Yatimah said that as a higher education institution in Pahang, UMPSA bears the responsibility of being the catalyst and driving force of this innovation ecosystem.

“A university not only disseminates knowledge but, more importantly, plays the role of creating knowledge and applying it to solve the problems of society and industry.

“This Festival Idea@Pahang serves as a strategic platform for academics, researchers, industry, and students to showcase their research outputs and inventions.

“In line with UMPSA’s slogan, ‘Technology for Society’, we want to harvest the outcomes of the innovation ecosystem at UMPSA so that they can be felt, appreciated, and benefited by all levels of society, especially the community in Pahang,” she said.

In fact, the impact of Festival Idea@Pahang begins with an idea that evolves into a product capable of being commercialised, and this product then leads to new business ventures that can create more job opportunities by retaining local talent and attracting foreign investment.

At the event, Dato’ Mohamad Nizar also presented awards and witnessed the signing of technology licensing documents involving the licensing of three university-patented intellectual properties to start-up companies for commercialisation purposes, namely MNR Multitech Sdn. Bhd., Edgify Solutions Sdn. Bhd., and TML Lab Sdn. Bhd.

Also included was the exchange of letters of intent between UMPSA and Rakyat Consortium Sdn. Bhd., as well as the presentation of certificates of appreciation to 25 UMPSA lecturers who were listed among the world’s top 2% scientists under the Single Year Achievement category, with 15 of them also listed under the Career-Long Achievement category based on the Elsevier Database, Stanford University, recently.

The festival was also enlivened by the AiGenFest industrial expert sharing session themed ‘Unlocking AI for Smarter Work and Creative Innovation’, featuring Hazwan Hassan from Neuramerge, Azizul Othman from Lekir Tech, and Coach Khairul Ikhwan from Gig Venture, who shared insights on the evolution of AI in smart work, AI agent automation, and the art of prompting to generate creative innovation.

Also highlighted was a session with Azim Mohd Arshad, a lecturer from the Faculty of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering Technology (FTKMA), UMPSA, Excellent Mathematics Teacher from Sekolah Kebangsaan Tanjung Batu, Zurina Mat Abu, and Language Teacher from the Centre for Modern Languages (PBM), Nurkarimah Yusof, themed ‘Transforming Education with AI-powered Creativity and Engagement’.

The panellists also discussed how AI can empower differentiated learning, gamification in teaching and learning (T&L), and the use of Canva AI to enhance teaching creativity.

In conjunction with the festival, the Commercialisation Funding and Facilitation Session was held to expose researchers, innovators, and high-technology entrepreneurs to funding opportunities and commercialisation facilitation provided by national agencies.

Among the agencies involved were the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI), the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology & Innovation (MRANTI), and UMPSA Holdings Sdn. Bhd.

The festival was further energised by the Research Project Pitching Session involving nine participants comprising four student projects and five projects from academic staff and subsidiaries, including participation from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

Other exciting activities included the Research and TVET Exhibition, Faculty and Laboratory Open Days, Research Talks and Industry Forum, Konsultasi Rakyat, and I’m Mahasiswa UMPSA Open Day, featuring over 100 booths involving student associations and clubs.

By: Nur Hartini Mohd Hatta, Centre for Corporate Communications

Translation by: Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, UMPSA Press