Malaysia’s first-ever science and technology fair, the #mydigitalmaker Fair 2017 saw over 20,o00 visitors across two-days, experiencing the best projects as showcased by young Malaysian students.
The event took place on 16th and 17th September in KLCC, held in conjunction with Petrosains Science Festival 2017. Aiming to , the event also showcases creations and celebrate achievements of top young digital maker talents.
Supported by Ministry of Communication and Multimedia Malaysia (MCMM) and Ministry of Education (MOE), #mydigitalmaker fair promotes science and technology, create awareness amongst students and parents on how technology will play a huge part in future job landscapes.
MDEC’s #mydigitalmaker Fair featured plenty of creative and innovative digital projects from young Malaysian students, using recyclable elements to build their technologies. Additionally, there have been multiple pitching sessions and project demos that featured globally recognised and award-winning teams that represent their respective schools at the highest level of competition.
“The digital technology industry has plenty in store for them and we need to make parents understand that the digital future is a secured and promising future for the children. We are inching closer to Vision 2020 and 30 years after that, we have to start thinking about creating more digital intellectuals to solve future problems. MDEC is on the right track as the #mydigitalmaker movement initiatives are echoing the government-led National Transformation 2050 (TN50)’s aspiration to place more emphasis on youth engagement and supports the idea of looking towards the future. On behalf of MDEC, we are honoured to be able to drive a movement that is set to bring immense progress for our children’s future and ensure that they have all the support they need to advance further in the industry,” shared Datuk Yasmin Mahmood, CEO of MDEC.
Highlight of the weekend had been the ‘Battle of the Digital Ninjas’ segment, where student teams who trained under the Digital Ninja Programme took the stage to pitch their ideas to a heavy-hitting panel of judges. The students, having undergone a series of digital upskilling and leadership courses with technology companies as well as experiencing educational and experiential trips to Silicon Valley, presented their ideas on solving real-life problems during this ‘Shark Tank’ like segment.
The judging panel includes: Datuk Yasmin Mahmood; Dato’ Seri Ivan Teh for Fusionex; Johan Mahmood Merican from EPU; Dr. Rezal Khairi Ahmad of Nano Malaysia Berhad; Mr. Sim Hon Wai, COO, MDT Innovations; Ms. Chok Kwee Bee, the Managing Director, Teak Capital Management; and Jasmine Begum, Director of Legal, Government, and Corporate, Microsoft Malaysia.
The first prize went to Team Unmei from Sekolah Tun Fatimah and SMK Taman Megah Ria, Johor, for their idea to encourage more people in urban areas to plant more greens through their Cloud Farm app. Team Unmei won RM1,275 during their pitch. In an unscripted moment, Dato’ Seri Ivan Teh from Fusionex generously added RM10,000 more to support their ideation.
Parents and students who visited the fair had the opportunity to discovered the ample resources and initiatives that the government and private institutions have developed in their effort to nurture more digital creatives and innovators. This includes all sorts of concepts and innovation in the robotics, 3D printing, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), data analytics sectors.
True to its aim of creating a nurturing educational environment for digital learning, the #mydigitalmaker Fair 2017 saw plenty of educational activities, such as a sharing session with the Digital Ninjas teams; career talks with key industry players with the likes of Streamline Studios, Les ‘Copaque, and IBM ; and a ‘brain-picking’ session called ‘CEOs and Kids’ with guest CEOs from local digital technology companies, featuring The Lorry, Kitamen, YouthsToday.com, TudiduT Studio and Kurechii. The latter had the CEOs share their thoughts on what the future work careers would be.
The massively successful MDEC #mydigitalmaker Fair 2017 is part of MDEC’s #mydigitalmaker initiative, a public-private partnership with a primary objective of creating a nation of Digital Makers through proper digital education and practicalities in the formal and extra curriculum scene. From its inception, it has received warm response from the public looking for inspiration in digital technology and knowledge for future digital careers.
