SERDANG, 27 February 2025 – The 3rd Food Science & Technology Undergraduate Colloquium (FOSTUC) 2025 successfully concluded after two days of insightful research presentations and discussions. This virtual colloquium, held from 25–26 February 2025, brought together 80 final-year students from four leading universities to showcase their Final Year Project (FYP) research in food science and technology.

This year’s event was officiated by the Deans of all four organizing faculties:

• Dr. Anis Shobirin Meor Hussin, Dean, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
• Ts. Dr. Mohd Effendy Abd Wahid, Dean, Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
• Ts. Dr. Hasmadi Mamat, Dean, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)
• Ts. Dr. Mohd Rozi Ahmad, Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)

With the theme "University-Driven Food Research & Innovations for Enhanced Food Security," FOSTUC 2025 served as a platform for knowledge exchange, allowing students to present their research to academic peers, industry professionals, and researchers.

A Virtual Platform for Food Science Research

The event featured oral presentations via an online platform, covering diverse topics such as food science, technology, processing, food safety, and nutrition. Students showcased their findings in front of academic experts, receiving valuable feedback and industry insights.

To further enrich the experience, four distinguished keynote speakers delivered expert talks:

• Functional Foods Research Innovations – Dr. Ahmad Haniff Jaafar, UPM
• Food Security Through Halal Standards – Puan Nur Aniqah Binti Muhamad Amin, JAKIM
• Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Coffee Cultivation – Prof. Dr. Zaibunnisa Abdul Haiyee, UiTM
• The Role of Banana Peels in the Food Industry – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wolyna Pindi, UMS

Recognizing Research Excellence Across Universities

The colloquium concluded with an award ceremony, recognizing outstanding research presentations. Each participating university—UPM, UMT, UMS, and UiTM—had students who received:

🏅 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards for exceptional research and presentation quality.

Additionally, a Grand Award was presented to the best overall research project from all participating universities, recognizing the most impactful and innovative study of the event.

🏆 FOSTUC 2025 Winners 🏆

🏅 Grand Award
🥇 [Siti Zulaikha Binti Nordin] – Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)

🏅 Gold - Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
🥇 [Nur Jihan Binti Mahzan]

🏅 Silver - Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
🥇 [Qistina Batrisyia Binti Yuzainizam]

🏅 Bronze - Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
🥇 [Muhammad Danial Haikal Bin Abdul Halim]

🏅 Best Presenter (Social Science Category) - Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
🥇 [Teh Yi Qing]

The winners were commended for their excellence in research and ability to present complex scientific concepts effectively. The panel of judges, consisting of academic experts from all four universities, conducted a rigorous evaluation process.

A Commitment to Future Research and Innovation

Despite being held virtually, FOSTUC 2025 successfully fostered intellectual exchange, collaboration, and networking among students, faculty members, and industry professionals. The organizing committee expressed their gratitude to all participants and emphasized the importance of continuing such initiatives to nurture the next generation of food scientists.

With the overwhelming success of FOSTUC 2025, the participating universities look forward to FOSTUC 2026, aiming to further strengthen research collaborations and industry engagement in food science and technology.

👏 Congratulations to all winners and participants! 👏

Date of Input: 07/03/2025 | Updated: 07/03/2025 | nur_jasni