The 32^nd Symposium of Malaysian Chemical Engineers (SOMChE) 2021 was held virtually for the first time from 15 to 16 July with the theme ‘Navigating the Frontier of Sustainability’.

The event was jointly organised by the School of Chemical Engineering and Science, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, and Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), Malaysia. It was supported by The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia and Universitas Lambung Mangkurat.

Intended to promote the development of long-term research collaborations, SOMChE 2021 provided an ideal platform for young researchers, scholars, engineers, and practitioners to present their latest research findings and innovation in chemical engineering and related disciplines.

The symposium featured eight renowned speakers from academia and industry including Professor Datuk Taufiq Yap Yun Hin from Universiti Malaysia Sabah; Professor Dato Abdul Wahab Mohammad from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; Professor Ir. Suzana Yusup from Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS; Professor Sankar Bhattacharya from Monash University, Australia; Professor Suryadi Ismadji from Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University, Indonesia; Professor Raymond R. Tan from De La Salle University, the Phillipines; Nik Suhaimi Mat Hassan from Sime Darby Plantation, Malaysia; and Dr. Anuar Hamid from East 101 Sdn. Bhd. Malaysia.

More than 80 local and international delegates from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia presented their papers and posters at the symposium. The event highlighted five tracks namely Environmental and Waste Management; Material Science and Engineering; Green and Sustainable Processing; Energy; and Bioprocessing and Biotechnology.

In addressing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, present and future chemical engineers play an important role in designing and developing sustainable processes without compromising the future generations. Modern chemical processes need to enable more efficient use of raw materials and energy preferably from renewable resources, as well as safer and environmentally benign through minimising emissions and pollutants at the source rather than end-of-pipe treatment.

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Delegates attending the closing ceremony of SOMChE.