Malaysian Brain Bee Challenge is a challenge test to increase awareness about Brain and Neuroscience among secondary school students in Malaysia. This is a part of International Brain Bee Challenge conducted every year. In October 2017, School of Medicine, IMU was asked to take responsibility of the Zone J competition covering a number of schools in Klang Valley. Zonal test is organised in 13 universities or zones and students selected from the zonal test are qualified to compete the national level challenge test conducted at USM, Kelantan. Only one national champion is selected and sent to represent Malaysia in International Brain Bee.
A total of 40 students from 9 schools registered and appeared in the zonal test at IMU on 16 January 2018, along with students in 12 other centres all across Malaysia at the same time and date (a total of 1235 students). Only 39 were selected out of 1235 student across the country as national finalists. Three students from Zone J secured the national finalist positions and will compete with 36 others on 28 March 2018 at Brain Bee@USM to secure the national Brain Bee champion position and take part in the International Brain Bee Challenge in Berlin.
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The three national finalist students from Zone J are Kayshev Varman Surendran from SMK Subang Utama, Hau Wei Chuen from SMK USJ 13 and Soh Jian Wee from Sri Emas International School. The three students and their teachers felt that the preparatory workshop held by IMU in December 2017 helped them a lot to reach the national final of this prestigious national challenge test. The student Kayshev said in an interview that the Brain Bee preparatory workshop organised by IMU helped him to understand the basics of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. He could then start preparing using the two books recommended by BrainBee@USM
