Serdang, 26 February 2026 - The synergy between five Malaysian public universities—UPM, UMT, UMS, UiTM, and UTHM—reached its pinnacle through the recent organization of the Food Science and Technology Undergraduate Colloquium (FOSTUC) 2026. This collaborative platform not only gathered 90 young researchers in the field of food science but also served as a proving ground for the academic quality and scientific skills of graduates at the national level.

FOSTUC 2026 is a research colloquium co-organized by the Faculty of Food Science and Technology (FSTM), Universiti Putra Malaysia; the Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science (FSMA), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu; the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition (FSMP), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS); the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FSG), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam and Kuala Pilah Campuses; and the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology (FAST), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM).

This program is an effort by FSTM to apply one of the core pillars of the EXCEL (Experiential Learning and Competency-Based Education Landscape) framework, namely REAL (Research Infused Experiential Learning), within the BSTM study curriculum. This aligns with the aspirations of the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia to produce holistic and highly skilled graduates. The establishment of EXCEL is to further strengthen the implementation of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (Higher Education) 2015-2025, in addition to aiming to produce graduates who practice lifelong learning, innovative entrepreneurs, creative practitioners, and change-makers.

A total of 90 final-year undergraduate students (Semester 7) participated in this program, coming from the following programs:

1. Bachelor of Food Science and Technology (BSTM) and Bachelor of Food Service Science (BSPPM), FSTM, UPM;
2. Bachelor of Food Science (Food Technology) and Bachelor of Food Science (Food Service and Nutrition), FPSM, UMT;
3. Bachelor of Food Science (Food Technology), Bachelor of Food Science (Food Science and Nutrition), and Bachelor of Food Science (Food Service), FSMP, UMS;
4. Bachelor of Food Science and Technology, FSG, UiTM; and
5. Bachelor of Science (Food Technology), FAST, UTHM

The students' presentations were evaluated by lecturers from all participating universities based on established rubrics. Assessments were based on the mastery of knowledge and scientific skills, communication and answering skills, as well as the skill of using presentation visuals. Three students from each university who obtained the top three highest scores were crowned as first, second, and third-place best presenters. Meanwhile, the presenter who achieved the highest overall score, Tan Jie Man from the Bachelor of Food Science and Technology (BSTM) at UPM, received the Grand Award.

The success of FOSTUC 2026 proves the high commitment of public universities in producing food science graduates who are not only proficient in theory but also competent in research and scientific communication. It is hoped that programs such as this will continue as an annual platform to drive innovation in the national food industry, in line with the aspiration to produce globally competitive change-makers.

Date of Input: 04/03/2026 | Updated: 04/03/2026 | nur_jasni