The International Young Members Committee (IYYMC) of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) announced Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) student society, IMechE UTAR Student Chapter, as the runner-up winner of the 2021 Student Chapter of the Year Award.

The award aimed to provide due recognition to student chapters that have performed outstandingly. It also aimed to provide an avenue for the student chapters to share their best practices with other student chapters and build networks across the region.

The cheque was presented by SEA Region Young Member Representative Ir Dr Steven Hoo to IMechE Student Chapter Chairperson for year 2021 Lee Jia Yee. Also present were UTAR LKC FES academics Ts Dr Lee Kim Yee, Dr Rubina Bahar, Lee Sze Shin, and Ts Dr Yeo Wei Hong.

Dr Rubina said, “The student chapter worked amidst the adversity between 2020 and 2021, and achieved a smooth running of the student chapter activities virtually. The UTAR IMechE student chapter was requested to send its annual activity reports by the end of 2021 to the IYYMC. The Student Chapter Chairperson 2020-2021, Lee Jia Yee and her team prepared a well-written report with details of the activities and the transitions that took place due to the nationwide MCO. This award would definitely encourage the existing student chapter members to thrive for the better.”

Initiated by the IYYMC, the competition was piloted in South East Asia for the first time this year with hopes of rolling out to the wider international region in the future.

South East Asia Student Chapters from Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia submitted their annual reports for 2021 to run for the Best Student Chapter (SC) prizes. The competition, which received a total of 10 entries, was opened to all Young Members of the Institution - Affiliates, Associates or any members who were professionally registered for less than 10 years.