KUCHING: About 100 secondary school students from five schools in the city participated in the Swinburne Big Day Out (SBDO) 2026 event at the Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus on Saturday.
Held under the theme “Code Green: The STEM Sustainability Challenge”, the annual programme introduced students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through interactive activities focused on sustainability.
Organised by the School of Engineering and Science under the Faculty of Engineering, Computing, and Science (FECS), the programme aimed to encourage students to explore STEM education and careers while demonstrating how STEM can be applied to address environmental challenges.
The participating schools were Chung Hua Middle School No. 3, SMK St Thomas, SMK Green Road, SMJK Kuching High and SMK Jalan Arang.
Students took part in three hands-on challenges centred on energy, environment and water sustainability.
The HydroSplit: The Hydrogen Challenge introduced participants to clean hydrogen energy, while EcoBots: Robots for a Greener Tomorrow explored the use of robotics and automation in addressing environmental issues.
The students also designed and tested water filtration systems in the PureFlow: Sustainable Water Filtration System challenge to learn about sustainable water treatment technologies.
Throughout the programme, students from both the Science and Arts streams worked together to complete the activities, with guidance from academic staff and student volunteers.
Chair of SBDO 2026, Associate Professor Dr Adeline Ng, said the programme gave students the opportunity to apply STEM knowledge to real-world sustainability challenges.
“Through hands-on activities, students gain a deeper understanding of how innovation and technology can contribute to a greener future while discovering the many opportunities available through STEM education and careers,” she said.
SBDO is an annual outreach programme organised by Swinburne Sarawak to introduce secondary school students to practical STEM applications through interactive learning experiences.
