As innovation accelerates progress in our society, it calls for the need to upskill future generations in this field of research and study. Driven to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM Education in Malaysia, Samsung Malaysia Electronics announced the launch of ‘Solve for Tomorrow 2021’, a youth competition to inspire students to create solutions to fix issues faced by society through STEM. The competition will begin on 14 July 2021 and culminate in a Finale Presentation & Prize-Giving Ceremony on 9 December 2021.
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2021 is executed in partnership with Universiti Malaya’s STEM Centre and is supported by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia. The competition is open to Form 1 and Form 2 students across all national secondary schools registered with the Ministry of Education Malaysia, providing them with an opportunity to engage in STEM activities and improve their learning experience. This year, Solve for Tomorrow will address two main social issues: ‘Access to Education’ and ‘Environmental Sustainability.
“Samsung is dedicated to creating a future that provides a better life for all. Our strength lies in innovation. Therefore, with Solve for Tomorrow, we aim to spark interest in innovation and STEM amongst Malaysian youth. Inspiring this young generation to identify and solve societal problems using STEM will help us support them to create a better future for all,” said Dato’ Roh Jae Yeol, Director of Corporate Affairs, Samsung Malaysia Electronics.
Ir. Dr Mas Sahidayana Mohktar, Head of Universiti Malaya STEM Centre, said, “This partnership builds on the programmes offered at Universiti Malaya’s STEM Centre and aligns with the institute’s mission to nurture our leaders of tomorrow. The initiative allows students to apply their learnings and test their innovation capabilities under the guidance of technology and education experts. Our collaboration with Samsung signifies our determination to provide access to digital technology and skills for our youth.”
This year, Malaysia’s famous content creator and social media influencer, Imran Aqil, is onboard as the face of Solve for Tomorrow 2021. Imran is currently pursuing Electronic Computer Engineering at Sultan Idris Shah Polytechnic and will be a great role model and inspiration.
In line with the National Education Policy under the Ministry of Education, Samsung Malaysia and Universiti Malaya hope that the Solve for Tomorrow competition will shine a spotlight on students who can create, think logically, and use technology to solve problems in a real-world context.
Solve for Tomorrow 2021 is open to Form 1 and Form 2 students from secondary schools nationwide. In teams of three, students need to submit an essay describing an issue and how STEM solutions can solve it. For the second round, ten shortlisted teams will refine their ideas and showcase them through a PowerPoint presentation.
This year’s competition has two themes: ‘Access to Education’ and ‘Environmental Sustainability’. Access to Education will look for entries that offer solutions to make Education more inclusive, whereas Environmental Sustainability will cover submissions that offer STEM solutions that tackle our most pressing environmental issues like climate change, pollution, over-consumption and deforestation.
In the third and final round, the top five teams will be encouraged to create a solution prototype. Each team will need to submit a video recording of their presentation, explaining the functions of their prototype. The teams will then get an opportunity to present their STEM-based innovation to the judges and battle it out to the top. The winners will be judged based on the relevance of the issue, creativity, feasibility of ideas, application of STEM and presentation of innovative solutions.
The winning teams of Solve for Tomorrow will win Samsung products and devices for their respective schools and themselves. The first prize-winning team will receive Samsung products worth up to RM12,000 presented to the school, while each student will receive up to RM6,000 worth of Samsung products. For the second prize, the team will receive products worth up to RM10,000 for their school, while the students will each walk away with products worth up to RM5,000. The third prize-winning team will receive products worth up to RM8,000 for their school, while the students will win products worth up to RM4,000 each. There are also two consolation prizes of Samsung products worth up to RM6,600.
“The many issues that are affecting us today will require a generation of young minds who have critical skills in STEM, in addition to compassion and empathy for the struggles faced by their communities. We see Solve for Tomorrow as a platform to spark this curiosity, and perhaps in the future, these students will unravel challenges affecting us today,” concluded Dato’ Roh Jae Yeol.
For more information about Solve for Tomorrow, visit www.samsung.com/my/solvefortomorrow/
