SEREMBAN: A total of 10 schools have been selected to receive the Science Castle Grant 2025 Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad Award, each worth RM2,000 in educational funds, to participate in the Science Castle Asia 2025 competition, this October, in Cyberjaya.
The selected schools are Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Bako, SMK Bau, SMK Lundu, SMK Asyakirin Bintulu, all in Sarawak; Sekolah Menengah St. Michael (Sabah); SMK Seri Berang (Terengganu); SMK Tumpat (Kelantan); SMK Taman Pelangi Indah (Johor), SMK Bandar Puchong Jaya (Selangor) and the Royal Military College (RMC).
Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad’s chief production officer, Yong Kum Cheng, said that through collaboration with Leave a Nest Malaysia (LVNSMY), the initiative aims to foster the interest and involvement of the younger generation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
“In addition to research funding support, participants are receiving guidance from mentors, including 10 researchers from Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad and Leave a Nest Malaysia, via online and face-to-face sessions, over a five-month period.
“The results of their efforts will be showcased at the Science Castle Asia 2025 competition. The best research projects will have the opportunity to represent the country at the prestigious Science Castle World event, in Tokyo, in December 2025,” he told reporters at the grant presentation and workshop, here, today. Also present were Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad managing director Daisaku Wadami and LVNSMY managing director Abdul Hakim Sahidi.
Yong said that Ajinomoto, together with the young researchers, aims to explore innovative solutions to enhance food quality, reduce waste, and promote sustainability, ultimately encouraging more students to pursue studies in STEM fields.
“Based on the latest data, there has been a positive increase in secondary school students’ involvement in STEM fields. However, the national target for STEM participation has yet to be achieved, even after more than five decades,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Ashraf Raiez Mohammad Riduan, a teacher at RMC, said that five of his students have been working on and presenting an innovative tablet fertiliser project, over the past two months.
He added that the opportunity was invaluable for students to build their skills and further develop their research, enabling them to produce high-quality, innovative projects.
“Fertiliser is often seen as something inexpensive, but it plays a crucial role in accelerating crop yields. It also holds significant value if marketed effectively,” he said.
