BEKENU: Thirty-six students from three Malaysian universities recently joined forces to empower the Kampung Selanyau community through the Smart Community 2.0 (SMARTCOM 2.0) initiative.
The three-day programme, held from July 27 to 29, brought together students and lecturers from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
Officiated by Sibuti Administrative Officer Mohd Fazly Juna, the initiative was organised with the support of the Kampung Selanyau Development and Security Committee (JKKK) and Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Selanyau.
SMARTCOM 2.0 benefited 66 pupils from SK Selanyau and local residents, featuring a foster-family programme involving 12 host families to foster closer community ties and cultural exchange.
The initiative combined environmental education, sustainable agriculture, digital technology, health awareness and community-based learning, directly supporting Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) aspirations.
UNIMAS led the ‘Explorer Cilik’ activity to boost environmental awareness through interactive stations covering personal safety, climate change and sustainability, concluding with a creative ‘My Dream Playground’ session.
Additionally, UNIMAS conducted a hands-on workshop for 30 participants on turning used cooking oil into cleaning soap, introducing basic circular economy concepts to reduce household waste.
Advancing sustainable agriculture, UMS held practical sessions on compost fertiliser and hydroponic cultivation, handing over one hydroponic and one composting set to the village headman for ongoing community use.
Meanwhile, UTM introduced pupils and residents to digital technology, sensors and automation through interactive Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics sessions aimed at sparking interest in STEM fields.
UNIMAS Programme Director, Julian Eymard Sigah Suling stressed that SMARTCOM 2.0 was designed as more than a conventional outreach project.
“The programme allowed students to put the values of service, empathy and shared responsibility into action. We hope the relationships established through this initiative will continue to inspire positive change,” he said.
Meanwhile, UNIMAS Programme Adviser, Dr Farah Zaini highlighted that university-community projects must provide practical tools and knowledge that extend beyond short-term events.
“Universities bring knowledge and technical expertise, but students also learn from the experiences, values and local knowledge of the community. This mutual learning process is what makes a community programme meaningful and sustainable,” she said.
The organisers expressed confidence that the knowledge, practical tools, and networks established throughout the three-day initiative will continue to drive sustainable development and community growth long after its completion.
