By Assoc. Prof. Dr. Noor Hafhizah Abd Rahim & Ms. Haszailianawaty Mat Razali

A special event that reflects UMT’s commitment to nurturing talent, embracing emerging technologies, and delivering innovations that serve society took place on campus recently.

The event, the 8th Annual Student Research Day (SRD2025), was held on 22 June at Dewan Sultan Mizan, celebrating a vibrant showcase of research excellence and cross-disciplinary innovation.

Themed “Innovations for Society: AI and Multidisciplinary Solutions for Tomorrow,” SRD2025 was organized by this year’s secretariat, the Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics (FSKM). It brought together diverse student researchers, industry professionals, educators, and guests from local and international institutions.

A total of 72 outstanding projects were selected from 1,763 final-year UMT students, 31 under Final Year Project I and 41 Final Year Project II. The latter was categorized into technology, science, or social science research track. The projects tackled real-world challenges across AI applications, maritime innovation, environmental monitoring, education, social sciences, and economic analysis, demonstrating the breadth and impact of multidisciplinary research.

Unique to SRD2025 was the inclusion of 21 participants from nine external universities, including three international institutions. Seven attended physically, while 14 joined virtually, reflecting the event’s growing global reach and recognition.

To strengthen academia–industry links, 25 expert juries from various professional sectors were invited as evaluators. Their feedback offered valuable insights for students.

“Overall, I found the quality of the projects very impressive,” said Sarinadia Safri, Quality Engineer from Chubb Insurance Malaysia. “The ideas developed were highly relevant to industry needs. The students demonstrated strong technical skills, confident communication, and clear mastery of their work, reflecting both careful preparation and effective mentorship.”

The project “Integrated Pharmacy Storage System” by Song Kai Xuan from FSKM won the Grand Award for its innovation, technical excellence, and potential impact on healthcare management.

Over 370 school students and 40 teachers from 18 schools across Terengganu visited SRD2025 and attended a talk that introduced artificial intelligence in a fun and relatable way, aiming to inspire the younger generation to explore careers in tech and innovation.

The selected 41 projects will be published in the UMT-Journal of Undergraduate Research (UMT-JUR) and other indexed journals, extending their academic contribution beyond the event.

SRD2025 was more than an academic showcase. It was a celebration of youthful creativity, multidisciplinary collaboration, and future-facing innovation. It was an inclusive platform that welcomed ideas from across borders and disciplines. Following its success, UMT now looks forward to an even more impactful SRD2026.