MANILA — Two teams from the IPG Sarawak Miri campus claimed top honours at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Asia-Pacific Open Championship 2025, held in Manila, Philippines from 19 to 21 September.
Competing in the Future Engineers category, X-Unitech took the championship title, while Novatech secured third place among 108 teams representing 22 nations. Nearly 1,000 participants attended the tournament.
Both teams are composed of six trainee teachers: Vun Xiu Xuan, Alvin Kong Wei Ee, Jennissa Aing Jim, Lai Chaun Choy, Adam Syahmi Mohd Syahrizal, and Muhammad Hakim Khairul Azam.
They were coached by Dr Hu Laey Nee and Dr Norsarihan Ahmad, with Dr Tiwi Kamidin, Deputy Director of IPG Sarawak Miri, serving as team manager.
Earlier in September, the IPG Sarawak Miri campus also recorded a win in the RoboMission Senior category at the WRO Europe Open Championship in Ljubljana, Slovenia, via its RoboNova-X team.
Organisers of WRO describe the competition as not merely a test of technological and programming skill, but also as a platform for fostering innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving among young talents.
Sarawak’s education authorities say these achievements validate ongoing efforts to enhance STEM and robotics education statewide.
The Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development has emphasised these programmes as key to equipping future teachers and students with skills needed in advanced technological fields.
