Technology Community (TECHNITY '23) 2023
Date: 11th May 2023
Venue: Dewan Bestari, SMK Dato’ Sulaiman, Parit Sulong, Batu Pahat, Johor
Organiser: Jazari Innovation Club
Graduate Attributes: Leadership and Teamworking Skills
Position/ Role in the Activities: Vice-Director of Program and Sponsorship Unit
Mini Report:
Technology Community (TECHNITY '23) is an integrated robotics workshop organized in collaboration with 6 secondary schools in the vicinity of Parit Sulong, Batu Pahat. The initiative is supported by the Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah (PPD) Batu Pahat, the IEEE Malaysia ComSoc VTS Joint Chapter, and the UTM JAZARI Innovation Club. Its primary objective is to enhance technical knowledge among high school students outside the city. The program took place over one day at Dewan Bestari, SMK Dato Sulaiman, Batu Pahat, focusing on introducing the basics of robotics, encompassing electronics and programming knowledge, as well as the practical construction of sumo robots and participation in sumo robot competitions.
49 students from six different secondary schools and 12 RBT teachers actively participated in TECHNITY '23. The program featured capable and experienced speakers from Jazari Innovations, who conducted tutorial and teaching sessions on basic robotics for the participants. Additionally, each team received a dedicated facilitator to assist in the construction of sumo robots.
Upon the program's conclusion, Hj. Yusri Salami, the Batu Pahat District Assistant Education Officer (Students Talent Development), presented prize awards to the winners of the Sumo Robot competition. Notably, TECHNITY '23 was honoured by the presence of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Haji Fimbombay is a visiting researcher from Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology in Tanzania. Dr. Haji, affiliated with the Telecommunication Software & System (TeSS) research group in FKE’s Department of Communication Engineering, expressed a keen interest in observing community activities organized by UTM.
Self-Reflection:
As the vice-director of the program, I collaborated with Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah (PPD) Batu Pahat to secure approval for Jazari Innovation Club to host TECHNITY ‘23 at SMK Dato’ Sulaiman, Parit Sulong. This involved a series of emails, meetings, and discussions before receiving approval from PPD Batu Pahat. I also engaged with the main school, SMK Dato’ Sulaiman, to extend a collaboration request for utilizing Dewan Bestari. The main school provided excellent support, creating a community to ensure the smooth execution of the program.
Furthermore, I served as the sponsorship unit, responsible for securing funding for the program. I reached out to several companies, agencies, and UTM’s faculties, including Mechabotic Sdn. Bhd., Move Robotic Sdn. Bhd., and the Faculty of Electric (FKE). In total, I successfully secured RM4000 in sponsorship from various sources for TECHNITY ‘23. This experience provided valuable insights into dealing with corporate professionals and navigating the process of seeking sponsorship in a manner conducive to the success of the program.
In conclusion, TECHNITY ‘23 provided me with an opportunity to learn more about engaging with external stakeholders in a professional manner for the success of formal events.