Fun-learning meets awareness at UPMS’ green chemistry programme in SMK Tatau

BINTULU (Jan 26): Students of SMK Tatau gained valuable hands-on exposure to green chemistry during the ‘Mini College Academic: Exploring Green Chemistry Through Soap-Making from Used Cooking Oil’ programme held at the school last week.

Sixty Form 5 students took part in the high-impact programme, which introduced them to real-world scientific applications and also provided an early glimpse into a university-style academic environment.

The activities were facilitated by 20 Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak (UPMS) students.

The invited speaker Dr Azrul Nurfaiz Mohd Faizal shared with the participants on how scientific principles could be applied to reduce pollution, including the responsible reprocessing of used cooking oil.

“The students further reinforced their understanding through a hands-on soap-making activity, where they learned how waste cooking oil could be transformed into useful products,” said the university in a statement.

The practical session, guided by UPMS student facilitators, encouraged experiential learning and highlighted sustainable practices that could be adopted in daily life.

In addition, students also participated in an enrichment session, ‘Design a Green Chemistry Product’, where they worked in groups to develop ideas that incorporated sustainability and green technology principles.

Each group presented their concepts, meant to build critical-thinking, creativity, confidence and scientific communication skills in them.

SMK Tatau principal Layang Unam said the programme played an important role in strengthening students’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), particularly through chemistry, and also in inspiring them to consider the Science Stream and future university pathways.

“I hope this programme could be continued so that students could continue to benefit from sustained exposure to practical science and green technology,” he said.

Programme director Bennicia Tan added that the initiative also provided UPMS students with meaningful community engagement experience, while motivating the school students to pursue higher education.