TAR UMT Students Make Global Impact With Innovative Disaster Relief Project

Discover how TAR UMT’s Faculty of Built Environment students excelled at the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Global Student Challenge 2024.

Published 04 Sep 2024

Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) has reached another milestone by securing second place in the prestigious Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Global Student Challenge 2024. Competing against 41 teams from 20 institutions worldwide, TAR UMT’s success highlights the exceptional talent of four students from the Faculty of Built Environment (FOBE).

The team, consisting of Chan Zi Jie, Eva Selviana Binti Sanuwar, Chen Xin Wei and Valerie Voon Kher Yiing, leveraged their diverse expertise across different programmes within FOBE to develop an innovative solution. Their combined knowledge and skills led to the creation of “PlasFold Home”, a cutting-edge proposal designed specifically for rapid disaster relief.

The "PlasFold Home" proposal is a practical solution for providing quick and efficient aid to those affected by natural disasters. The project focuses on using flat-pack building components that are easy to transport in standard-sized shipping units. These components can be airlifted to disaster sites and assembled using basic tools, ensuring that help reaches those in need quickly, making a real difference in disaster-stricken areas.

For Valerie Voon, the experience of competing in the CIOB Global Student Challenge was transformative. Reflecting on the journey, she shared, “I now see the value of stepping outside my comfort zone to acquire new skills while actually tackling real-world problems. No doubt that the preparation for the competition was intense and stressful but the end result of what I have learnt and experienced is valuable for me. I am now able to know how to deal with an intense and demanding situation and this will be very useful for me. I also appreciate the opportunity of meeting and interacting with students from different countries who are studying in the same field as I am.”

Overall, the success of this team is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the students and educators at TAR UMT. By focusing on practical and real-world applications, TAR UMT continues to empower and equip their students with the skills and expertise to navigate their field. TAR UMT’s achievement represents their commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders in the built environment field.