By Aimi Mohamad Farid

SERDANG, 26 April - Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) continued to shine on the international academic stage when a team of its Doctor of Medicine students secured second place at the International Microbiology Quiz Competition (iMicrobe) 2026 held at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Nilai.

The competition featured 28 teams from local and international universities, including leading institutions from Malaysia and Indonesia, making it a highly competitive platform in the field of microbiology.

Representing UPM were Chin Min Le, Ryan Koh Jia Xian, Kayalvili Agilen and Nitesh Nair Kumar, who demonstrated strong academic knowledge, teamwork and resilience throughout the competition.

The team successfully advanced through several challenging stages, beginning with the Group Explorace round before progressing to the OMR round, which included Multiple True/False (MTF) and Single Best Answer Questions (SBAQ).

Following their impressive performance, UPM emerged among the top nine teams overall to qualify for the next stage.

Their momentum continued in the Olympic Duel Round, where they defeated Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), Indonesia, to secure a place in the Final Viva Round.

In a notable achievement, UPM was the only Malaysian university to finish among the top three teams, ultimately emerging as runners-up in the international competition.

Team leader Chin Min Le described the achievement as the result of continuous effort and strong teamwork.

“This achievement reflects our dedication, hard work and commitment. Representing UPM and Malaysia at this level is truly meaningful for us,” she said.

The team was mentored by Dr. Azmiza Syawani from UPM’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, who played an important role in guiding the students throughout their preparation for the competition.

Date of Input: 06/05/2026 | Updated: 06/05/2026 | hairul_nizam