SUNWAY COLLEGE JOHOR BAHRU X-CEL CHALLENGE 2025: A GATHERING OF YOUNG INNOVATORS

Sunway College Johor Bahru is proud to have successfully hosted the X-Cel Challenge 2025, a STEM-focused competition that gathered young minds from secondary schools across Johor. Organised in collaboration with the Johor State Education Department (JPNJ) and supported by education technology partner, EduPlay, the competition drew participation from 80 teams, each stepping up to the challenge to dream big and dive into real-world problems and solutions.

Themed “Digital Transformation: Innovating for Sustainable Solutions,” the X-Cel Challenge aimed to cultivate students’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) while raising awareness of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). It also offered students a platform to explore the intersection of innovation, sustainability and technology while nurturing skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and effective communication.

The competition was held in four rounds:

Round 1: An online Knowledge Quiz powered by Eduplay’s NA.VI tested teams on mathematics, science and general knowledge on sustainability. From this, the top 30 teams with the highest scores and fastest completion times advanced to Round 2.

Round 2: A one-day Boot Camp held on 21 March 2025 at Sunway College JB. Here, students participated in STEM workshops and practical activities designed by academics to inspire their ideas and equip them with skills to craft effective Problem Statements. Teams received hands-on guidance and explored the relevance of STEM in everyday life, alongside the global challenges defined by the UN SDGs.

Round 3: Teams submitted a Solution Proposal, addressing a problem they had identified during the Boot Camp. These proposals were evaluated for creativity, cohesion, feasibility and alignment with specific sustainability development goals. The best ten proposals qualified these teams for the final round.

• SMK Sultan Ismail (Group 13)
• Sunway International School, Sunway Iskandar (Group 26)
• SMK Taman Molek (Group 28)
• LUCA International School (Group 38)
• Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar (Group 39)
• A & O Centre of Excellence (Group 40)
• SMK Desa Cemerlang (Group 47)
• HLCE Hope Resource Centre (Group 53)
• SMK Infant Jesus Convent (Group 62)
• SMK Infant Jesus Convent (Group 71)

Round 4: The Final Pitch held on 21 April 2025, brought the 10 finalist teams, accompanied by teachers and school principals back to Sunway College JB where they presented their solutions to a panel of judges.

The judging panel consisted of Mr Way Jing Hui, Founder of EduPlay (official edutech partner for X-Cel Challenge), Ms Leong Mei Kuen, Head of Business Diploma and Financial Programmes and Ms Tye Ling Lee, Programme Coordinator for the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) at Sunway College JB.

Each team had 15 minutes to wow the judges (and wow them they did!). The finalists pitched their hearts out to impress the judges with their creative approaches where some even included props and prototypes to support their presentations.

After a rigorous selection process, the winning teams were:

• Champion: SMK Infant Jesus Convent (Group 62)
• 1st Runner-Up: SMK Taman Molek (Group 28)
• 2nd Runner-Up: A&O Centre of Excellence (Group 40)

From 80 teams to just 10 finalists, these students have proven their dedication, teamwork and creativity. The X-Cel Challenge 2025 was more than a competition, it was a platform to sharpen these young minds in rising to solve challenges. It reminded us that age is no barrier in unleashing creativity and when given the right guidance and space to shine, they rise beyond expectations. To all the dreamers, doers and problem-solvers who took part, a big congratulations! We are heartened to know that the future of sustainable innovation will be in good hands.

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