PLANTZANIA Young Scientist Entrepreneur Award 2018

Plantzania strives to groom students who are interested to venture in business involving technology and product-based, with the broad theme of biotechnology. The Plantzania Mini Research Project is planned to be a knowledge-based, self-experience and activity – oriented R&D project and also serve as junior entrepreneurship training program.

Stage 1 of the program is called the “Business and Exploration Potency” where they need to get their own research capital through “crowdfund” activities. Participants should promote creatively their business ideas or research products to attract investors. Each team needs to raise a minimum of RM1,000 within 30 to 45 days and then automatically deserves to advance to the next level. At this stage will show the level of students’ creativity and critical thinking. This is also an early exposure to them on how to deal with the public especially investors to get recognition and support their ideas.

In Stage 2 of the program, the training will be given through “Nurturing and Coaching” way. The participants will be provided with mentoring and intensive training courses on research and also business opportunities. Furthermore, industrial visit or field trip visit will be organized so that participants will have a better understanding of the real working industry. The participants will be paired with their mentors so as to accelerate the newcomers’ business startup process and also get technical advice and assistance on their research. The participants will be given three to four (3-4) months to carry out their research or lab experiments themselves on the related topics. Some of the relevant raw materials will be provided.

After professional training and guidance, the participants will be in the finals of the competition. The participants have to write the research findings as mini research journal. In Stage 3, each team has 10 – 15 minutes to present their research findings and potential business proposal including the Q&A session with panelists and guests. By a strict selection of panelists will choose the Young Scientist Entrepreneur Awards.

Winners will be awarded with the cash and in kind prizes on their research findings and being provided with an internship opportunity within Revongen Corporation with some training and exposure to real industry. Their mini research journals will be published in Plantzania bulletin or website. On top of that, they will have the opportunity to have a “brainstorming” session in person with several experts from local in the relevant fields that have been selected. Upon completion of program, students will receive certificate of achievement which will assist them for better employment opportunities.

Throughout the program, potential collaboration between schools and industries is greatly enhanced. The program is expected to attract many investors to use students’ research outcomes as a new business opportunity. Students have the opportunities to exploit science discovery in an interesting and meaningful way.

Existing education system primarily consists of a teacher-centered style of instruction where the instructor provides the students with all of the information they need to know. To some extent, this can be one of the best methods for students to understand the fundamentals, but this is not in line with the overarching goal of a higher education institution.

By the time the students move onto their undergraduate education, they expect to be taught in the same manner, and their focus becomes what they need to do in order to get good grades on the next test. Many times they end up learning the material through rote memorization without ever asking why or seeing the big picture. Once a certain topic is memorized and tested, students tend to forget the subject matter making this spoon-feeding type of teaching unreliable for degree where the graduates are expected to have a full understanding of what they learned (i.e. medicine, engineering, etc). As a result, students become passive learners who do not take responsibility for their own learning. Continuing to spoon-feed students perpetuates the issue of stifling their creative thinking and independent learning.

Thus, we need to change the culture of learning. Student-centered teaching is a jargon term for a pretty basic idea: that the point of education is learning, not teaching and that teachers should teach with the learner, and not just the content, in mind. Student-centered teaching is a philosophy, not a technique, and includes a wide range of methods, involving active engagement: using problem solving, discussion, debate, labs, case studies, etc., to get students to think about and apply, and not just memorize the material. Mentorship is important to provide regular feedback, try to make assessment frequent and authentic, and consider social and emotional.

Furthermore, we need to have an education system that is competitive and trains students rigorously to withstand fierce competition on a worldwide scale. We should focus on research and development, as ‘educated’ graduates now are not innovators, neither experts nor skilled enough to be employable. More integration between schools and industries and inviting private sector for research could be one solution. In order to keep our economy growing, we need a new wave of educated students ready for modern scientific research, teaching and technological development.

It is important to create and maintain links between business and science and technology to improve our economic prosperity. An environment of collaboration and communication between the two will encourage our brightest young people to continue to be attracted to careers based upon science and technology. It creates and exploits scientific knowledge and technology through entrepreneurship and innovation; diffuses knowledge through enhanced linkages; and enhances education skills through formal and informal training.

As careers are adapting to the future freelance economy, students of today will required to adapt to project based learning and working. This means they have to learn how to apply their skills in shorter terms to a variety of situations, i.e. organizational, collaborative, and time management skills.

2.1 VISION
A young generation positively empowered with godly character to withstand in true survival mode.

2.2 MISSION
To inspire, empower and nurture young generation through skills, knowledge, and resources needed for modern scientific research entrepreneurship and individual development.

2.3 OBJECTIVE
1. Foster innovative and entrepreneurial mindsets in students.
2. Develop entrepreneurial capabilities that can be applied in a range of contexts especially life science and technology.
3. Develop awareness of science discovery as intellectual assets and enhance their capacity to manage and exploit them.
4. Guide students to acquire the skill to deliver science and technology in a comprehensive way.
5. Enhance students’ lifelong learning skills, personal development and self-efficacy, allowing them to contribute to society and the environment more generally.

2.4 TARGET GROUP
1. School students and undergraduates who are highly motivated to pursue their dreams by realizing their great ideas that can lead to changes in their lives and the lives of others.
2. Participation from Family Team (Combination of kids and parents) are allowed as well.

2.5 WHY JOIN PLANTZANIA MINI RESEARCH PROJECT?
Through the expertise and experience of Revongen Corporation, a regional biotechnology business conglomerate which invested its resources into five market-focused segments: Biosciences, Medical, Halal, AgriBiotech and Aquaculture, Plantzania able to provide technical and financial assistance to students who are interested in research and development (R&D) specifically in biotechnology field.

In order to realize the dreams, Plantzania will provide the following assistance and convenience:
a. Financial assistance such as crowd funding platform.
b. Work place such as office, laboratories, field, etc. (scheduled).
c. Management advices such as coaching, nurturing, business advices, networking, business matching, consultation, etc.
d. Mentoring program such as training courses, industrial visits, field trips, etc.
e. Publication of the research findings in academic media.
f. Special services such as e-market placement, product formulation, sales channels, etc.

Apart from the above, Plantzania also as an add value in terms of:
a. Gathering angel investors who may be interested in investment
b. Crowd funding affords to raise funds
c. Assist in presentation to higher education institution, financial or funding institution, etc.
d. Assist in creating value with media
e. Assist in business networking with overseas entrepreneur group
f. Assist in technology assessment and related technology link with overseas scientist or technology

2.6 PROGRAM KEY ELEMENTS
a. Paper research and project discussion
b. Field work expeditions and hands on
c. Lab skills and experiment design
d. Reports and presentation
e. Extension and feasibility studies
f. Entrepreneuring and brainstorming
g. Nurturing and networking

2.7 EXPECTED OUTCOME
At the end of the program, participant will be able to:
a. Assemble and work on diverse and multidisciplinary teams.
b. Recognize and identify social/business/technical needs.
c. Develop problem solving and critical thinking skills to address a certain need.
d. Improve effective oral and written communication skills.
e. Manage to access and analyze information, conceive of and write a successful mini research journal.
f. Improve presentation skills and self-confidence through presentation of research findings.
g. Manage and balance a fear of and tolerance for failure.
h. Inspire curiosity and imagination through project based learning.
i. Empower with entrepreneurialism mindset.

Stage 1 – Business Exploration & Potency
The program will begin the first round with a crowdfunding challenge. To qualify for the next level, a startup is required to increase the registration fee of RM1,000 through a crowdfunding platform within 30 to 45 days. Come up with big idea, pitch the plan to the crowd and get real funding. Through this program, participants will experience themselves to the early exposure on how to deal with the public and primarily to educate surroundings about the innovation they want to bring to the public as well as attracting potential investors. This phase is expected to break the walls that are feared to be barriers to become successful and make them believe that someday they will be an important contributor to society.

Stage 2 – Nurturing & Coaching
Having succeeded in the first crowdfunding challenge, the qualifiers are entitled to a mentorship program. 60% of the collected fund (minimum RM 600) will be used for raw materials, standard mentorship program such as industrial visit/ field trip and basic training courses or workshops. For participants who manage to raise more than RM 1,000, we will provide additional assistance such as access to academic journal and help to purchase equipment required for the research. Besides that, they will be entitled for a final discussion or fund utilization with project mentor, giving them a better opportunity to have more supervision and coaching from the related field experts, and more support materials and more time to be attached to the lab and field work.

The participants will be paired to their mentors to obtain professional advices and technical assistance on their research fields. This session to aim in helping them transform their science ideas into tangible enterprises that create economics, social and also environmental value for better world.

The mentorship program includes: **

I. Module 1 – Business Development
– Turn Your Passion & Talent into Business
– Effective Communication: Learn how pitch!
– Key Success Factors
– Meet Other Awesome Entrepreneurs & Network!

II. Module 2 – Quality Assurance Management Program
– Introduction to ISO 9001
– Safety in the Use of Chemicals
– Introduction to MeSTI, GMP & HACCP
– Fundamental of Occupational Hygiene/ Industrial Hygiene

III. Module 3 – Laboratory Skill & Management Program
– Understanding ISO 17025
– Good Laboratory Practice
– Lab Analytical Apparatus Handling : Instrument Verification
– Liquid Handling : Basic Maintenance & Calibration

IV. Module 4 – Industrial Visit
– Visit to Revongen Corporation laboratories (tissue culture, DNA, Halal, etc…)
– Farm trip to Paulownia Research Farm, Herb Farm, Ginger Plantation Farm, etc…

V. Module 5 – Brainstorming Session
– Sharing & Coaching with Mentor
– Technology assessment and related technology link with overseas scientist or technology

** Remark: Please take note that the module of mentorship program is not finalized, Plantzania reserves the right to amend, add or remove the content based on requirement from time to time.

After completing the training, participants will be given a 3 to 4 months duration to work on their own research on the selected topics. Some of the relevant raw materials will be provided to the participants for them to carry out scientific experiments. They need to write their research findings in a mini research journal format for official publications purposes.

Stage 3 – Presentation and Judging

After completing on their research, each team then needs to present their research outcomes and business proposal as well as any prototype/ sample at the end of the program. They will be given 10 minutes to present an important summary of the research findings in front of the professional jury and an additional 5 minutes for a question and answer session.

By a strict selection of panelists will choose the Young Scientist Entrepreneur Awards. Among the attractive rewards offered is cash and in kind with value up to RM5,000. They will be offered with internship opportunity within Revongen Corporation with some training and exposure to real industry. Their mini research journals will be published in Plantzania bulletin or website. On top of that, they may stand a chance to join our Revongen Entrepreneur Venture (REV), to have a “brainstorming” session in person with several experts from local in the relevant fields that have been selected. They will be given an opportunity to present and “sell” their research findings to the relevant industries.

Upon completion of program, students will receive certificate of achievement which will assist them for better employment opportunities.

Plantzania will create partnerships with the following government agencies, corporate sector
players and educational institutions:
– Crowdfunding Platform (mystartr)
– Science to Action Foundation
– Clearwing Foundation for Biodiversity
– Revongen Corporation Center
– RMIT University
– Leave A Nest, Japan

We are continuously searching and compiling names of relevant partners to join either as sponsors, mentors/coach or better yet, as angel investors.

– Registration fees of RM 100 per team;
– Stage 1 – enrollment fees are minimum of RM1, 000 per team which will be acquired
through crowdfunding challenge

– 60% will be collected as in the form of material / facility, training requirements
– 40% for your own research and related experiment designs

1. The Competition is opened to secondary students, undergraduates as well as kids with parents
2. To enter the competition, participants are encouraged to register as Plantzania School Attack Club Member.
3. By entering the Competition, you hereby warrant that all information submitted by you is true, current and complete. The Organizer reserves the right to verify the eligibility of all entrants.
4. All fees are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable.
5. By registering for the Competition entrants expressly agrees to the Competition rules and gives his/her express consent to the Organizer:

a. To publish their personal data (Name, School) and/or other details submitted in all
Organizers online and offline materials.
b. To use submitted personal data, project information, photos, visualizations designs
and/or other materials in any of Organizers and/or collaborating entities online and
offline.
c. To use the e-mail address and other electronic contact details provided for the purposes of sending commercial messages – newsletters and direct mails on certain information company services.

6. Where an entrant submits an original work as part of a Competition, the submission must be the original work of the individual submitting it and must not be copied in whole or in part from somewhere else. It is the responsibility of each entrant to ensure any work they submit does not infringe copyright of any third party or any laws.
7. All research outcomes will be co-owned or agreed to be purchased by Plantzania at mutual process.
8. The Organizer reserves the right to alter and amend the Competition rules, including the right to terminate the Competition at any time. In disputed cases the Organizer reserves the right to make a final decision.
9. The Organizer cannot accept any responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by any entrant to any Competition.
10. If any entrant does not, or is unable to comply with these Rules and with the Competition information, the Organizer shall be entitled at its sole discretion to disqualify the entrant with out any further liability to such entrant.