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4 Students Make M'sia Proud After Securing Victory At German Innovation Competition

The students came out on top against 490 teams from across the world.

Cover image via SMK Agama Kuala Selangor (Facebook)

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It was a proud day for four students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Kuala Selangor when they won first place at the International Trade Fair, Ideas, Inventions, and New Products (iENA) 2022 in Nuremberg, Germany

According to Bernama, the four-member team comprising of Athirah Ahmad Hisshamuddin, Raja Dhia Nazneen Insyirah Raja Mohd Aman Shah, Nur Damia Bisyara Muhammad Imran, and Sarah Ardinie Khairul Faizi, took home first place with their invention at the three-day competition that began on 27 October.

The team was accompanied by their two teachers, Mohd Ridzuan Mohammad and Mohd Zulhelmi Mansor.

If first place wasn't enough the Malaysian team also managed to bag the Special Award in the Best Overall Innovation Product for the Young Inventors Category: 'Prize of the City of Nuremberg'.

According to the teachers, the 2022 dream team was continuing the success of their seniors who won similar awards in the same competition back in 2019.

The team posing with their teachers on stage with the Jalur Gemilang displayed.

Image via SMK Agama Kuala Selangor (Facebook)

The team taking a selfie together after the award ceremony.

Image via SMK Agama Kuala Selangor (Facebook)

The Kuala Selangor team won with their invention of an educational board game centred on the topic of history and world civilisation

The students came up with the Educational Card Set (ECS) World History Exploration Challenge, a Monopoly-inspired board game, which showcases heritage sites of world civilisations and was designed to get more people, specifically teenagers, interested in mastering general knowledge related to world history.

"The concept of taking photographs and recording interesting events are highlighted on the board game. This allows two-way interaction and encourages discussion among students playing the ECS," said guidance teacher Mohd Zulhelmi.

The teacher hopes that the ECS board game will take off as an educational tool to be used in academic competitions and one day be available for sale to families across Malaysia.

Their achievements has won them praise and recognition from caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. He congratulated them on their win and set them as an example for other youths to participate in innovation competitions like the iENA.

iENA is the longest-established innovation exhibition in the world, where innovations and inventions have been showcased at the international forefront for 70 years

According to the IENA website, more than 800 inventions are presented annually at their exhibition, where inventors have the opportunity to strike up business deals with trade visitors from around the world.

The iENA is also affiliated with the International Federation of Inventors' Association (IFIA), a non-profit international inventors association that actively supports inventors and their creations.

iENA International Inventions Fair 2021.

Image via International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA)

In 2021, this 11-year-old made headlines for winning three international awards for her livestock feed invention:

She even got a shout-out from US talk show host James Corden:

Read more inspiring stories about Malaysians who achieved great things on an international level:

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