KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 – The Tribology and Precision Machining (TriPreM) i-Kohza, Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), successfully launched the first series of its STEM Knowledge Transfer Programme (KTP), “Tribological Lubricant Innovation from Waste Cooking Oil to Empower STEM Learning and Urban Community Sustainability Awareness,” at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Puteri Wilayah on 19 and 20 August 2026.

The programme is led by Ir. Dr. Shahira Liza Kamis, Project Leader of the Knowledge Transfer Program (KTP) – Centre for Community and Industry Network (CCIN), Office of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur KTP Special Fund 2026, with support from the Tribology and Precision Machining i-Kohza (TriPrem i-Kohza) team and industry partner OLEON Port Klang Sdn. Bhd. The one-year project runs from April 2026 to March 2027.

Bringing STEM from the Classroom into Real-Life Applications

The project was developed in response to the need for more contextual and application-based approaches to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. It addresses two interconnected challenges: students’ limited exposure to the real-world applications of science and engineering, and the environmental issue associated with improper management of waste cooking oil (WCO).

Rather than presenting STEM only as theoretical knowledge, the programme introduces students to tribology, the science of friction, wear and lubrication, through a familiar household waste material: used cooking oil. Through interactive demonstrations, experiments and hands-on activities, students learn how science and engineering can transform waste into a potentially useful product while addressing environmental sustainability.

This approach reflects the project’s objective of transferring knowledge in WCO management, lubrication technology and fundamental tribology through real-world STEM learning.

The project ultimately aims to develop selected students as “STEM Sustainability Ambassadors”, enabling them to transfer their knowledge and sustainable practices to their peers and wider school community.

Day 1: Discovering STEM, Tribology and Green Technology

The first day, held on 19 August 2026, attracted 93 students and focused on building awareness and fundamental understanding of STEM, tribology, sustainability and the potential value of waste cooking oil.

The session began with Ir. Dr. Shahira Liza Kamis, who introduced the programme and highlighted how STEM can be used to solve real-world environmental and engineering challenges. This was followed by Prof. Dr. Kanao Fukuda, who introduced students to the fundamentals of tribology and demonstrated how friction, wear and lubrication are encountered in everyday life and engineering systems.

Ts. Dr. Noor Ayuma Mat Tahir then introduced the concept of Green Tribology, explaining how waste cooking oil can be transformed and explored as a resource for sustainable grease development. The programme was further strengthened through an industry sharing session by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team from OLEON Port Klang, providing students with an industry perspective on sustainability, oleochemical technology and the relevance of STEM in industrial applications.

OLEON Port Klang is also the project’s industry collaborator in the development of the STEM–Environment module. Students subsequently participated in an interactive booth session, where they were able to engage directly with the UTM and industry teams.

Day 2: Learning by Doing

On 20 August 2026, the programme shifted from learning about STEM to experiencing STEM through hands-on activities. A selected group of 30 students participated in an interactive demonstration on transforming waste cooking oil into grease.

The grease preparation demonstration was led by Ts. Dr. Noor Ayuma Mat Tahir, a member of TriPreM i-Kohza. Students were introduced to the preparation process and were able to observe how scientific principles, materials processing, lubrication, and sustainability could be connected within a single real-world application.

The activities were supported by seven facilitators, comprising TriPreM postgraduate students, staff from the University Laboratory Management Centre (PPMU), UTM Kuala Lumpur, and an engineer from OLEON.

The facilitation allowed students to engage closely with researchers, technical personnel and industry practitioners throughout the hands-on session.

The activities form part of the project’s planned knowledge-transfer phase, which incorporates STEM and sustainability talks, WCO-based lubricant demonstrations, hands-on tribology experiments, mini innovation projects and training of Student Ambassadors.

Encouraging Results from Series 1

The initial assessment demonstrated highly positive learning outcomes. For Day 1, all 93 students completed the post-programme assessment. The first outcome targeted at least 85% of students achieving a good level of understanding of science, engineering and environmental concepts. The analysis showed that 100% of the students achieved this outcome, obtaining at least five out of six marks. The second outcome targeted at least 85% of students being able to explain the relationship between domestic waste and green technology. Again, 100% of the 93 respondents achieved the required level, obtaining at least three out of four marks. The results therefore indicate that both targeted learning outcomes for Day 1 were achieved and exceeded.

For Day 2, the post-programme survey assessed students’ interest in real-world, application-based STEM learning. Among respondents with complete responses, 100% demonstrated a high level of interest, achieving at least 12 out of 15 for the relevant survey items. The mean score was 14.41/15, equivalent to 96.0%, demonstrating a highly positive response to demonstrations, hands-on activities and learning STEM through real-world applications.

From Participants to STEM Sustainability Ambassadors

Series 1 represents only the beginning of the programme. While the initial programme engaged a wider group of students, 30 students will be identified and progressively developed as the project’s core participants and potential STEM Sustainability Ambassadors, consistent with the target group specified in the KTP project.

In Series 2, planned for October 2026, the students are expected to progress from observing demonstrations to preparing grease themselves and demonstrating what they have learned. Selected students will also be encouraged to translate their learning into a mini innovation project, with the aim of participating in an innovation competition. This stage is intended to strengthen student competency and demonstrate a higher level of community knowledge-transfer impact.

The final phase, planned between January and March 2027, will emphasise the Student Ambassador and train-the-trainer approach. Students will be encouraged to transfer their knowledge to peers, STEM clubs and the wider school community. This peer-to-peer knowledge transfer is a key element of the project’s strategy towards sustainable community impact and the targeted 5-Star community project rating.

Through continued collaboration between UTM, schools and industry, TriPreM i-Kohza hopes to contribute further to STEM education, sustainability awareness and the development of young innovators who can learn, innovate and transfer their knowledge back to the community.

The TriPreM i-Kohza team gratefully acknowledges the Centre for Community and Industry Network (CCIN), TNCPI UTM Kuala Lumpur, for supporting and funding this initiative through the KTP Special Fund 2026. Sincere appreciation is also extended to SMK Puteri Wilayah and OLEON Port Klang Sdn. Bhd. for their invaluable collaboration and commitment towards the successful implementation of the programme.