By Sarmila Muthukrishnan and Nor Asrina Sairi

Continuing its mission to energise STEM education across the country, the Persatuan STEM Kebangsaan (National STEM Association, NSA), Universiti Malaya STEM Centre and IPGM Kuala Lumpur successfully hosted a major two-day STEM Synergy and Showcase Programme on 24-25 November 2025. The event brought together leading academicians, industrial professionals, and government-linked agencies united by a clear vision to develop a robust ecosystem connecting grassroots innovation with national potential.

The mini-theatre competition was introduced to boost student motivation and deepen interest in learning STEM subjects. By incorporating pitching session, the competition provided a platform for students to creatively articulate complex STEM concepts, thereby making learning more engaging, accessible, and memorable. This initiative highlights a social constructivism pedagogical approach to develop not only technical proficiency but also crucial 21st-century skills such as communication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving among the young generation.

The core participants were 160 bright young minds from 16 schools, who worked in 32 dynamic teams alongside their dedicated teachers to develop innovative prototypes, ranging from new food products and personal care items to natural cleaning products and insect repellents. The STEM Synergy and Showcase Programme aimed to foster interest of the students in STEM field and develops essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, teamwork, and adaptability. These skills are valuable for these young generations across all career pathways.

Innovative prototypes

During the programme, all 32 teams showcased their innovative prototypes to distinguished guests, including representatives from Universiti Malaya, IPGM Kuala Lumpur, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sunway University, UCSI University, Petronas, the Malaysian Rubber Board, Karisma Mutiara, and other partner organisations. The showcase provided students with the opportunity to present their ideas, explain their creative processes, and receive feedback from experts and industry practitioners. Judges with diverse expertise and backgrounds were invited to evaluate the students' ideas and provide feedback. Visitors, lecturers, and teachers showed their support by purchasing the students’ products and praising their hard work.

The involvement of the Director of UM STEM Centre, Ir Dr Mas Sahidayana Mohktar, and senior lecturers from the faculty of science, Universiti Malaya, pulled off the Selangor STEM Synergy and Showcase without a hitch. We also successfully partnered with IPGM Kuala Lumpur; they offered support by providing venue and student volunteers which were essentials to ensure the event’s success. Besides that, students from the IPGM Kuala Lumpur facilitated a dedicated exhibition booth to engage the students and attendees with hands-on challenges and demonstrations which translates abstract STEM theories into tangible concepts.

To empower these grassroots innovators, the Malaysian Intellectual Property Corporation (MyIPO) shared key insight into intellectual property and guided students through the registration process for their inventions. This session equipped the young innovators with the knowledge on how they could protect their own innovation. This initial step is essential for ensuring that grassroots innovation can mature into protected assets that contribute to Malaysia’s growing knowledge-based economy.

“The goal has always been to make STEM tangible, not hypothetical. We believe the future of STEM is intersectional. Every workshop is a step toward closing the gap between curriculum and real-world application,” said Prof Emeritus Dato Dr Noraini Idris, President and Founder of the National STEM Association.

Besides that, Prof Dr Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin, Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, shared his academic and professional journey with the students and teachers. In his compelling speech, he described his own journey through education and medicine and emphasised the crucial role that STEM plays as the foundation of innovation in healthcare and other fields.

On the practical dimension, Dr Jessica Francis (Department of Orthodontics, Paediatric and Special Care Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya) spotlighted an innovation from her department. Her demonstration of the department's latest development successfully bridged the gap between academic research and clinical inspiration, resonating powerfully with the student cohort and underscoring the university's role in advancing dental science.

A new guidebook

Additionally, under the guidance of the NSA president and the Director of UM STEM Centre, NSA members are leading the development of a new guidebook which aims to support the development of students’ scientific skills and promote higher-order cognitive thinking. The guidebook will also strengthen students’ psychomotor and affective domains.

Interestingly, the guidebook will be used as a practical guide for teachers in facilitating STEM learning in a clear, engaging, and enjoyable manner. Students and teachers from the Mini-Theatre Selangor (MTS) programme under the NSA will serve as the pilot group to evaluate the effectiveness of the newly designed scientific reporting booklet and guidebook. Moving forward, teachers from the MTS will be trained and equipped with curated exemplars of high-quality scientific reports. These teachers will then guide the students and ensure that they can confidently facilitate high-standard STEM projects.

STEM education is the key to Malaysia’s economic growth. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0) demands a STEM literate workforce. Thus, this initiative creates a sustainable pipeline for homegrown talent, aligning closely with the Industrial Revolution 4.0 demands and national aspirations to foster a culture of innovation and future-ready skills among Malaysian youth.

In summary, these activities are strategically designed to align and advance the goals of the Malaysia education blueprint 2013-2025. It acts as a direct intervention to tackle the core issues of waning student enrolment in STEM streams and teacher capacity gaps.

Consequently, these initiatives aim at increasing the numbers of students opting to pursue the Pure Science (STEM A) for their upper secondary education upon entering Form 4 in 2026.

-- BERNAMA

Dr Sarmila Muthukrishnan (sarmila_tm@um.edu.my) and Dr Nor Asrina Sairi (asrina@um.edu.my) are Senior Lecturers at the Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya.