KUALA LUMPUR: Three Malaysian students achieved the highest honours in the Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Manchester, UK.
Muhammad Nazmi Mohd Ropi, Mohamad Mukhzuhayr Mohd Rashid, and Wan Nur Adlina Wan Halim were the winners of the 'Overall Performance in the Year Group' based on grade point average (GPA).
Nazmi, 24, from Rawang, Selangor, expressed his happiness and gratitude after being recognised as the cohort's outstanding performer and ranking first.
Aspiring to be a software developer, he was surprised to earn such acclaim.
"Thank you to my main motivators and my parents, who always pray for my success.
"I also would like to thank my classmates who actively participate in discussions and also greatly assist in close social relationships that lead to mutual support in times of both hardship and ease.
"Also thank you to the teachers who have always encouraged me," he said.
He acknowledged that academic competition abroad is highly competitive, since beginning his studies in the field in 2020. It is often mentioned that students sponsored by Petronas are highly intelligent and possess strong proficiency in the English language.
"I worked on enhancing my English skills to better comprehend the course materials. I am driven to excel in this competitive environment and demonstrate that Malaysian students can also attain remarkable success," he said.
Nazmi also obtained 10A+1A in the recent Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination. He added that he chose the Electrical and Electronic Engineering course because he finds the speed at which technology advances to be really impressive, given that it forms the basis of many everyday developments.
"I want to make an impact on technological innovations that can be used by the public.
"I hope to continue serving the country, and I am proud to give back to society with the knowledge I have gained," he added.
Meanwhile, Nur Adlina, 24, Penang native, claimed that she did not expect that continuing her studies in this field would enable her to achieve second place in her cohort.
She said that she selected the course because she was interested in embedded systems, which includes successfully programming robots to move, and coding, as well as producing electricity using clean energy.
"Thank you to the members who continuously encouraged and supported me throughout my studies, and not forgetting my course mates who were always there for me when I needed help," she said.
Her goal was to become an engineer, and at first she was concerned that she wouldn't be able to reach the University of Manchester's requirements, even though she knew all of the students there were exceptional.
"I hope this achievement will enable me to utilise my knowledge to the fullest in contributing to the talent needs crucially required by the country," she added.
Mukhzuhayr, 24, from Selangor, said he never expected to receive the recognition as the third best in his cohort.
"For me, what is important in life is to always have a sense of curiosity, as it leads to gaining more useful knowledge. Throughout my time in the UK, I frequently engaged in industrial placements to gain as much experience outside of campus," said the former student of MARA College Seremban.
Mukhzuhayr aspires to be a software engineer.