The Student Final Year Research Project Conference started in year 2015. Due to the changes brought by COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was held virtually this year on 1 December 2020. The virtual conference was an exciting showcase of the final year students’ year-long research projects, which are essential for their professional career preparation.
The conference was started at 8:30am on Microsoft Teams with the opening address by Professor Su Hieng Tiong, the Dean of Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science (FECS), Swinburne Sarawak. The event was continued with the Plenary Session by James Dyson Foundation on the topic of “Dyson Design Process” before the commencement of the students’ oral presentations and showcase of their projects.
A total of 109 individual student projects were presented from different disciplines, including Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Robotic and Mechatronics Engineering and Science – Biotechnology. The guests from industry across West Malaysia and East Malaysia were invited to the students’ presentations. The representatives from local companies such as Jurutera Jasa Sdn. Bhd. Consulting Engineers, Sarawak Energy, Epsilon Jurutera Perunding Sarawak Sdn. Bhd., Perunding SL, Department of Irrigation and Drainage Sarawak, Civil & Structural Consulting Engineers, Public Works Department (JKR Sarawak), ZF Friedrichshafen AG, IME Technology, GTG Green Technologies Sdn. Bhd. (Selangor) and James Dyson Foundations (Johor) were among those who attended the conference. In total, more than 200 Swinburne Sarawak students, staff and industrial guests attended this virtual conference across multiple parallel presentation sessions by various disciplines.
The presence of industry representatives and their feedback on the students’ projects provided insight and serve as a motivation to the aspiring engineers who are about to embark upon their professional careers.
This year, Swinburne Sarawak had a great opportunity to collaborate with James Dyson Foundation (JDF) in facilitating and organising the Plenary session. The speaker, Azmi Ariffin, the Claims Manager of Group Commercial Malaysia shared with us the interesting and informative Dyson Design Process. Students were also encouraged to participate in the annual James Dyson Award (JDA) to enable them in developing their inventions commercially. James Dyson Foundation had nominated two projects by Swinburne Sarawak’s students of Robotic and Mechatronics Engineering (Awangku Muhammad Syazwan) and Mechanical Engineering (Shanty Anak Chandi) for the JDF Bursary of November 2020. This has provided an excellent platform to foster an effective industrial partnership with an objective to challenge engineering students in solving the real world problems.
The Final Year Research Project (FYRP) conference is usually held on the final week of a semester, twice a year. The event provides an opportunity for the university to explore further collaboration and strengthen ties with industry partners.
The participation of industrial guests during the Oral presentation sessions
The participation of industrial guests during the Oral presentation sessions
Plenary Session by James Dyson Foundation, Topic – Dyson Design Process
First virtual conference with the students’ oral presentations on MS Teams