TAR UMT Secures Third Prize at the International Joint Student Research Symposium 2026

Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) was represented by four student teams among a total of 29 participating teams from universities worldwide at the International Joint Student Research Symposium (IJSRS) 2026. The team represented by Tan Zi Yang secured third prize in the Best Presenter Award competition, earning recognition for TAR UMT on an international academic platform.

Organised by the School of Computer Science, BINUS University, Indonesia, the symposium took place from 21 to 25 September 2026 in a hybrid format. It brought together students and academics from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Sweden to share research and exchange perspectives on developments in computing and technology. Participating institutions included BINUS University, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, TAR UMT, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.

The 29 participating teams contributed research across a range of computing applications. TAR UMT’s four teams presented their work to an international audience and a panel of academic judges. Each team was allocated a 10-minute presentation followed by a five-minute question-and-answer session, providing an opportunity to explain research methods, discuss findings and respond to questions about their projects.

The highlight of TAR UMT’s participation was Tan Zi Yang’s presentation, “An Intelligent Fingerprint Image Analysis Framework for Human Talent Assessment Using Computer Vision and Ridge Feature Extraction.” The project explored computer vision and ridge feature extraction for fingerprint image analysis. His third-place achievement in the Best Presenter Award competition marked a notable accomplishment within the international field of participating teams.

Beyond the student presentations, the programme featured a keynote by Prof. Michael Färber of TU Dresden, Germany, titled “Will AI Replace Scientists? From Papers to Insights with LLMs and Knowledge Graphs,” addressing the growing role of artificial intelligence in scientific research.

A series of mini lectures offered further perspectives on contemporary computing topics. TAR UMT’s Dr Tan Kong Woun delivered “The AI-Augmented Developer: Instant Web Tooling and Interactive Design.” Other sessions included “Towards Green Computing in Railway Communication Network” by Cutifa Safitri, Ph.D.; “From Words to Insights: Understanding Sentiment Analyzers and Their Evolution” by Prof. Ria A. Sagum; and “From Computer Networks to Road Safety” by Dr Suzi Iryanti Fadilah. The programme concluded with cultural exchange activities, a symposium recap and the award presentation.

The symposium gave TAR UMT students valuable experience in presenting research, engaging with academic feedback and learning from peers across different institutions and countries. The participation of four TAR UMT teams and Tan Zi Yang’s third-prize achievement highlighted the University’s contribution to student research and international academic exchange.