Miri – 14 September 2020 – Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) chemical engineering student Hillry Gibson Anak Panjang emerged first runner-up in the Paper Writing Competition held in conjunction with the Regional Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Conference (RCEUC) 2020 from 8 to 9 September 2020.
For his winning project paper entitled Effect Study of Newly-developed Fertiliser with Different Applications on Amount of Crop Yield, Crop Growth and Nutrient Availability for Paddy Plantation, Hillry, who is a final-year project (FYP) student, received a RM500 cash prize and a winner’s certificate. The other winners were from Monash University Malaysia and University of Malaya.
Hillry’s project was supervised by lecturer Ir. Dr. Christine Yeo Wan Sieng, and co-supervised by senior lecturer Dr. Lau Shiew Wei, of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science. Industry input was provided by two supervisors from industry, Jong Tze Khiun and Lai Chin Hao of Botanium Agro-Tech (M) Sdn. Bhd.
The RCEUC is an annual student-run conference organised under the auspices of the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Malaya and supported by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
With the tagline Connecting Industry with Academia, the conference provides a platform to prepare soon-to-graduate students for industry, featuring keynote speeches, forums and workshops focused on five categories: Advanced Materials, Energy Security, Food & Biotechnology, Process Control & Safety, and Water Security & Environment.
It also offers opportunities for students to network with industry practitioners, especially in terms of job placements and internships, and for the exchange of ideas to advance research and development initiatives in various fields of chemical engineering, both nationally and internationally.
This year, RCEUC 2020 incorporated two competitions, an Online Presentation Competition and Paper Writing Competition, in which participants were given the chance to present a project of their choice (final-year project or otherwise) before a panel of judges from both industry and academia.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s conference was conducted online. Previous iterations of RCEUC recorded a participation of over 300, with over 20 participating institutions from over five countries.
The Paper Writing Competition was introduced for the first time and the Online Presentation Competition was carried out in place of the usual Oral Presentation Competition.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect to win any of the prizes as I knew I was up against undergraduates from other top universities and from different countries,” said Hillry on his win in the prestigious competition.
“I would like to thank my parents, my friends including Ericson Nyagang and Sahil Mohedin Hawa, and my supervisors, for their support and placing their trust and confidence in my abilities,” he added.
In congratulating Hilry on his achievement, Ir. Dr. Yeo remarked that Hilry was an outstanding and very talented student and deserved to win. She, too, thanked those who were involved in the project for their support.
Meanwhile, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Professor Tuong Thuy Vu, said Hilry had done Curtin Malaysia and the Faculty of Engineering and Science proud with his outstanding win, particularly with the very strong field of contenders for the prizes from leading universities in the region.
Hilry in lab attire at the Faculty of Engineering and Science.
For more information on Curtin Malaysia, visit curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.
Online Education Fair 线上教育展
Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) 科廷大学马来西亚分校
https://edufair.fsi.com.my/curtin
