Come one, come all: (From left) Lim, Ani Suzila, Prof Faidz and Tay posing with the KLESF promotional posters. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
Hands-on learning has been a hallmark of the annual Kuala Lumpur Engineering Science Fair (KLESF), and this year, the organisers are doubling down on promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through it.
Exposing students to STEM early in life and providing experiential learning opportunities help children and teens understand how STEM is relevant to their daily lives, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) vice president (R&D and Commercialisation) Prof Dr Faidz Abd Rahman said.
“Last year, we focused primarily on hands-on experiments, which worked extremely well. The students had a lot of fun learning.
“We found this to be the most effective way to get students to fall in love with STEM,” he told StarEdu in a recent interview.
The highlight of the upcoming three-day fair, which kicks off on Nov 8, is the 2024 KLESF International Challenge, where students will be presenting some 250 STEM projects.
Prof Faidz said the challenge aims to raise awareness of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals among students while encouraging them to develop their innovative potential.
Another highlight of the KLESF, he added, is the 2024 Sport Stacking Challenge, held for the first time at the 18th Malaysia Festival of the Mind, which will also take place during the fair.
“Fun competitions like cup stacking are designed to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills while keeping learning enjoyable,” he said.
Its assistant secretary Lim Guat Yen said the Malaysia Mental Literacy Movement (MMLM) is excited to introduce the 2024 STEM cube and sport stacking challenges, along with mind games and mental development tasks.
“These activities align with the theme of mental literacy because there’s a strong synergy in the way students learn about how their mind works, which will add to the KLESF’s activities aimed at sparking their interest in STEM,” she said.
ChangeMaker Association founder and president John Tay said the main KLESF agenda is to ensure that students not only learn, but also adopt what they’ve learnt and share the knowledge with others.
The association, he said, will be featuring its Japan robotic band project, which demonstrates how robotics can create engaging musical experiences while inspiring creativity and promoting STEM education.
“We want visitors to the fair to learn something that they can take away and remember, as this could potentially create a business opportunity for them in the future.
“For example, they can make something that can be easily replicated – like an open-source project that they can develop – and sell at their school for a small profit,” he said.
Prof Faidz said the KLESF, which caters to youths of all ages, aims to tap into the potential of gifted students to help promote STEM interest.
“This year, Permata Pintar, a programme for gifted children, will join the fair. The involvement of these students is important in generating public interest in STEM.
“Gifted students are very creative, and by showcasing their STEM work, they can inspire others to explore STEM fields,” he said.
Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) events, media and communications senior manager Ani Suzila Anas said the fair will showcase the Permata Pintar F1 in Schools programme.
“The programme at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia teaches students to design and race miniature F1 cars using engineering tools like 3D printers and computer numerical control machines, which many would find interesting.
“When gifted students show what they can do through hands-on STEM projects, it makes these subjects more interesting, understandable, and easier to imagine pursuing,” she said.
Don't Miss It
12th KL Engineering Science Fair (KLESF)
Date: Nov 8 to 10 (9am – 6pm)
Venue: Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC), Selangor
> The fair is a fully interactive event with local and international students participating.
> Admission is free.
> Highlights: Japan robotic band, miniature F1 cars, STEM challenges, and hands-on experiments.
> Some 30,000 visitors are expected to attend the fair.
Details: Call 018-228 1646 or 03-9086 0288, or email info@klesf.net.
