By Engku Shariful Azni
Pix Abd Ra’ai Osman

BANGI, May 3, 2016 – When faced with a difficult task, try look at it as an opportunity, says the winner of the National University of Malaysia (UKM) Prime Ideas Challenge 2016, Dr Khairul Nizam Abdul Maulud .

 “Good ideas do not necessarily come easily; sometimes it comes when we have a problem that needs a quick solution,” he said when interviewed after being awarded first prize, here recently.

Khairul, who is with the Institute of Climate Change (IPI), took home RM3,000 cash prize and a trophy.

The final round saw Dr Khairul pitched his idea on digitalised data storage to make data management more efficient.

Although the digitalisation process is challenging, Khairul aims to create a system that is user friendly.

He believes the data, which is currently managed manually in the form of hard copies, will also be able to provide more precise and up-to-date information about matters pertaining to UKM, through the digitalisation process.

The Prime Ideas Challenges 2016 was organised to encourage the UKM community to generate more problem-solving ideas and think critically and creatively.

17 contestants from different disciplines were each given 3 minutes to present their ideas, which were then evaluated by three judges from different agencies.