ExCEL REPORT NO. 2

MINI REPORT

The American Chemical Society (ACS) UTM International Student Chapter successfully hosted the International Young Chemists Summit 2021 (IYCS 2021) on May 29, 2021, in collaboration with the ACS Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) Student Chapter. This virtual event, held via Zoom and Facebook Live, aimed to promote knowledge sharing, learning and collaboration among young scientists, researchers, and students all over the world. It included competitions for presentations, videos, and essays, with participants competing for certificates and cash prizes. Dr. Mohd Firdaus bin Abd Wahab, Chair of the ACS Malaysia Chapter and Prof. Chm. Dr. Zaiton binti Abdul Majid, Deputy Dean Research, Innovation, Development, and Alumni of the Faculty of Science, were among the distinguished attendees, as were representatives from various international ACS Student Chapters. The event began with registration and opening speeches, followed by competitions and the IYCSharing 2021 forum session, where delegates from various ACS chapters shared their chemistry insights. The forum session provided a forum for diverse viewpoints and inspiring stories from the field of chemistry, stimulating audience curiosity and engagement. The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, a photography session, and a closing ceremony. Among the notable winners were Catalyx, Pyro and The Gifted in the presentation competition; Ghibli, Alchemy, and Chemniacs in the video competition; and Muhammad Dzul Fakhri in the essay writing competition. The event was notable for its smooth execution, with participants expressing satisfaction regardless of the competition results. The IYCS 2021 received international media attention and set a high bar for future ACS UTM International Student Chapter events, demonstrating a successful collaborative effort and significant contribution to the global chemistry community.

SELF-REFLECTION

Working as a multimedia and publicity executive for the International Young Chemists Summit 2021 was a fantastic experience for me. This event was a collaboration between ACS UTM and ACS Institut Teknologi Bandung and it provided me with numerous opportunities to apply and improve my problem-solving skills and flexibility.

One of my main responsibilities was to create the invitation booklet. This was more than just design; it was about capturing the essence of the event. I needed to ensure that the booklet was both interesting and informative. This task helped me improve my graphic design skills and taught me the importance of visuals in communicating about an event.

Another significant task was creating certificates for the competition winners. This was difficult because I had to make them look both formal and creative. Making these certificates demonstrated to me how design can make people feel valued and motivated. Looking back, I realize that this experience shaped me in ways I could not have predicted. It has given me skills, memories and lessons that I will use throughout my career and life. The International Young Chemists Summit 2021 was a chapter in my life that taught me the value of passion, dedication, and collaboration.

It was also important to attend the weekly meetings. These meetings were an opportunity to collaborate, solve problems, and share ideas. I learned a lot about active listening, effective communication and the value of teamwork. I also designed prize posters, which required me to make them exciting and appealing. This improved my ability to tell a story visually and use design to convey important messages. One of my responsibilities was to suggest ways to improve the way we discussed the event. This compelled me to think deeply and generate new ideas. It helped me learn more about communication strategy planning.

Working with my team and assisting others taught me about cooperation and the importance of teamwork. In a team, it was critical to be adaptable and supportive. This role taught me a lot about chemistry, which was both interesting and unexpected. It was a constant learning process for me to be creative in my designs and how we communicated. It influenced my thinking and made me more open to new ideas. Finally, sharing event information online was a valuable lesson in digital marketing. I learned how to create messages that people want to hear and the value of effective digital communication.

Overall, my time at the summit was extremely fruitful and rewarding. It was about developing as a person and a professional. Each aspect of my job presented its challenges and lessons, which helped me become more skilled and thoughtful in my work.