PULAU PINANG, 15 September 2025 – Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Pulau Pinang successfully hosted the 3rd International Mobility Program: Global Project-Based Learning (gPBL) 2025, themed “Design of an Intelligent Control Robotic System”. The program brought together students and lecturers from Hosei University (HU) and Fukuoka Institute of Technology (FIT), Japan; Universitas Negeri Malang (UNM), Indonesia; and UiTM, Malaysia, in collaboration with National Instruments (NI).
A total of 30 students participated (HU: 12, FIT: 6, UNM: 6, UiTM: 6), supported by distinguished academics including Prof. Tomonori Kato (HU), Dr. Takuya Tamamoto and Dr. Keisuke Komada (FIT), alongside UiTM facilitators. Participants were grouped into six multicultural teams—Radiance, Rocket Fighters, Fuuho, Totomario, Robo Star, and Hryah—encouraging cross-cultural collaboration and communication. English was used throughout the program to enhance teamwork and intercultural competencies while tackling technical challenges.
Strengthening its industry-academia partnership, UiTM continued its collaboration with National Instruments (NI), whose contributions were pivotal to the program’s success. NI provided EV3 robotics kits, technical guidance, and active engagement throughout the sessions. Mr. Tan Ji Sheen, NI’s representative, also served as a judge during the final robot competition, offering valuable insights from the industry perspective.
Participants undertook two engineering missions, each culminating in formal presentations that honed their public speaking and confidence. The program reached its peak with a robot competition, witnessed by 70 visiting students from SMK Tun Fatimah Hashim, Johor. Team Rocket Fighters was crowned champion, while Team Robo Star received the Best Presentation Award, judged by Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Alhan (Head of PKE) and Pn. Nor Azilawati (Deputy Chief Librarian, PTAR).
Beyond academic engagement, the program included a cultural immersion trip to Kuala Kangsar, where participants visited heritage landmarks such as Istana Kenangan and Masjid Ubudiah. This experience enriched their understanding of Malaysia’s cultural diversity and fostered international camaraderie.
The success of gPBL2025 was driven by the dedication of the organizing committee comprising Electrical Engineering Studies (Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Nor Azlan Othman, Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Nor Salwa Damanhuri, Ir. Dr. Rozan Boudville, Dr. Belinda Chong Chiew Meng, Ts. Dr. Adi Izhar Che Ani, and Mohd Adnan Omar), Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management (Dr. Anderson Ngelambong), and UiTM Global (Dr. Nor Khadijah Mohd Azhari), with strong support from UiTMCPP’s top management.
The achievements of gPBL2025 reaffirm UiTM’s commitment to global collaboration, knowledge exchange, and cultural appreciation, further strengthening its role as a regional hub for international engagement in engineering education.