Experience at the National Physics Undergraduate Project Competition (NPUPC) 2024

12, 13 October 2024 – The National Physics Undergraduate Project (NPUPC) 2024 was organised by Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) in collaboration with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Malaya (UM), in hopes of encouraging Physics undergraduate students to share their physics final year projects in the presence of selected judges from different fields of expertise. NPUPC 2024 was held at XMUM with a total of 3 participants representing USM.

I, Amir Fauzan bin Mohamed Mydin participated in NPUPC 2024 alongside my peers. During the conference, I presented my third-year physics project under the supervision of Dr. John Soo Yue Han with the help of my partner Fabiance Chin. My project, titled Image Processing with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), involved transforming raw telescope images into high-resolution images, and the results are compared to those from the JWST and Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This project aimed not only to explore JWST’s advanced capabilities, but also to communicate complex astronomical data to a broader audience.

   

My peers from USM, Lai Jian Hou and Nur Irdina Darwisya binti Mohd Johari were also participants who presented their own physics project during NPUPC 2024. All in all, the conference was a nerve wrecking experience since we were not only presenting to an audience, but also to a panel of judges consisting lecturers from XMUM, USM and UM. But thanks to my peers, the experience was an exhilarating one. Together, with constant support from each other, we manage to get through 2 days of gruelling questions from the judges.

The purpose for the first day was to capture the attention of mainly high school students, where I focused more on the results of my project rather than going into the technicalities behind it. As my project is related to images taken by space telescopes, I managed to captivate the audience alongside the judges.

On the second day, the line of questioning was more critical as the judges goes in depth into the project, dissecting the technicalities behind it. Although it was an anxiety-inducing moment, the judges as a whole helped me gain a deeper understanding on my project. With their experience and expertise, they also gave a couple of suggestions on how I could improve the project more and how it could be used in further research.

In the process, I have also promoted my physics project via a dedicated website on https://astrocitizenss.wixsite.com/1234, providing information on the project in great detail. During the NPUPC 2024, a bump in visitors to the webpage has been observed. I wish that this webpage will continue to gain more views, such an opportunity was only made possible through this conference.

Besides student presentations, the event was filled with exciting and enjoyable activities focusing on Physics. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lim Yen Kheng gave a talk entitled Black Holes and Gravitation while Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yoon Tiem Leong talked about Applications of Machine Learning in Physics. Both the talks were very informative and offered the audience a glimpse into the future of physics. There were also interactive pop quiz sessions and a networking lunch, where we were given the opportunity to have a discussion with the judges as we dive into the delicacies prepared by the organizers. Through this, I got to know the judges more, and we discussed the prospects of my future path following a degree in physics.

At the end, I was honoured to be awarded second place, while Jian Hou and Nur Irdina Darwisya achieved third and fourth place, respectively. The experienced we gained throughout the event was invaluable, and the friendship formed during the event will forever remain unbroken. In conclusion, to all undergraduate physics students, I highly encourage your participation in future NPUPCs. The feeling of having a chance to inspire future generations is immeasurable, and more importantly, satisfying. The knowledge learned and shared there will remain with you, always.

Text & photos credit : Amir Fauzan bin Mohamed Mydin