The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Finance Research Creativity and Innovation Fund (RCI Fund) and STEM Cambodia Organization, announced the winners of the inaugural National Creative Mechatronic Product Design Competition for secondary school students.
This groundbreaking competition, which is open to students from both public and private schools across the country, aims to cultivate innovation and creativity in the burgeoning field of mechatronics—a multidisciplinary area that integrates electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering.
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A total of 30 teams vied for the opportunity to participate in the competition’s grand finale, held in the capital city of Phnom Penh on October 30. After intense scrutiny, nine teams made it to the finals, where a panel of esteemed judges selected five winners.
The judging panel consisted of:
- H.E. San Vathana, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports
- H.E. Allen Dodgson Tan, founder of STEM Cambodia
- Mr. Richard Yim, CEO of Cambodia-Japan Digital Manufacturing Center
- Ms. Porhour Ly, Senior Product Manager at Boost Capital
During the medal awarding ceremony, H.E. San Vathana shared his insights on the transformative power of the competition. “This program provided great opportunities for students. By learning to solve problems and to solve them in groups, students engaged in a new way of thinking that was beneficial to them. This competition helped them experience new things through learning and recreation,” said Vathana.
He further stated that the initiative had allowed students to meet numerous experienced professionals for mentorship and training. “Instructors, educational institutions, and students should all practice creativity, problem-solving, and recognizing societal issues both within and outside the classroom,” Vathana added.
Significant Leaps in The Kingdom’s STEM Education
H.E. Allen Dodgson Tan, founder of STEM Cambodia, expressed his awe at the significant leaps in the country’s STEM education witnessed during the event. “Today, we saw the rapid development of STEM education in Cambodia. Five years ago, we could not have imagined that high school students could conceptualize and materialize such impressive projects. Truly remarkable,” he commented.
The competition has not only offered a platform for students to showcase their innovation in mechatronics but has also highlighted the importance of hands-on, practical education for Cambodia’s broader socio-economic development. With the success of this inaugural competition, MoEYS, the RCI Fund, and STEM Cambodia Organization are optimistic about continuing and expanding similar educational initiatives in the future.
The finals yielded these top 5 teams:
- The first-place team, “M4TB” from Tbong Kmom Province, representing Hun Sen Orang High School, created a solar-powered food dehydrator to efficiently dry various items, including vegetables, fish, meat, fruits, and more.
- In the second place, team “Builder Max” from Phnom Penh, representing Prek Leap High School, made a machine powered by solar energy that helps manage crops automatically, providing water when the soil is dry using a smartphone app.
- In third place, team “12th Grader Youth” from Phnom Penh, representing Pannasastra International School, made a machine that can pull metal contamination out of rice using electro-magnets.
- In fourth place, team “Teen-Bot” from Kampong Chhnang, representing Borey Vichea Private School, incorporated technology into supporting crop irrigation systems and automatic water pumps, telling the soil humidity and water height through the LCD.
- In fifth place, “Team Banteay Meanchey,” from Banteay Meanchey province, representing Serey Sophorn High School, made a remote-controlled rice harvester that can be controlled using a smartphone.
