JOHOR BAHRU, June 21 — The International Student Society (ISS) Central, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) successfully organized the E-Drone Rivals 2026, a First Person View (FPV) drone racing tournament held at UTM Makerspace on 21 June 2026.

Co-organized with ISS Egypt, ISS India, and Drone Club UTM, the program welcomed a total of 85 participants, comprising 25 international UTM students and 60 local secondary school students from 11 schools across Johor, including Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato’ Usman Awang, SMK Taman Universiti 2, SMK Damai Jaya, SMK Taman Selesa Jaya 2, SMK Taman Bukit Indah, Sekolah Menengah Islam Hidayah, SMK Sultan Ibrahim Kulai, SMK Bandar Putra, Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Woon Hwa, SJKC Ching Yeh and SMK Bandar Putra, creating a vibrant shared learning environment that encouraged cross-cultural interaction, teamwork and healthy competition.

The event commenced with a welcome address and introduction to drone sports by Ts. Dr. Jaysuman Pusppanathan, followed by a structured tournament format consisting of qualifier rounds in the morning and knockout rounds in the afternoon. Participants were trained and competed using VelociDrone, a professional FPV flight simulation software widely used in the drone racing community, allowing them to safely develop their coordination, reflexes and piloting confidence in a controlled environment.

The collaboration with Drone Club UTM provided invaluable technical expertise and hands-on mentorship throughout the day, ensuring that participants, many of whom were experiencing FPV drone technology for the first time, received quality guidance at every stage of the competition. The program concluded with a prize ceremony, where top performers were recognized and awarded for their skill and sportsmanship.

“This program was a tremendous success. Seeing our international students from UTM’s engineering department actively teaching and mentoring local Malaysian school students was truly inspiring. It created a powerful bond between both communities.”

“Our ultimate goal is to spark greater interest among the younger generation in drone technology and the broader field of STEM, and E-Drone Rivals 2026 has brought us one step closer to that vision,” said the Program Director, Akkas Ahamed Abdul Kareem.

The program aligned strongly with three United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 4 (Quality Education), through its structured knowledge transfer and simulation-based Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning; SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), by exposing students to emerging drone technologies and digital innovation platforms and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), through the strategic collaboration between UTM, local schools, student societies and industry partners from the drone ecosystem.

Beyond the competitive element, E-Drone Rivals 2026 served as a meaningful educational outreach initiative, strengthening ties between UTM and the local community while offering school students a rare and immersive encounter with cutting-edge technology. The enthusiasm and active participation observed throughout the day reflected the program’s success in nurturing curiosity and a passion for innovation among young Malaysians.

It is hoped that E-Drone Rivals will continue to grow in future editions, expanding its reach and deepening its impact within the local community, in line with UTM’s commitment to producing graduates who are not only technically excellent but also socially responsible and globally engaged.

Authored by Akkas Ahamed Abdul Kareem