12 December 2025
22 September 2025
Department of Physics Publishes in Classical and Quantum Gravity →
10 September 2025
15 July 2025
20 September 2023
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XMUM Alumnus Publishes in Scientific Reports
The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Feng Junzhe, an alumnus from Electrical and Electronics Engineering programme, Asst. Prof. Ts. Dr. Kang Chia Chao and team from the School of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and S.M.A.R.T. Nexus Centre of Excellence, on the publication of their recent research article in Scientific Reports, an SCIE Q1 journal with a latest impact factor of 4.9.Feng Junzhe is the first author of the article. Titled “Fine grained reranking via caption bridging for knowledge augmented visual question answering”, the research focuses on solving the granularity mismatch problem within Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) frameworks for knowledge-intensive reasoning. Driven by the limitations of traditional RAG systems where coarse-grained retrieval units (like entire passages or global images) fail to align with the highly specific reasoning requirements of generation tasks, there is a critical need for localized visual evidence. To overcome this, the researchers engineered a Fine-Grained Retrieval-Augmented Generation (FG-RAG) framework that enhances the standard Contrastive Language–Image Pre-training (CLIP) architecture with patch-level contrastive supervision, allowing for explicit alignment between localized image regions and their corresponding textual fragments. Furthermore, the team introduced a joint retrieval-reranking optimization mechanism that unifies a dense retriever with a large language model (LLM)-based reranker using a shared relevance loss and a novel Score Alignment Strategy. By creating bidirectional feedback between retrieval precision and generation quality, this research maps out how to significantly enhance factual grounding and contextual coherence, reducing hallucination rates by 15 percentage points compared to conventional RAG systems.The published full article can be accessed at DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-57349-wThis work is financially supported by Xiamen University Malaysia Research Fund (XMUMRF/2025-C15/IECE/0059).Asst. Prof. Ts. Dr. Kang Chia Chao research lies at the cutting edge of sustainability, focusing on renewable energy, 5G/6G wireless communication, healthcare for sustainable development. Dr. Kang is currently seeking highly motivated Master's students to join his dynamic research team. If you are eager to work on impactful, sustainable technologies, please contact him directly at chiachao.kang@xmu.edu.my.
Tan Ann Ngee: Bridging Worlds Through Languages
In this era of booming AI technologies, many have begun to question the value of language degrees. To explore this question, we sat down with Tan Ann Ngee, a 2026 English graduate from Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM), to hear how language has shaped the way she understands people, work, and the world.Growing up in Malaysia’s multilingual society, Ann Ngee came to see language as a living fabric woven through everyday life. For her, language has never been merely a subject, but a way of connecting with others. “I have loved reading since childhood. Although I attended a Chinese independent high school, I read more English books, so I decided to follow my heart and pursue what I was truly interested in.”At university, she was guided and supported by Dr. Al-Saggaf Mohammadali Abdellah and Dr. Achoui Sana. “Whenever I had any ideas, the lecturers would listen carefully and then give practical advice from students’ perspective. Sometimes my thoughts were quite imaginative, but they never criticised me. Instead, they offered great encouragement. That feeling was very reassuring.”One of her most memorable university experiences took place beyond the classroom. As part of a second-year poetry module, she and her friends went beyond the syllabus by waking before dawn to watch the sunrise on campus, hoping to experience the poet’s imagery firsthand.“It was the first time I had seen XMUM at 5 a.m. Although we couldn’t watch a full sunrise due to the weather, we took turns reciting our favourite poems, which gave the moment its own charm.”In February 2022, Ann Ngee took part in a short-term brochure translation project for a tyre factory. Through the project, she began to see translation as a form of bridge-building between people from different backgrounds. “If you translate jargon with 100% accuracy but bore the readers, the brochure itself becomes meaningless.”For her thesis, she compared English and German by examining common errors among XMUM students and observing the differences between language systems. For instance, although English and German share some similar pronunciations, their spelling and grammar differ significantly.“Of course, we can get by with satisfactory language skills, but if you are willing to explore the history, context, and culture behind a language, it offers another way of understanding the world.”Her curiosity about language later led her to speech therapy. Her interest began when she learned about speech disorders caused by head trauma in an introductory linguistics class. It eventually brought her to a speech therapy internship, during which she participated in more than 200 therapy sessions.She admitted that the experience helped her grow from a student who felt unfamiliar with clinical settings into an intern who could independently interact with children and complete simple treatment tasks.The fast-paced work environment and the need to translate knowledge into practice were two major challenges. What impressed her most, however, was the importance of emotional connection between therapists and patients. “My work looks like playing with children, but it is actually using games to train their communication skills. Every response has something worth observing.”She added, “Building a good relationship with them takes consistent effort over many therapy sessions, but when they make progress, you feel it is all worthwhile.”Ann Ngee observed that although awareness of speech therapy in Malaysia has improved in recent years, the therapist-patient ratio remains severely imbalanced. This motivated her to learn more actively about the field and later take additional courses such as Phonetics and Phonology.Ann Ngee embraces the idea of “work-life integration”, believing that work should be part of life rather than something entirely separates from it. “Rather than deliberately separating work and life, I think it is more important to let them complement each other. Since language appears everywhere in daily life, the new inspiration and insights that arise from it can also enrich work itself.”As for the large language models (LLM) currently dominating the market, she remains optimistic. “The real value of a language degree lies in judgment, expressiveness, and the human touch.”After graduation, Ann Ngee entered the aviation industry. “I don’t think I should stick to one possibility. That is why I remain open to new challenges.”In her view, what matters more is to explore different industries and discover her true direction through real-life practice.
XMUM 10th Anniversary Special Feature | The Algorithm of Resilience
Studying at Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM), I have been deeply inspired by the legacy of our founder, Tan Kah Kee. His spirit of “Self-Strengthening, Pursuit of Excellence” and his vision as an educator and socially responsible entrepreneur became a silent compass for my journey. At eighteen, I embarked on my own overseas adventure, carrying this spirit in my suitcase, ready to navigate the uncharted.The initial phase was a series of “system debugging” in real life. From awkward supermarket encounters to struggling with lectures in accented English, each small failure was a stress test for my resilience. I learned to assemble my life from scratch — navigating phone card plans, bank forms, and the profound silence of a new dorm room. There were nights of quiet tears, staring at a comforting text from home, feeling the immense weight of self-reliance. Yet these very mountains I thought I could never climb soon became anecdotes. I realized that independence was not merely about practical skills, but the forging of a mindset in which I alone was accountable for my choices.The true crystallization of my growth, where personal struggle transformed into tangible creation, occurred in Dr. Burra Venkata Durga Kumar’s CST 305 Computer Graphics course. While I was initially drawn to computing for its promising career prospects, it was in this course that I grasped its more profound purpose: technology is ultimately a tool to serve human life and enhance our lived experience. This realization transformed abstract code from a mere set of instructions into a canvas for creating tangible impact.This human-centric philosophy was instilled from our very first assignment. Dr. Burra structured a series of three progressive projects, each designed to unlock a distinct dimension of graphical creativity. The initial task required us to design an original 2D composition using basic geometric primitives. In response, I created an interactive postcard titled “How much I miss U.” It depicted schools of tiny fish swimming lazily across a monthly calendar — a simple yet heartfelt scene animated with gentle motion. The subsequent projects escalated in complexity, challenging us to craft a 3D object with dynamic shadows and motion, and finally, to model an intricate shape using curves and apply realistic textures. Crucially, Dr. Burra emphasized that the core value lay not in raw complexity, but in the design intent and creative voice behind the code. He encouraged us to unleash our imagination while simultaneously cultivating the technical tenacity needed to translate that vision into a functional reality. This foundational principle — that compelling design is inseparable from disciplined execution — became the bedrock for our subsequent, more ambitious team project.Driven by this ethos, my team and I conceived “ErgoVoyage,” a smart, foldable-chair suitcase designed to address a universal traveller’s plight: the lack of rest in bustling transit hubs. As the project initiator and a core developer, I spearheaded the transition from concept to code. We developed a complete 3D interactive simulation using OpenGL, a process that immersed me in a universe of vertices and textures. I constructed the suitcase body using GL_QUADS, modelled the wheels with gluCylinder, and meticulously mapped textures to simulate polymer and carbon fibre surfaces, striving for visual authenticity.The development process presented monumental challenges. Our initial animation loops resulted in jarring, discontinuous movements for the zipper and folding mechanism. Through relentless debugging, I redesigned the system by implementing a state machine controlled by glutTimerFunc, which finally yielded the smooth, realistic motion we had envisioned. A parallel battle involved the lighting model, where object colours erroneously bled into their shadows, flattening the scene. By meticulously adjusting parameters in glLightModel and material properties, we restored the necessary depth and visual clarity. Each resolved bug served as a practical lesson in patience, systematic problem-solving, and the seamless integration of mathematical theory with applied programming.Ultimately, the project transcended the scope of a typical assignment; it was a true odyssey of innovation. It cemented my understanding that genuine innovation lies at the intersection of an identified human need and the technical grit to build its solution. The awarding of the Silver Award to ErgoVoyage at the 4th Graduate Digital Invention, Innovation & Design (GDIID 2025) served as a powerful validation of this belief. Throughout this journey, Dr. Burra was more than an instructor; he was our guiding mentor. His witty humour and genuine patience in demystifying complex concepts fundamentally showed me that behind every powerful tool resides a human mind persistently asking, “How can this make life better?”Silver Award of ErgoVoyage Luggage ProjectThe Poster for VolyagePal Luggage ProjectPostcard titled “How much I miss U”Today, as I debug a stubborn line of code, the frustration feels familiar — yet everything around it has changed. The tears that once rose from confusion now gather in eyes fixed with determined focus. I am no longer merely a student learning a trade; I am a builder in the making, driven by the conviction that the right algorithm and the thoughtful interface can truly “do something good for the human”.As Xiamen University Malaysia celebrates its 10th anniversary, I see my own growth reflected in its unfolding story. From the tentative freshman who once hesitated in lecture halls to the graduate now equipped with both technical skill and a human-centered vision, the transformation is evident. My journey here has been, in essence, an act of translation: turning the enduring spirit of our founder, Tan Kah Kee, into the contemporary language of technology and global citizenship.To those who will walk these halls after me, I offer this: lean into the difficult courses. Seek mentors like Dr. Burra, who see not just code, but potential. And most importantly, dare to build your own “ErgoVoyage” — that idea which lives precisely where the world’s need meets your creative passion.Here’s to our beloved alma mater. May it remain a cradle where challenges are reimagined as blueprints, and where students, ever curious and courageous, grow into the architects of a better tomorrow.By Zhang Siyu2022/09Computing and Data Science