Myanmar STEM competition (MSC) is a national contest where students from all over Myanmar compete at different levels – WeDo ages (up to 12 years), Junior ages (9-14 years) and Senior ages (15-18 years). The competition aims to solve real-world problems using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) projects and applications.

The regional contest under MSC for Mandalay Region was held on December 7, 2019 at ILBC School, Mandalay. The theme of the competition this year was ‘Clean Water’. The participating teams were judged on 4 different criteria – preparing a science project, designing a robot to solve 10 missions for clean water solutions, exhibiting strong core values, and performing the given tasks with autonomous robots in the final round.

MIIT was represented at the contest by Team Sigma. Four students (Nang Yein Mo Hsai, Nay Chi, Nay Lin Htun, and Pyae Sone Khant Aung) were led by a student coach (Myint Tun). The team was also provided guidance by Profs. Chandramouleeswaran Sankaran and Sandeep Saini.

The organisers of the contest had also invited Profs. Chandramouleeswaran Sankaran and Sandeep Saini to be a part of the judging panel at the competition. They headed the judging committees of robotics design and science projects respectively. Their expertise and advice in making the competition a success was also appreciated.

Integral – the robot designed by Team Sigma – was judged the best robot at the competition. The students made an Arduino-based pH level detector to display real-time pH data of water samples. Team Sigma scored top marks at the contest in the senior category, even outperforming the winners of the regional contest for Yangon Region. Team Sigma has qualified to participate in the national contest that will be held in Nay Pyi Taw in January, 2020. Congratulations to all the team members and their mentors! We hope that their winning streak will continue at the national level as well.