LABUAN — Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has strengthened its commitment to research excellence and industry collaboration through two international academic events focusing on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and emerging technologies.
The events, the 3rd International Conference on Advances in Machine Intelligence and Cybersecurity Technologies (AMICT 2026) and the inaugural International Postgraduate Symposium on Computing and Informatics (IPoSCI 2026), were organised by the UMS Faculty of Computing and Informatics (FCI) at The Palm Beach Hotel here today.
AMICT 2026 received 224 paper submissions, of which 68 were accepted and registered for presentation, while IPoSCI 2026 featured 18 research papers, providing postgraduate students with a platform to present their findings, receive constructive feedback and engage with experienced researchers.
The opening ceremony was officiated by Universiti Malaysia Sabah Labuan International Campus (UMSKAL) Director Professor Ts Dr Shamsul Bahari Shamsudin, who delivered the welcoming address on behalf of UMS Vice-Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor.
In his address, Kasim emphasised the strategic role of universities, research institutions and industry partners in advancing innovation, developing talent and contributing to sustainable societal development.
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He also highlighted the importance of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity and digital transformation, in supporting economic growth and industrial development.
Also present were AMICT 2026 Chairman and Dean of the Faculty of Computing and Informatics, Associate Professor Ts Dr Mohd Hanafi Ahmad Hijazi; Dean of the Labuan Faculty of International Finance, Associate Professor Dr Geoffrey Harvey Tanakinjal; Malaysia ICT Dean’s Council (MaDICT) Deputy Chairman and AMICT 2026 co-organiser Professor Dr Osman Ghazali; Live Laugh Love (LLL) Inc Main Director and AMICT 2026 co-organiser Yoshiyuki Nagano; and AMICT 2026 Co-Chairman Associate Professor Ts Dr Chin Kim On.
A key highlight of the events was the signing of Letters of Intent (LOIs) between UMS and four industry partners — StratAgile Borneo Sdn Bhd, Live Laugh Love (LLL) Inc, Exabytes Network Sdn Bhd and Tiger Oilfield Services (M) Sdn Bhd.
The partnerships aim to strengthen cooperation in research and development, technological innovation, professional training and student development, while promoting knowledge and technology transfer between academia and industry.
In his welcoming remarks, Mohd Hanafi highlighted the continued growth of AMICT since its establishment.
The inaugural AMICT conference, held online on Dec 11 and 12, 2023, recorded 29 accepted papers. The 2025 edition, held on Nov 20 and 21, received 162 submissions, of which 58 papers were accepted and registered for presentation, alongside eight presentations at the International Doctoral Symposium 2025.
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The achievements of AMICT 2026 further demonstrated growing interest and participation from the research community.
The conference also highlighted the importance of aligning technological innovation with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in quality education, industry innovation and infrastructure, sustainable communities, climate action and partnerships for sustainable development.
These research areas are particularly relevant to Sabah and Labuan, where digital technologies could support sustainable development through smart aquaculture, marine monitoring, environmental sensing and data-driven resource management.
Among the sponsors and supporting organisations were the Malaysia ICT Dean’s Council (MaDICT), Labuan Mainland Link Sdn Bhd, Tiger Oilfield Services (M) Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Airlines, Tourism Malaysia and LLL Inc, while the IEEE Sabah Subsection served as the conference’s technical sponsor.
Mohd Hanafi also expressed appreciation to the organising committee, keynote speakers, reviewers, researchers, participants and sponsors for their contributions and continued support.
Through AMICT 2026 and IPoSCI 2026, UMS reaffirmed its commitment to advancing research excellence, nurturing emerging researchers and promoting meaningful academic and industry collaborations at national and international levels.
