KUCHING: Sarawakian academic Dr Manraj Singh Cheema has made history by winning the Anugerah Akademik Negara (AAN) ke-16 under the Teaching Category (Health Sciences) — Malaysia’s highest recognition for educators.
Dr Manraj, a Senior Lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), is only the second Sarawakian to receive the honour, after Syahrul Nizam Junain of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), who won during the 10th edition of the awards.
The award was presented on Oct 24 at Dorsett Grand Subang, honouring educators who have redefined teaching and learning through creativity, innovation and transformative impact.
Born and raised in Kuching, Dr Manraj is a former student of St Joseph’s School, where his passion for science and teaching first began.
“This award is deeply personal — it is rooted in my Sarawakian upbringing, the values of perseverance I learned at St Joseph’s, and the belief that education must always evolve to serve the future,” he said.
At UPM’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dr Manraj has gained national attention for pioneering technology-integrated teaching methods that combine gamification, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual learning tools to prepare students for the fast-changing world of health sciences.
His Gamification and Game-Based Learning Pedagogy is among the first in Malaysia’s health science education, transforming lessons into interactive missions and decision-making challenges.
“In a world driven by technology and change, we cannot teach the way we were taught.
“My approach focuses on developing future-ready skills sets — critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and resilience.
“Education must be adaptive, student-centred and technology-enriched to stay relevant,” he added.
Dr Manraj’s achievements include the Best InnoCreative Educator Award at the International Putra Innocreative Carnival in Teaching and Learning 2025, the UPM Vice-Chancellor’s Fellowship Award (Teaching) in 2024, and the Young Investigator Award from the YSN-ASM International Scientific Virtual Conference in 2021.
He has also earned nine gold and five silver medals at national and international teaching innovation exhibitions and has served as keynote speaker and consultant on education innovation locally and abroad.
“Sarawak has given me my roots — the strength, humility and community spirit that guide everything I do.
“I hope this achievement inspires more Sarawakian educators and scientists to believe that our ideas can make a global impact,” he said.
Dr Manraj said his journey reflects the Sarawakian spirit of perseverance — Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban.
“That spirit keeps me moving forward. As long as we live, we must keep striving — for knowledge, for service, and for the next generation who will inherit this volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world,” he added.
