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Dr. Yang Chia Yen Awarded 2026 Research Grant by The Sumitomo Foundation, Japan
The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Asst. Prof. Dr. Yang Chia Yen from the School of Economics and Management on being awarded a research grant of JPY390,000 from The Sumitomo Foundation, Japan. This research project aims to investigate the influence of Japanese culture on Malaysians using an experimental research design. The findings are expected to provide practical implications for policymakers and contribute to long-term societal well-being in Malaysia.This year, only 65 out of 1,256 research proposals were selected across 16 regions, including China, Indonesia, Singapore, and Korea. According to statistics provided by The Sumitomo Foundation, only 12 out of 523 applicants from Malaysia received funding, resulting in an acceptance rate of just 2.29% (Tables 1 and 2).Source: The Sumitomo Foundation, Japan. Applications were submitted in 2025, and successful proposals were awarded in 2026. Source: The Sumitomo Foundation, Japan. Applications were submitted in 2025, and successful proposals were awarded in 2026.The Japan-Related Research Projects Programme, established by The Sumitomo Foundation, aims to strengthen cultural and academic ties across Asia. By supporting research in the humanities and social sciences, the programme promotes greater mutual understanding between Japan and other Asian countries. In addition to the humanities and social sciences, The Sumitomo Foundation supports initiatives in basic science, environmental conservation, and international exchange through its other funding programmes.Dr. Yang Chia Yen is an Assistant Professor at Xiamen University Malaysia's School of Economics and Management. Her research expertise includes consumer behaviour, services marketing, sustainable marketing, and digital business. Prior to joining academia, she worked as an Art Director in the IT industry, providing web solutions consultancy services to clients such as Hotel InterContinental Kuala Lumpur, TGV Cinemas, Smart Glove, Setia Haruman, and the publishers of Female and Marie Claire magazines.
Global Carnival 2026 Brings Cultures Together at XMUM
On 16 May 2026, the International Student Ambassadors (ISA) organized Global Carnival 2026 at Tan Hua Choon Auditorium, Xiamen University Malaysia, bringing together students from different nationalities and backgrounds in a celebration of cultural diversity.With 17 countries participating, the event featured interactive booths, traditional performances, games, and cultural displays. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about different customs, experience unique traditions, and interact with students from around the world.Global Carnival 2026 attracted more than 600 participants, reflecting strong support from the university community and providing a platform for cultural exchange and appreciation of diversity on campus.
Chemical Engineering Students Achieve Outstanding Results in IVCCII 2026
The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre congratulates Cho Hui Yue, Lim Zhi Juin, and their supervisor, Asst. Prof. ChM. Dr. Lai Sin Yuan, from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering for winning Silver Awards at the International Virtual Competition of Creative and Innovative Idea 2026 (IVCCII 2026), held on 16 May 2026.Organized by MNNF Network, the event provides a platform for students to showcase their ideas and engage in creative problem-solving on a global stage. More than 10 universities participated in this international competition.Cho Hui Yue, a second-year undergraduate in the Chemical Engineering Programme, received a Silver Award for her project “From Light to Protection: Smart Biodegradable Packaging for Perishable Food". The project focuses on the development of a novel biodegradable active food packaging system as an alternative to non-biodegradable, petroleum-based plastics. It offers a leak-resistant and sustainable packaging solution that extends the shelf life of perishable food products while remaining compatible with existing commercial manufacturing processes.Lim Zhi Juin, a second-year undergraduate in the Chemical Engineering Programme, also received a Silver Award for her project “ThermoStable Banana Transport Box Using CrodaTherm 15". The project introduces an innovative, sustainable, temperature-controlled multilayer transport box designed to reduce post-harvest losses of bananas during transportation in tropical climates. By eliminating the need for active refrigeration during transit, the reusable box reduces logistics costs, increases profit margins for farmers, and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to food waste reduction and climate action.Asst. Prof. ChM. Dr. Lai Sin Yuan's research lies at the cutting edge of sustainability, focusing on green chemistry, materials science, nanomaterials, photocatalysis, biomass, biofuels, biopolymer, and the integration of machine learning for sustainable development. To date, she has published 43 articles, with 37 indexed in the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection. Her strong academic footprint is further commanded by a Google Scholar h-index of 14 and a Scopus h-index of 12. Dr. Lai is currently seeking highly motivated Master's students to join her dynamic research team. If you are eager to work on impactful, sustainable technologies, please contact her directly at sinyuan.lai@xmu.edu.my.
Winners Announced - XMUM's 10th Anniversary Essay Competition
Xiamen University Malaysia is pleased to announce the results of the 10th Anniversary Essay Competition and congratulate the winners on their outstanding work!The winners were chosen by a professional panel of judges, including Dr. Ng Kee Ong, Dr. Ooi Bee Peng, Ms. Li Xiaowen, Dr. Al-Saggaf Mohammad Ali Abdellah, Dr. Irina Ivanova, and representatives from the organizing committee. Here is the list of winners:First Prize: Abdi Abdifatah Ibrahim - The Silence That Changed Everything: My 8,000-Kilometer JourneySecond Prize: Tang Wing Lok - 十年·我在厦门大学马来西亚分校的故事Third Prize: Chan Yi Ying - My Favourite Mid-AutumnSpecial Prize: Fang Xiao(方晓) - 感恩碑Meanwhile, we would like to congratulate another 12 essays that have been selected from the 60 entries we received. They are listed below in alphabetical order:Cheah Yuat Hoong - 我与马来西亚厦门大学的第一个十年Esenalieva Aizhamal Esenalievna - Brick by Brick: Growing Up with XMUMFang Xiao & Zhou Hailiang(方晓 & 周海亮) - 忆厦大马校创办初期的招生工作Gamakharova Mariia - Everything Starts With A DreamIlhomov Azizbek Akbarjon Ugli - Companions, Changes, and Becoming: My Story at XMUMKudaibergen Niara - At XMUM, I Finally BelongedLow Kit Yin - 忆味Lydia Yap Ern Whui - UntitledMubanga Kalumba - My Life at XMUMNorzita Binti Yunus - A Career Change, A Life RewrittenTan Hao - 再见,我的大学Zhang Siyu(张思钰)- The Algorithm of Resilience: How I Coded My Way from Tears to TriumphEssays of the winners and the top stories will be collected into the 10th Anniversary e-Anthology, which is expected to be released later in the year.We would like to thank all the participants who have supported this competition. Your stories have added meaningful chapters to XMUM's journey, and we look forward to celebrating many more milestones together in the years to come.
Southeast Asia Division Contest of China International College Students' Innovation Competition 2026
Video file About the CompetitionSEA-CICSIC 2026 is the Southeast Asia regional contest of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition (CICSIC), providing a regional platform for students to participate in this prestigious global competition. It aims to foster cross-cultural collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship among university and college students from Southeast Asian countries, while encouraging participants to apply their innovative solutions to regional and global challenges.The China International College Students’ Innovation Competition (CICSIC) is a premier global event that unites university and college students worldwide to engage in innovation and entrepreneurship. It provides a platform for participants to showcase their ideas, collaborate with peers, and explore innovative solutions addressing global challenges and advancing sustainable development. Since its inception in 2015, CICSIC has successfully held consecutive annual competitions. In 2025, it attracted 24.43 million participants from 5,673 universities, with 6.19 million projects submitted and 4,729 projects awarded.All projects submitted to SEA-CICSIC 2026 will be eligible for recommendation to the CICSIC 2026 global competition. Students passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship are invited to participate.Project Entry Requirements1.Projects should address social needs, create new products and business models, and promote the transformation of key industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, health, energy, and environmental protection. They should also facilitate the integration of digital technology with education, medical care, transport, finance, and cultural exchange.2.Projects must be ethical, legal, and free of any content that violates Chinese and any other Southeast Asia countries’ laws or regulations. All inventions, patented technologies, and resources involved must have the attendant legal intellectual property rights and proprietary rights. Entrants who submit plagiarized or pirated entries will be disqualified from the competition, forfeit any awards received, and shall bear all legal liabilities.3.Entrants must choose the proper category for submitting their projects. The participating teams must truthfully fill out and submit entry materials in the registration system in a timely manner. Projects that have won the Gold or Silver Awards in previous sessions of the CICSIC and Gold Awards in the MCYIC are not eligible for submission.4.Entrants must be under 35 years old (born in/after 1991).How to ParticipateThe Competition only accepts team entries. All entrants shall participate as teams of 2 to 15 members (team leader included). A team may be formed by members from more than one college. All entrants shall be core members of the team.All entrants must be students who are currently enrolled at a university/college or those who have graduated within the past 5 years (graduated in/after 2021). The application should be submitted by the team leader. A team shall represent only one foreign institution in which the team leader is currently enrolled or has graduated from. In this case, a foreign institution refers to a higher education institution that is located in Southeast Asia countries (outside Mainland China as well as Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions of China) and is qualified to provide tertiary education and award degrees. Participants from different universities are allowed to form a team.All submissions will be classified into one of the following two categories depending on the entrants' academic status: Undergraduate or Postgraduate. The submissions will be further classified into two sub-categories based on the projects’ business stage: Idea Stage and Startup Stage Projects. All participating colleges shall instruct entrants to correctly fill out the application and register in the appropriate category.Requirements for Undergraduate & PostgraduateIdea Stageare creative;have mature product prototypes or service models;have not completed business registration or other types of registration on or before 1 April 2026.The applicant must be the team leader, and the team leader and members must currently be undergraduates or junior college students.Startup StageProjects are projects that have completed business registration or other types of registration (before 1 April 2026).The applicant must be the team leader, the legal representative of the start-up and a current undergraduate or an undergraduate/junior college student who has graduated with an undergraduate degree within the past 5 years.Timeline:Registration Opens: April 11, 2026, 12:00 noon Registration Closes: April 27, 2026, 12:00 noon Eligibility Review: April – May 2026 Finalists Announcement: May 2026 (tentative) Final Competition & Award Ceremony: June 2026Learn more:Event Website: https://events.xmu.edu.my/seacicsic26/Registration Website: https://mys.pilcchina.org/homeXiamen University Malaysia – Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center: innocompetition@xmu.edu.my Image
2026/04 Mandarin Class Programme by Department of Chinese Studies
Learning Mandarin is becoming increasingly important in today's global world. At Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM), the Student Council of Chinese Studies is introducing the Mandarin Class Programme for international students and staffs who are interested in learning the language and exploring Chinese culture.What You Will LearnThis program provides a fun and structured learning experience where you can develop basic Mandarin skills, including:SpeakingReadingWritingListeningThese skills will support you in your studies, daily life, and future career.Why Join?Learn Mandarin in a friendly and supportive environmentMeet students from different countriesExperience cultural exchange and make new friendsAdditional BenefitsThe programme also allows students from the Department of Chinese Studies to gain teaching experience, making it a meaningful learning opportunity for everyone involved.Sign Up Now!Registration deadline: Wednesday, 8 April 2026, 9pmFees are applicable. Please contact the Student Council of Chinese Studies at chscouncil.xmum@gmail.com for further information.Don’t miss this chance to learn Mandarin and connect with others at XMUM! Image


