Swinburne students on mission to save world’s oceans
KUCHING: The innovative solution for solving the global ocean crisis has earned four students of Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus a spot in the winning shortlist for the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Global Challenge 2018/2019.
Team ‘KaBoom’, comprising engineering students Lee Zhe Wei, Jason Pei Shun Fui and Chua Wei Long, and biotechnology student Gan Ger Yuan, was picked among 150 other participants from around the world for the finals.
Under the ‘Greenpeace’ challenge, KaBoom’s qualifying proposal was the ‘Liquid Product Dispensing Machine and Its Transportation System’, which utilises new technologies and alternative delivery systems to reduce single-use plastic packaging.
According to Swinburne Sarawak, in the first round, the entries were evaluated by the judging panel based on their technical feasibility, efficiency, innovation and commercial viability, as well as the quality of submissions.
“Moving on to the final stage, which will be held in August, the teams will be judged on an elevator pitch and thereafter, celebrated at the IET Innovation Awards on Nov 13 at The Brewery, in London,” the university said in a recent statement.
All members of KaBoom, despite coming from different disciplines, were united by their common goal to lend a hand in the conservation of the environment and also to solve one of the world’s major problems – the increasing number of plastic waste in the oceans.
“Being one of the four finalists
Moving on to the final stage, which will be held in August, the teams will be judged on an elevator pitch and thereafter, celebrated at the IET Innovation Awards on Nov 13 at The Brewery, in London.
Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus
of the IET Global Challenge, under the ‘Greenpeace’ challenge, is a great honour for us. Our team is grateful for the guidance of our lecturers who gave us invaluable advice and support in our preparation for the final round,” said KaBoom’s spokesperson.
The IET Global Challenge is an exciting competition for teams of young innovators, aged between 18 and 35, who are out to solve real-world problems using their engineering, technical, and commercial skills.
This year, the competition has partnered with two charities, Greenpeace and GreenSeas Trust, to challenge contestants in developing ideas towards engineering a be er future for the world’s oceans.