UMPSA students win first place in national-level FUTURESCAPES AI Storytelling Challenge

PENANG, 13 December 2025 – A total of three students from Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) once again brought honour to the university when they successfully won first place in the FUTURESCAPES: The AI Time Capsule Storytelling Challenge competition held in conjunction with the Closing Ceremony of the Higher Education English Language Carnival 2025 (HE ELCA 2025), which took place at Dewan Tunku Syed Putra, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

The UMPSA team consisted of Nur Iffah Mohd Shokran and Umaimah Azhar from the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology (FTKEE), and Thavatchai Dengpradit Edaf from the Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering Technology (FTKPM).

The national-level competition involved participation from public universities (UA) across Malaysia, each submitting futuristic storytelling videos based on artificial intelligence (AI).

UMPSA’s entry successfully stood out and captured the judges’ attention through the strength of its narrative, creativity of presentation, and the ability to meaningfully integrate issues of technology and environmental sustainability.

The competition aimed to empower creative writing skills, encourage critical thinking, and challenge students to imagine a realistic and optimistic future with the support of AI in addressing real-world ecological challenges.

The presented work successfully captured the essence of the FUTURESCAPES theme by combining imaginative storytelling with deep reflection on the role of AI in supporting environmental sustainability and human responsibility towards the future of the planet.

According to the Competition Coach, Dr Wan Jumani Fauzi, this success was the result of the students’ high level of commitment and courage to think beyond convention.

“This team not only produced a creative story, but was also able to critically and ethically connect AI technology with sustainability issues.

“This reflects the maturity of thinking among UMPSA students in facing future challenges,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to the Team Manager, Farah Liyana Ahmad A’azmey, this victory represents a collective achievement resulting from strong teamwork.

“From the planning stage, training, right through to final participation, the students demonstrated high discipline and a strong spirit of teamwork.

“This success belongs to the entire UMPSA community,” she said.

This success is also aligned with UMPSA’s recognition as the first university in Malaysia to receive the ‘Eco Campus Green Flag’, further strengthening the university’s commitment to supporting the environmental sustainability agenda and sustainable development.

The winning video directly reflects UMPSA’s aspiration in promoting environmental awareness through innovative, creative, and technology-driven approaches.

FUTURESCAPES: The AI Time Capsule Storytelling Challenge was designed to spark creativity, teamwork, and futuristic thinking among students, while also providing practical experience in using AI as both a storytelling topic and tool.

This victory proves the capability of UMPSA students to compete at the national level as well as contribute valuable ideas to discussions on the future of technology and global sustainability.

The winning video can be viewed at the link: https://youtu.be/PcFCWwePfkU

By: Noraisah Nurul Fatwa Mohd Razali And Farah Liyana Ahmad A’azmey, Centre for Modern Languages (CML)
Translation by: Ts. Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, UMPSA Press