During 16-18 of August 2016, NRIC occurred at Dewan Utama Pelajar, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) involving undergraduate participants from several private
& public universities, and also from abroad (Thailand, Indonesia, Sudan).
During this time, it’s theme was Transformorphosis Outshining the
Innovationality in conjunction with it’s 1st decade anniversary since
launching on 2006.
USM organized this competition is to
‘outshining the innovationality’ of the students’ research project, whether
there were the final year projects (FYP) or minor projects. This competition is
for the undergraduates, meaning that the postgraduate students are not allowed
to enter. There was no discrimination in languages, so the participants can
speak in Malay as well as English during presentation. Simply, 3 things the
participants must say during 10 minutes of presentation and 5 minutes of
questionnaire sessions: state the problem > state the solution > describe
the solution.
There’re 6 domains competed. If you choose to change the domain at last minute of registration, you still will be judged using the previous domain criteria to ensure the judging can be finishing smoothly before due time at 1500:
- Life Science
- Engineering & Technology
- Health & Medical Science
- Social Transformation & Creative Arts
- Information Technology & Communication
- Fundamental Sciences
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| USM provide bar code description about my group project, Tactile Pavement for The Blind. Briefly, our project proposed to design the tiles for the blind to be implemented on the public premises. |
The story about our project came before I studied in Bachelor of Art. This project came from my senior FYP, Kak Farah Khalidah bt Abdul Rahman under supervision Dr. Zulistiana Zulkifli. She with 2 seniors joined iREKA 2014 and won 3rd place under domain Pure & Applied Science before they become the representative to CoRIC. Since they were getting near to internship, she passed this project to the apprentice, i.e. us.
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| Participation in iREKA 2015. Our team: rightest one is a degree in architecture student, others are degree in physics. Dr. Zulistiana is our supervisor and also our Physics lecturer. Surprisingly during the competition, she was willing to shorten her class and urged my classmates to came and support us. Lastly, they watched our 1st runner-up victory in domain Technology & Engineering. However, we were stranded during the selection to NRIC 2015. |
On the time she passed this, Farah was in Semester 7 doing thesis at the campus. So, she still be reachable to guide us on this project. We continue to used her suggested mold on the tiles. About the changing domain from Pure & Applied Science (during her time) to Technology & Engineering (during my time), it was the suggestion from the Deputy Dean of Faculty of Science & Technology at that time after she analyzed the suitability of this project compared to the domain participated. Not so long period after the victory, we're invited to compete for 8 quota group to represent USIM in NRIC 2015. From the 23 group invited (not 24 as some iREKA winners were from the invited universities or some USIM winner having problem to participate in this selection or some 'invited' USIM student projects also participated), we failed to be qualified in the quota given due to lack in preparation as each of us had personal commitment. However, we took care of the judges comments and recommendations to be improved in the future.
Bad thing occurred to the supervisor. Dr. Zulistiana suddenly quit from the university during semester break. Thus, we searched for the new supervisor to supervision us in the next competition. Another Physics lecturer, Dr. Ernie Suzana bt Ali agreed to replace Dr. Zulistiana place and contribute her idea to this project according to her expertize. With all the critics we got from the judges and the visitors, we came with the new, improved tiles mold for the same purpose: to design the tiles for the blind to be implemented on the public premises.
We eventually passed the selection to NRIC 2016 and needed to attend the seminar held by the university in 2 weeks before the competition. Bad things occurred again. During the seminar, we're shocked when informed that NRIC is the undergradute-FYP competition. So, if no proof that the project is the undergraduate project, disqualified! But, none of us doing thesis related to this project. Then, we're rushed for the seniors who do thesis related to this one, and finally we got one with the help from supervisor. This senior was then replaced the middle and the rightest one (iREKA 2016 picture above) during NRIC 2016 as they have some personal problem.
Bad thing occurred to the supervisor. Dr. Zulistiana suddenly quit from the university during semester break. Thus, we searched for the new supervisor to supervision us in the next competition. Another Physics lecturer, Dr. Ernie Suzana bt Ali agreed to replace Dr. Zulistiana place and contribute her idea to this project according to her expertize. With all the critics we got from the judges and the visitors, we came with the new, improved tiles mold for the same purpose: to design the tiles for the blind to be implemented on the public premises.
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| Under new supervisor, we participated iREKA 2016. The physics girl during 2015 event was replaced by this architectural girl due to personal commitment. Surprisingly, Dr. Ernie is a judge this time, but not judging our domain. Still won 1st runner-up place, but we're the only USIM winner in domain Technology & Enginnering since the 1st & 3rd place were the project from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). |
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After the arrival of all participants to USM in
the late evening of 16th August 2016, they were being briefed by the
Chief Judge at Dewan Indah Kembara II.
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| We leaved at hostel MO7 (not Malaysia Official 7, idk what mean USM put is). |
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| Their hostel rooms could be accommodated 2 people. But I left alone in my room. This room is 337-A. WiFi provided across the hostels. |
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| USM charged the registration fee per participant is RM250. So they provided these; vouchers, instant foods, bags, shirt. But for me these in the picture were useless because they also provide meal 3 times a day and I don’t think I can redeem some of the vouchers due to some sort of limitations. |
Training, training, training, and tawakkal for several days before the competition. We're amazed and became humble when seeing the competitors at the booth. Yeah, we have to understand domain 'Technology & Engineering' would be participated by the group with the so hi-Tech machines, but ours...argh! We became sudden forgot on where the 'technologies' in our project when compared to them.
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| The competition was held on 2nd & 3rd day, where the 1st day was to set up the booth. The booths were arranged according to the domain registered. Just like the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) exhibition right? This was held on Dewan Utama Pelajar. My group booth code is A11 under name of my university, USIM. |
This competition awarded medals not like 1, 2, 3. The medals awarded were based on rank marks. This means that if your group score that marks, you’ll get that medal. So, as many as groups can bring back medal as they could score above 60%:
- >80% : Gold
- 70% - 79.9% : Silver
- 60% - 69.9% : Bronze
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Judging procedure. On 2nd day, the judges cannot interrupt the 1st 10 minutes of participants’ presentation. 3 judges marks will be averaged. On 3rd day, only informed group (they knew earlier that they would brought gold medal) by the NRIC staff will be judged, not again but roughly just to compete for the awards.
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Special to the so-called gold winners, they will be informed on early 3rd day to compete for these awards. However this year, the cash prizes were being cut 30% due to the government annual allotment cutting:
- Best Award : RM4000
- Best Innovation Award : RM2000 ·
- Sustainable Green Technology Award : RM2000
- Social Impact Award : RM2000 ·
- Community Research & Innovation Competition Award : RM2000 ·
- Best Presenter : RM500
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| NRIC 2016 at USM. The senior is the girl, physics student, waiting to be graduated. My group, The Blind Side is the only USIM group under domain Technology & Engineering were surrounded by Technical University of Malaysia Malacca (UTeM) booths. Huargh...lonely! |
From the judges’ face, we knew that they do
not quite really like our project. Yeah, the judges might be the experts in
materials field, so our argument still could not convince them. After I
surreptitiously see their markings, we just hope to bring silver medal with
little hope in gold medal.
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| Meals provided here just outside the Dewan. There were some sponsors like Sunquick, Vico and Keluarga that provide drinks also. |
There were also another competition held
during that time at USM:
- Community Research & Innovation Competition (CoRIC)
A separate category
from NRIC. 5th year organizing. Like a viva-type competition. Only present idea with no visible product. USIM
sent 1 group to this category.
Architectural
competition for universities students. 7th year organizing. USIM sent undergraduate architectural
students to this competition.
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| Early night of 18th August 2016, grand dinner at Georgetown City Hotel. All winners were announced and be awarded at the stage. |
This year from 97 projects competed across all
domains, 22 got gold, 40 got silver, 29 got bronze, 6 got nothing. The Best
Award went to Green Technology for Criminal Investigation Aspect: Visualization
of Latent Fingerprints from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonbury (KMUTT)
while The Best Presenter Award is Calvin Tjondronegoro from Ukrida Christian University, Indonesia.
All 8 USIM projects
succeeded in bringing back medals with Mobile Intravenous Drip project from the medical
student got Social Impact Award. USIM brought 2 golds, 4 silvers, 2 bronzes.
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| Ours got silver. Might be our mark was somewhere between 70% to 79.999999999999999999%. |
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| Poses with medal + plate + certificate. |
I want to thank to all parties that contribute to this victory: USIM staffs from Pusat Pengurusan Pendidikan (PPP) and lecturers, the comrades in the contingent, and beloved families and friends. Special appreciation to those ever and still become member of this project: Dr. Zulistiana, Dr. Ernie, Kak Farah & seniors, Kak Raudhah Salleh, Badrul Munir Daut, Ridhaudin Sabri, Fathi Said, Adrina Aznam, and Sahirah Saleh. We finally succeeded the Dr. Zulistiana & Kak Farah's wish, to see this tactile project advanced to NRIC.
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| USIM contingent: Elnotea, Multipurpose Sauce with Fresh Daikon, Copydent box - Copydenture Made Easy, The Blind Side, Islamic Nurse Uniform, Quranic Pen Card, JVP ruler, Mobile Intravenous Drip. |
Next competition, road to i-INNOVA 2016!
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