Riding on the overwhelming response to the previous 2 STEM SHOWCASES held in Han Chiang High School (Sep 2022) and in UOW-KDU Batu Kawan campus (May 2023), we were cautiously optimistic that the second edition of the STEM SHOWCASE for 2023 back at Han Chiang would be another crowd-puller – with the many added attractions that have been lined up.

The endorsement by the Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation (MOSTI) as a state-level flagship event under their “Minggu Sains Negara “certainly added glamour to the event, especially with the participation of the following MOSTI agencies to showcase Science & Technology:

• Planetarium Negara
• Pusat Sains Negara Cawangan Wilayah Utara
• Jabatan Kimia Pulau Pinang
• Agensi Nuklear Malaysia

Penang Chief Minister YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow, MOSTI Minister YB Chang Lih Kang and Penang Deputy Chief Minister 2 YB Tuan Jagdeep Singh officiated at the official launch ceremony with attendance by former Chief Minister, YB Lim Guan Eng and many other state dignitaries.

Co-organisers, PENANG STEM, TECH DOME PENANG, PENANG MATH PLATFORM and HAN CHIANG HIGH SCHOOL spared no effort to ensure that a whole range of competitions, workshops, discovery and experience platforms were offered to spark student interests in STEM and to inspire towards academic studies and future careers in related fields.

The two-day event (on Aug 25 & 26) was also endorsed by the State Education Department (JPN) which provided the much-needed assistance to encourage schools from both the mainland and on the island to attend.

And this was made possible through the generous support of the 3 Main Sponsors, namely:

• Flextronics Technology (Platinum Sponsor)
• Intel Microelectronics (Gold Sponsor)
• Jabil Circuit (Gold Sponsor)

Chipping in to support the mission to sponsor buses to transport in students from outlying schools on the mainland and the island were other Exhibitors/Sponsors:

• Greatech Integration (M) Sdn Bhd
• Analog Devices Sdn Bhd
• NSW Automation Sdn Bhd
• Plexus Manufacturing Sdn Bhd
• TFAMD Microelectronics Penang Sdn Bhd
• Pentamaster Corporation Bhd
• Equator College
• UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College
• Methodist College KL (Pykett)
• Think Academy International Education Sdn Bhd
• Disted College
• Han Chiang University
• Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT)

Besides their generous financial support, both Flextronics Technology and Jabil Circuit also came forward with sponsorship pledges of exhibits for Tech Dome Penang which will be embarking on the refurbishment of their galleries under their TechXcellence mission and are looking forward to contributing to other locally-based technology companies and multi-national corporation (MNCs) companies who can similarly support this mission.

Stepping up to also lend support to conduct competitions and workshops were the following professional bodies:

• Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM)
• Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
• Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET)
• Technological Association of Malaysia (TAM)

Dubbed “Penang’s Premier STEM Event” it was, without doubt, a fine example and grand showcase of Public-Private Partnership (3P) with the active participation of so many that resulted in an estimated attendance of more than 12,000, mainly students, over the 2 exciting days.

Judging from the keen participation of the many students in the competitions, workshops, and discovery sessions, it can safely be assumed that STEM SHOWCASE ’23 @Han Chiang, like the earlier one in UOW_KDU in Batu Kawan has lived up to its objective to be a premier platform to showcase Science & Technology to students of all age groups by providing the little spark to inspire them in their journey towards successful careers in this era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and Digital Transformation.

A total of 16 competitions were conducted over the two days including the prestigious Grand STEM Challenge inter-school competition for lower secondary students which was won by Han Chiang High School. For full results and photos of winners, please click this link.

Our gratitude goes out to the Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation (MOSTI), State Education Department (JPN), Han Chiang High School, Flex Technology, Intel Microelectronics, Jabil Circuits and the many other sponsors, partners and also the many schools which have taken up the invitation to join this exciting event.

To all students who have joined us for this event, your key takeaway should be “The science of today is the technology of tomorrow” – a quote by Edward Teller (US Theoretical Physicist) and, for sure, if you embark on a career in these fields, the world will be your oyster!