Bringing extra fun to learning during the school holiday was the UTAR EduFun AgriMicrob Science Holiday Workshop Series III 2023, organised by the Faculty of Science (FSc) on 19 December 2023, at UTAR Kampar Campus.

The one-day workshop made a strong comeback, following the previous successful workshops held in 2021 and 2022. Targeted to high school students, the workshop attracted the participation of students from SMJK Chung Ling Butterworth, Penang; SMK Yong Peng, Johor; SMJK Sam Tet Ipoh, Perak; SMJK Ave Maria Convent Ipoh, Perak; Sekolah Tun Abdul Rahman, Perak; and SK Gopeng Jalan Ilmu, Perak.

It aimed to provide engaging hands-on experiences to young learners, inculcate passion towards Science and offer insights on career prospects and enrolment opportunities in UTAR. Additionally, it provided a platform for participants to acquire skills and develop an appreciation for agriculture and microbiology. This year, the event featured four main workshops, encompassing agronomy, aquaculture, livestock farming, and microbiology, which enabled participants to understand the importance of technology and skilled labour in sustaining the source of quality food to cater to the ever-increasing world population.

The workshop kick-started with an opening ceremony, graced by Organising Chairperson Dr Ong Mei Kying. She said, “This workshop, with 4-in-1 package activities, is carefully designed to arouse the interest and motivation towards concerned life science subjects. Inevitably, agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry for food and non-food products. With such importance, the agricultural sector has a significant role in achieving food security and improving food availability, which is a main concern in achieving the second United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger by 2030. The participants can also learn microbiology, an important field of study particularly in the medical field, to diagnose disease efficiently and provide precision treatment. After the workshop, I believe the participants will be able to apply what they have learnt from this workshop in solving problems in daily life.”

The first workshop station was on animal science titled, “Science Exploration on Goat’s Milk Nutrient and Foetal Development” conducted in the Agriculture Park, by FSc academics Dr Kwong Phek Jin and Ms Nurdiyana 'Aqilah binti Roslan. At this station, participants were introduced to different macromolecule assays to determine the basic nutrient of goat milk by conducting different food tests, namely the iodine test, the biuret test, and Benedict’s test. They also gained hands-on exposure to determine goat pregnancy using the ultrasound machine. This exposure taught them that pregnancy determination is important to improve reproductive performance, ease farm management, aid in feeding efficiency, enable better monitoring of development, enable prediction or determination of litter size beforehand, and facilitate monitoring of early embryonic death.

The second workshop on aquaculture was titled “Our Favourite Sealicious Food”. It was conducted by FSc academics Dr Ooi Ai Lin and Dr Teoh Chaiw Yee. It was brought to the participants’ attention that fish, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, and seaweed are important sources of aquatic food worldwide, and aquaculture helps by replenishing seafood stocks. They further learnt ways to identify the important aquaculture species in Malaysia, by examining their external and internal morphology.

Agronomy was the focus of the third workshop, which was titled “Science behind a Terrarium”. It was conducted by FSc academic Dr Tan Ji and Dr Clement Wong Kiing Fook. This workshop saw the participants having fun building their own terrarium as they learnt important knowledge about soil composition, plant selection, care regime, and growth conditions to build and sustain a good terrarium. The same knowledge can also be applied to ensure success in larger gardens, orchards, and even plantations.

The final station on microbiology, titled “Microbial World, Life Forms, and Processes”, conducted by FSc academics Dr Lee Kok Chang and Dr Teo Kah Cheng, provided opportunities for participants to explore the biological processes and application of microbes. The activities conducted included, staining of microorganisms, breakdown of starch by microbes, breakdown of hydrogen peroxide by microbes, and chemical control of microorganisms.

The workshop came to an end with a closing ceremony graced by FSc Dean Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng, who also presented the certificates of participation to all participants. In his speech, he said, “Science is a journey of curiosity, inquiry, and understanding. It begins with observation, the key eye that notices the patterns, anomalies, and wonders around us. Each of you has this heart for this journey; opening your minds to the intricate world of microbial science, and I commend you for your dedication. Following the observation, we progress to the identification and analysis of factors that contribute to the observed phenomenon. This delicate process is crucial as it lays the foundation for the experiments that follow. Your involvement in these activities has not only honed your scientific skills, but has also allowed you to appreciate the complexity and interconnectedness of the natural world. Your commitment to this process during the workshop has been commendable, and I encourage you to carry this attention to detail, into your scientific endeavours.”

He continued, “The path of scientific knowledge is marked by a series of carefully planned experiments. It is through experimentation that we test hypotheses, refine our understanding, and contribute to the ever-expanding of human knowledge. Your willingness to engage in these experiments demonstrates the true spirit of scientific inquiry. Through this workshop, I hope you have the tools to approach the world with a scientific mindset. The skills you have acquired here extend far beyond the realm of science. They are the building blocks of critical thinking and problem-solving that will serve you well in the future.”

Yew Jian Cheng from SMJK Sam Tet said, “I was introduced to this interesting workshop by a good friend of mine. It was my first time attending a workshop like this, so I participated without hesitation, and I had a good time learning at the workshop.”

Sebastian Anak Tommy, also from SMJK Sam Tet, commented, “Each station was equally fun as it was packed with amazing and meaningful activities. If I were to choose, I would choose the animal science station because it ignited my passion to pursue my dream job as a veterinarian.”

Chan Sam Thim from SMJK Chung Ling Butterworth enthused, “I was interested in learning more about agriculture so I participated in the workshop. It has always been a passion of mine to learn about things that can improve the quality of human lives. I particularly enjoyed the aquaculture station, because I was able to dissect the fish and learn about the morphology of the prawn. I was also glad to be able to visit UTAR (Kampar Campus) because I have heard good things about this university.”

SMK Yong Peng’s Yap Xin Yu commented, “My favourite station was on agronomy. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I completed my terrarium, and I learnt ways to take care of my terrarium. From the workshop, I also learnt ways to identify the genders of the fish and shrimp.”

Chai Chi En from SMJK Ave Maria Convent expressed, “I got to know about this workshop from my school biology teacher, and the information caught my attention; motivating me to participate in the workshop and learn new things. All the stations were amazing and unique. I must say though, as a person passionate about animals, the animal science station blew my mind and it corrected a lot of my misconceptions on animals. The hands-on experience has definitely helped me understand more about animals.”

The workshop was sponsored by Nature’s Best Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLK Berhad), ViTrox Agritech Sdn Bhd, and DKST Services Sdn Bhd.

For more photos, click here.