KUANTAN: Two students from MARA Junior Science College (MRSM) Muar, who clinched the silver medal at the Genius Olympiad held at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, United States, last month, shared their research success at the MADANI Rakyat 2024 East Zone Programme.
Muhammad Hazim Mohd Khairul and Muhammad Iqram Irfan Jasman, both aged 17, showcased their successful Seaweed-Based Bioplastic Project at the STEM AI Pavilion during the three-day event held at Dataran Sayangi Kuantan.
Recounting his experience in New York, Muhammad Iqram Irfan expressed delight at being selected from 600 projects to compete on the international stage alongside representatives from 67 other countries.
“I felt thankful upon receiving the email naming me a Genius Olympiad finalist, yet we had only a month to secure funding for the competition.
“Despite that, we were thrilled to be named second-place winners in New York and to win the silver medal at that prestigious stage,” he told Bernama.
Apart from Muhammad Hazim and Muhammad Iqram Irfan, two other Form Five students from MRSM Muar, Nur Amni Madiha Azman and Maziatul Maizura Khairuddin, participated in the competition with their Kiambang Soapaholic project and secured fourth place.
Nur Amni Madiha said that the Kiambang Soapaholic project features an antioxidant soap made from the invasive Kiambang species.
“Participating in this competition is a new experience for us, and we’re excited about competing on the international stage and learning from the expertise and innovations of students from more advanced countries,” she said.
Meanwhile, Zaiton Abdullah, 46, the biology teacher at MRSM Muar, expressed pride in her four students’ achievements, highlighting how their success underscores the value of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
“As a teacher, I strive to inspire students to engage in research, and by doing so, their interest in STEM subjects will expand, thus creating opportunities for them to compete both locally and globally,” she said.
In addition to the MRSM students’ prototypes, the STEM AI Pavilion featured robotics products, drones, games, and smart cameras.
