MIRI: A three-hour marathon of intense concentration, rapid problem-solving and lightning-fast keystrokes pushed 24 Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) students to their coding limits at the Computing Nation Club’s annual Programming Competition.
The cross-faculty contest drew participants from the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Faculty of Business, and the School of Pre-University and Continuing Education.
Competitors faced 14 algorithmic challenges designed to test creativity, technical expertise and speed.
Now in its eighth year since its inception in 2017, the competition has evolved into a signature platform for honing problem-solving agility, self-directed learning, and industry readiness.
Club adviser, Foad Motalebi, a lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), said the event’s purpose went far beyond coding.
“This isn’t just about writing code; it is about preparing students for real-world challenges. The growing participation from non-technical disciplines shows just how valuable these skills have become,” he said.
Working in programming languages such as C, C++, Java, Python and C#, contestants tackled problems that became progressively more difficult.
The challenges were crafted and judged by ECE academics: Dr Ahlam Khaled, Dr Rama Abirami, Dr Saaveethya Sivakumar, Dr Sivaraman Eswaran, Dr Han Yi Chiew, Dr Mohammad Sultan, Dr Veeramani Shanmugam, and Foad himself.
While students were allowed to consult online references, generative AI tools were strictly prohibited, with active monitoring to ensure that all solutions were the result of their own skill and ingenuity.
The top honours went to Software Engineering student, Dennis Nwanevu Chong Ochulor, who took home RM500, followed by Software Engineering student, Yee Ming Cheing, with RM200, and Cybersecurity student, Kelvin Nyeoh Chuan Yeong, with RM100.
Professor Tuong-Thuy Vu, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Science, presented the awards and praised the competition’s strong alignment with Curtin Malaysia’s work-integrated learning approach.
“Competitions like this bridge the gap between academic theory and industry needs. They help students develop the agility and resilience required in the tech sector,” he said.
ECE Head, Dr Chew Ing Ming, commended the students’ dedication, noting the value of devoting a weekend to skill-building rather than leisure.
