UiTM students win gold at international inventions competition

JAKARTA: Three students of Malaysia's Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) have brought fame to the country with their invention of internationally acclaimed self-care products.
Muhammad Salman Samin, Mohamad Kamarul Mohamad Sipi and Nasywa Yazid won the gold medal at the 4th International Young Innovators Award 2017 (IYIA) here yesterday with their skin-care cream and hair treatment gel.
The team of third-year Bachelor of Chemical Engineering students of UiTM Penang invented the "Murcogen" skin-care cream made from Beijing Grass to ease skin pain and the "Amur Hair" treatment gel made from soursop to treat various hair problems.
UiTM Penang senior lecturer of the Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Mohamed Syazwan Osman, who supervised the students, said their gold-medal achievement was something UiTM Penang could be proud of as it was their maiden entry in the contest.
It did not cross their minds at all that they would be adjudged winners for the two inventions, which he regarded as a historic achievement for students of UiTM Penang, considering that 250 products from tertiary institutions and fully residential schools from 13 countries had been entered into the contest.
Mohamed Syazwan said Malaysia entered 60 products in the competition.
"We have filed for patents for the two products and there is a request from the industries to commercialise them," he said in a statement.
He said UiTM hoped that the achievement would spur other students to be innovative and develop their talents for international success.
The competition, open to people under 30, was organised by the Indonesian Invention and Innovation Promotion Association (Innopa) with the cooperation of Universitas Mercu Buana and the World Inventors and Innovators Association (Wiia). — Bernama