More than 350 secondary school and pre-university students had a whale of a time at Science of Tomorrow 2023, which was organised from 13 to 14 September 2023 at UTAR Kampar Campus by the Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS) of Kampar Campus.

Themed ‘Science defines Future’, the fair aimed to promote the crucial value of science and technology to the youth as well as explore the significant impact of science and technology on our future. The fair received participations from students of various educational institutions, including SMJK Pei Yuan, Pei Yuan High School, SMK Methodist (ACS) Kampar, Shen Jai High School, SMJK Shing Chung, Westlake International School, Kolej Matrikulasi Perak, and UTAR.

In her remarks, CFS (Kampar Campus) Director Ts Tan Lee Siew said, “Science and technology education encourages students to think critically and analytically. It teaches them to question, investigate, and solve problems systematically. In today’s rapidly changing world, technology is ubiquitous. Understanding it is essential for navigating daily life and future career prospects. Proficiency in science and technology is often a requirement for many high-demand jobs. Therefore, encouraging students from diverse backgrounds to pursue science and technology education helps break down barriers and promote diversity in STEM fields, which is essential for innovation and addressing a wide range of global problems.”

The Science of Tomorrow 2023 Organising Chairperson Goh Kai Wey viewed science as a crucial part of modern life, saying, “Science is not just a subject, it is a journey of exploration, a path to discovery that guides us towards progress. Branches of science continue to expand and evolve, driven by ongoing research and technological advancements. All modern developments will not be possible without a basic understanding of science and technology. Therefore, science learning should be embarked at young age to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love for discovery. Science of Tomorrow 2023 is not just about knowledge sharing, but also active hands-on learning which is the heart of our fair. Participants will have the opportunity to dive into a series of activities, which incorporate the principle of learning outside the classroom.”

The students, hoping to broaden their knowledge on topics ranging from health and modern technology, were presented with the chance to indulge in four insightful talks delivered by relevant experts. The first talk was titled “Unlocking the future of medical diagnostics: Aptamers and biosensors revolutionise diagnosis”, presented by Universiti Sains Malaysia academic Dr Shazana Hilda Shamsuddin. In her talk, Dr Shazana introduced a novel possibility of detecting cancerous cells in the human body using a biosensor device. She explained that the repurposed technology draws attention as it could possibly provide a rapid and low-cost method for early cancer detection, which could highly reduce the mortality rate of cancer patients. However, it is not available to the public yet as the technology presents biological and technical limitations. “The idea of biosensor rapid detection for cancer is without a doubt nascent and requires intensive research. I believe it would be a prominent technology in the future,” said Dr Shazana, who is also a researcher determinedly studying ways to battle cancer.

Titled “Are you ready for the age of AI”, the second talk was presented by Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FICT) academic Assoc Prof Ts Dr Tan Hung Khoon. His talk mainly revolved around the surge of artificial intelligence (AI) in our modern society. Dr Tan explained that AI such as ChatGPT 4.0 is not perfect, but has reached the intelligence level of an elite human. Not to mention, he also revealed that 50% of the working time in Malaysia is spent on repetitive activities, which could be easily replaced by AI. “With the emergence of new AI technologies, some jobs are bound to be replaced, but at the same time, new job industries will also emerge to complement the new technologies. Thus, we should learn to enhance our job-related skills using AI, not replace it,” said Dr Tan about the intended usage of AI.

The third talk, “What you eat today will impact how you live tomorrow”, was delivered by Faculty of Science (FSc) academic Muhammad Zulhusni bin Suhaimi. In his talk, he explained the benefits of healthy eating such as promoting growth and brain development; providing energy to the body, and preventing diseases. Aside from consuming the right nutrients, Muhammad Zulhusni also advised the students to exercise regularly to achieve the full potential of adopting a healthy lifestyle. To give the students a better idea, he shared his daily regimen, which focused on food and drink; exercise routine, and supplement.

The fourth talk, titled “The power generation on top of the water”, was delivered by Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology (FEGT) academic Ts Dr Tan Ming Hui. He introduced the students to the marvel of hydropower. Dr Tan also enlightened the students on the development of hydropower in Malaysia. Though the main source of electricity is generated by coal-burning, he said that the Malaysian government aims to achieve more power generation via renewable sources, including hydropower.

Throughout the first day, the students were presented with a variety of experiments, which showcased the marvel of scientific principles at the demonstration booths set up by UTAR faculties. The booths offered not only hands-on demonstrations, but also mind-bending and relaxing activities driven by researched principles ranging from the fields of physics, biology, chemistry, information technology, and mathematics. Besides, the students were given an opportunity to conduct simple and fun experiments first-hand under the guidance of experienced faculties staff and helpers.

An information technology workshop titled “What’s behind a web page” was organised to offer students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of web page creation. The students were enlightened on the fundamentals of web page creation, including writing and styling the content using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) via HTML. The workshop was conducted by CFS (Kampar Campus) academics Sabrina binti Omar and Seit Kar Mun.

For students yearning for STEM-related challenges, the fair offered three competitions, with each blending with different fields of expertise. “Data science, good prospect” was an infographic-designing competition. It tasked the students with creating static infographics based on the data provided by the organising committee. It was organised by CFS (Kampar Campus) academic Chooi Wen Xin and her team.

The “Physics on Canvas” competition gave students the creative space to sketch artworks based on physics-related themes on canvas bags, attracting a pool of imaginatively beautiful ideas from various creative minds in Malaysia. It was organised by CFS (Kampar Campus) academic Nor Habibi Saadah binti Musa and her team, with Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FAS) academic Norlis binti Ismail and CFS (Kampar Campus) academics Sree Amertharaj Ratnam and Lim Min Leong as the judges.

“Science Bee” challenged the students to a fun game of spelling bee, but with a scientific twist. The playful yet suspenseful game tested the students on a vocabulary of scientific terms. It was organised by CFS (Kampar Campus) academic Chan Jer Jing and her team, with FSc academic Dr Ho Lai Yee and FAS academics Cheng Siew May and Lee Ling Khai as the judges.

The first-place winners of each competition walked away with a cash prize of RM150; RM100 for first runner-up; RM50 for second runner-up, and RM25 for consolation prizes. Meanwhile, all winners were eligible to receive certificates of achievement.

When the STEM fever encompassed the campus, the timing could not have been more opportune for a visit to the FSc and FEGT buildings. The students were given an insightful tour of the FSc and FEGT buildings by the respective faculty staff. They were introduced to the infrastructures, projects, structures, environments, and programmes offered by the two faculties.

Also present at the fair were CFS (Kampar Campus) Deputy Director for Student Affairs and Development Lim Khiew Loon, CFS (Kampar Campus) Deputy Director for Academic Phang Ying Ning, CFS (Kampar Campus) Head of Department of Science and Engineering Ooi Siew Fong, CFS (Kampar Campus) Head of Department of Arts and Social Science Pakialetchumy Antoni, CFS (Kampar Campus) Head of Department of Management and Accountancy Tsen Tzu Yee, Rxsolute Health representative Mable Poh, and the organising committee members.

Science of Tomorrow 2023 was mainly sponsored by Rxsolute Health, and co-sponsored by JEOL (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Gamma Scientific Research Sdn Bhd, Nestlé Products Sdn Bhd, Wing Zone Malaysia, and Mr Chang Ming Yee.