Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Spanish Institute (UniKL MSI) strengthened its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and community outreach efforts by co-hosting the CIPTRIX Competition 2026 on 5 August 2026.
The competition, held at UniKL MSI, attracted more than 60 teams comprising preschool, primary, and secondary school students from across Malaysia’s northern region, as well as parents, teachers, and community members.
Designed to make STEM more accessible and engaging, CIPTRIX 2026 transformed technical concepts into hands-on challenges that encouraged creativity, teamwork and problem-solving among young learners.
Lecturers, staff and students from UniKL MSI played an active role in delivering the programme, reflecting the university’s commitment to extending technical and vocational education and training (TVET) beyond the classroom and into the wider community.
Led by Ms. Camila Lau Lih Yan, founder of Be STEM Ready, participants were introduced to activities such as Drone Transporter, Unknown Mystery Challenge, AI Star Cruise, Intelligent Farm, Bottle Wrestling, Robo Football, Robot Obstacle Race and Drone Aerial Combat.
The challenges exposed students to areas including robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), drone technology, engineering and smart agriculture, while allowing them to apply scientific and technological concepts through collaborative problem-solving.
Robotics and drone competitions emerged among the highlights of the event as young participants from diverse backgrounds worked and competed together. Their enthusiasm demonstrated how technology and experiential learning can create a common platform for communication, collaboration and innovation.
CIPTRIX 2026 was jointly supported by Be STEM Ready and Universiti Kuala Lumpur’s Centre for STEM Enhancement & TVET (CSET), strengthening the connection between higher education, schools and the community in developing Malaysia’s future STEM talent.
UniKL MSI Dean and Head of Campus, Associate Professor Ir. Dr. Mohd Nizam Ahmad also highlighted UniKL’s educational pathways, including its foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, as well as the university’s role as a Government-Linked University under Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) with a strong focus on higher technical and vocational education and training.
Through initiatives such as CIPTRIX 2026, UniKL MSI continues to advance STEM education, TVET, digital skills development, artificial intelligence literacy and community engagement, while encouraging younger generations to consider future pathways in engineering, technology and innovation.
The initiative supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4: Quality Education through inclusive STEM learning opportunities and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure through exposure to robotics, AI, engineering and emerging technologies.
It also contributes to SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals by bringing together UniKL MSI, CSET, Be STEM Ready, schools, educators, families and communities to strengthen STEM education and cultivate future innovators.
