Fifteen talented students, comprising both undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Malaysia-Japan Institute of Technology (MJIIT), have been awarded The Best Five Award at the prestigious JACTIM 2023 Research Proposal Competition. This remarkable achievement spans multiple categories, including Undergraduate, Master, PhD, and iKohza.

The competition, held in person on December 7, 2023, received full support from the Japanese Chamber of Trade and Industry in Malaysia (JACTIM). MJIIT has enjoyed continuous support from JACTIM since 2011, generously providing research grants for the winners each year through the JACTIM Foundation. In 2023, the Foundation continued its support by offering a research fund worth RM40,000.

This program serves as a platform for students to submit their innovative ideas in line with the given theme, “Smart Technology for Sustainability.” It aims to strengthen MJIIT’s research activities by providing funds for students to develop their research ideas into tangible outputs.

A total of 33 students participated in response to this year’s theme, showcasing a high level of competition from various iKohza and research fields.

Participants submitted their research proposals at an early stage, which underwent an initial round of rigorous evaluation. On the competition day, shortlisted candidates presented their research proposals via posters, with some even bringing prototypes for evaluation. The panel of judges included Mr. Masaaki Morimoto (Chairman of JACTIM), Mr. Michihisa Tsukamoto (Director of the Japan Foundation), Mr. Daisuke Tanaka (Secretary General of JACTIM), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Khairul Azami Sidek (International Islamic University Malaysia), Dr. Mohamad Sofian bin Abu Talip (Universiti Malaya), and Ts. Dr. Noraimi Shafie (Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia).

After a meticulous evaluation process, the Best Five in each category were selected to receive awards and fellowships on the same day of the event. Each winner received RM2,000 in funds, earmarked for producing the research product. The winners are as follows:

PhD Category:

• Saidatul Sophia binti Md Sha’rani – Towards Sustainable and Cleaner Energy with Smart Vanadium Battery Technology
• Siti Maisarah binti Ahmad Tarmizi – Smart Innovation of Adjustable Magnetic Grease for Sustainable High-Speed Devices
• Dewi Utami – Smart MR Damper for Sustainable Suspension System
• Nurul Nabila binti Mohd Din – Enhancement of Corrosion Properties of CarbonSteelBased Superhydrophobic Coating On Structural Application
• Ainaa Hanis binti Zuhairi – Forecasting Urban Flash Floods Using Ensemble of Models, GSSHA, and Retention Pond Data Sets

Master Category:

• Wargiantoro Prabowo – Emulsified Plastic Pyrolytic Oil in Diesel Engines
• Muhamad Sharifuddin bin Abd Rahim – Predictive Modeling for Influenza A Cases in a Tropical Climate: Deep Learning Approaches
• Athi Shankhara a/l Velusamy – Sustainable Healthcare through Pulsed Laser Technology
• Afifah Mardhiah binti Mohamed Radzi – Pumpkin Peels Mediated Selenium Nanoparticles Loaded in Chitosan as Radiosensitizer for Lung Cancer Treatment
• Muhammad Hariz Zubir – State of the Art: Additive Manufacturing of Magnetorheological Elastomer by Vat Photopolymerization

Undergraduate Category:

• Calvin Ruben Charles – Bioproduct from Chicken Waste Using Ultrasonic Extraction Method
• Tanusha a/p Subaramaniam – Biodegradable Plastic from Rambutan Seeds
• Muhammad Syafiq Aiman Shaipuddin – Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles via Polygonum Minus Extract and Bind with Polymer for Dental Application
• Muhammad Adib bin Shopuan Anuar – Citric Acid Compatibility Study On the Cross-Linkedof Sago Starch Films
• Raja Harith Danial bin Raja Khalid – Smart Magnetorheological Elastomer-based Filament for Potential 4D Printing Technology

iKohza Category:

1. eMast (1st place)
2. CheCA (2nd place)
3. AVS (3rd place)
4. WEE (4th place)
5. Air Resources-PRA-WIT-VSE (5th place)

Mr. Masaaki Marimoto, Chairman of JACTIM International Culture Exchange (ICE) Committee, presented the awards to the deserving recipients. He was accompanied by Dr. Roshafima, MJIIT Postgraduate Manager, and Mr. Isamu Hamada, JICA Chief Advisor of JICA MJIIT Project.

This inaugural competition achieved great success in providing a platform for MJIIT students to showcase their ideas in technology and digital advancements. Participating students had the invaluable opportunity to present their posters to JACTIM, representing various industries in Malaysia.

“I’ve been participating in JACTIM since my Master’s program. It’s exciting to mention that I’ve secured a top-three position in four of these competitions. As this marks my final year in the competition, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to JACTIM. Their support has been crucial in funding my research projects, and I’ve gained valuable insights through this experience. JACTIM provides a platform for students to showcase their work and engage with a diverse audience; it’s been a great experience for me!” said Saidatul Sophia, PhD Best Five winner.”