Curtin Malaysia researchers bag multiple awards at InTEX22

Miri – 23 June 2022 – Researchers from Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) did their university proud by bagging two gold and three silver awards at the recent Innovation Technology Exposition 2022 (InTEX22) held in Kuching from 15 to 16 June 2022.

Leading the gold award winners were Curtin Malaysia’s Deputy Dean of Research and Development and Curtin Malaysia Graduate School director Prof. Agus Saptoro and his team comprising Doctor of Philosophy student Terence Chia Yi Kai, Assoc. Prof. Garenth Lim King Hann and Assoc. Prof. Chua Han Bing for their innovation of AgriSmartEye, a reliable, low-cost system combining hyperspectral imaging technologies with deep learning artificial neural networks to analyse the authenticity and geographical origins of ground black pepper. The invention also won them Curtin University’s prestigious Curtinnovation Award late last year.

Also winning a gold award was senior lecturer in chemical and energy engineering Dr. Tan Yie Hua and her research collaborators Doctor of Philosophy student Fahad Saleem Ahmad Khan, Assoc. Prof. Mubarak Mujawar (Universiti Teknologi Brunei), and Prof. Mohammad Khalid (Sunway University) for their research titled ‘Developing Magnetic Functionalised Carbon Nanotube-Based Buckypaper for Micropollutants Removal’.

Winning silver awards, meanwhile, were lecturer in chemical and energy engineering Dr. Yeo Wan Sieng for her research titled ‘A New Integrated Model for Yellowness Index Measurement’; associate professor of electrical and computer engineering Garenth Lim King Hann and his team comprising postgraduate research students Jonathan Phang Then Sien, Chiam Dar Hung and Basil Andy Lease for their research on Ai3D-CAMs for sports e-profiling; and Doctor of Philosophy student Shamini Anboo for her research titled ‘Synthesis and Mechanistic Study of Hybrid Nanoflower Incorporated Lipase as Biocatalyst for Biodegradation of Bioplastic’.

Curtin Malaysia’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Prof. Simon Leunig remarked that their wins speaks volumes of the scope, breadth and depth of research conducted at Curtin Malaysia. He added that Curtin Malaysia’s research contribute significantly to Curtin University’s achievements in the global university rankings and its profile as the highest-ranked university in Sarawak, in addition to its profile in the Malaysia Research Assessment (MyRA).

InTEX22 was organised by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), along with Curtin Malaysia, Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus (Swinburne Sarawak), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus (UPM).

InTEX is part of UNIMAS’ ongoing research and innovation initiatives, and serves as a platform for researchers to showcase their research outcomes and translate them into innovative and creative research output such as products and designs. This year’s event was the fifteenth instalment of the exposition, which began in 2006 as the UNIMAS Research and Development Exposition. In 2015, the name was changed to UNIMAS Innovation and Technology Exposition (InTEX). This year’s event was a satellite event in conjunction with the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak 2022 (IDECS) in Kuching from 21 to 22 June.

With the theme ‘Inspiring Innovation Through Digitalisation’, InTEX22 was officiated by Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr. Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad.

At the event, UNIMAS board of directors chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Sulong Matjeraie presented the gold awards to the winners while UNIMAS vice-chancellor Prof. Datuk Mohamad Kadim Suaidi presented the silver and bronze medals.

A total of 160 research products were showcased at InTEX22. The award winners were evaluated by a panel comprising industry practitioners and academics, with 60 per cent of the judges coming from industry.

On hand to receive the awards on behalf of the Curtin researchers were the university’s team of exhibitors at the expo comprising Dean of Research & Development Prof. Ramasamy Nagarajan, Prof. Agus Saptoro, and lecturers and postgraduate students of the university.

As Curtin University’s earliest and largest global campus and hub in ASEAN, Curtin Malaysia is committed to transforming exceptional research at its campus into new products and services that benefit the community nationally and globally. In recent years, including the last two years of the pandemic, it has been ramping up its already strong research capabilities, engaging in new research areas, and doubling its Higher Degree by Research (HDR) cohort.

Information on Curtin Malaysia can be found on its website at www.curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or TikTok.

Prof Agus Saptoro (right) and Terence Chia Yi Kai with their gold award for AgriSmartEye.

Gold award winner Dr Tan Yie Hua.

Silver award winner Dr Yeo Wan Sieng.

Assoc Prof Garenth Lim King Hann (right) and his team with their silver award.

Silver ward winner Shamini Anboo.