KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Festival of Ideas@Sarawak (FOI@Sarawak) and the Borneo Book Fair 2025 held last week have successfully achieved their objective of celebrating knowledge and creativity through exhibitions on research, green innovation, academic publishing and the empowerment of reading and thinking culture.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Prof Dr Siti Noor Linda Taib said the five-day programme showcased the true potential of the university as well as the academic and industry communities in the state.
“Throughout this programme, we have witnessed how ideas can unite people from all walks of life — from researchers and students to publishers, writers and the local community,” she said at the event’s closing ceremony.
She added that various exhibitions at the Innovation Pavilion featured high-impact research outcomes focused on sustainability and green technology, while the Community and SDG Pavilion highlighted the spirit of sustainability and compassion, reflecting the university’s role in educating the public to care for the planet and global well-being.
“Through collaborations between universities, industries, government agencies and communities, we have strengthened creativity and well-being, creating spaces to share knowledge, foster innovation and nurture compassion in every initiative.
“From research, new knowledge is born; through publication, knowledge is shared and passed on. This clearly demonstrates a symbiotic relationship that reflects the principles of sustainability and respect where every piece of knowledge should be enriched, shared and utilised for the benefit of humanity,” she added.
At the same event, Prof Siti also presented prizes to the winners of the poetry recitation competition and Greenathon, both held during the five-day programme.
In the poetry recitation category, Ann Ameer Habee Norbaiti from the Faculty of Economics and Business emerged champion, followed by Muhammad Faiz Farhan Yusnizam from the Faculty of Language and Communication Education in second place, and Aleeya Maryatul Ahmad Hazmi from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities in third.
Meanwhile, teams from Kuching Polytechnic and the Faculty of Economics and Business won the top prizes in the Greenathon competition.
The Kuching Polytechnic students impressed judges with their project Lestari Kewaris: Multi-Purpose Fruit Wrapping Pole (Reusable Harvesting Innovation), earning them the Best Prototype Award, while the team from the Faculty of Economics and Business took home the Best Social Innovation Award with their project Waste to Wealth: Community Empowerment Model for Circular Economy.
In total, 28 exhibitors from public and private higher learning institutions across Borneo, 13 community exhibitors, and 22 book exhibitors participated in FOI@Sarawak and the Borneo Book Fair 2025, which was held at UNIMAS from Oct 22 to 26.
