SEGi College Penang has proudly earned international acclaim as two of its students received an Honourable Mention Award at the prestigious NASA International Space Apps Challenge 2025—the world’s largest global hackathon organised by NASA’s Heliophysics Division.
Each year, participants around the globe are tasked with using NASA’s open data to solve real-world challenges through creativity, technology, and storytelling. This year, representatives from SEGi College Penang took on the challenge titled “Space Weather Through the Eyes of Earthlings.” Participants were asked to create a digital children’s story explaining space weather and its effects on people such as pilots, farmers, astronauts, power grid operators, and the general public. Some even explored imaginative perspectives by narrating as solar flares or coronal mass ejections travelling from the Sun to Earth.
Representing SEGi College Penang under the team name “StellarTeller,” Joan Lim Pei Ying and Yeap Li Wei, both Bachelor of Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) students from the Department of Information Technology, produced an exceptional project titled “Stellar Stories: Space Weather Through the Eyes of Earthlings.” Their work was recognised with an Honourable Mention Award by NASA Space Apps Kuala Lumpur, placing them alongside notable institutions such as Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and UNIKL Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology.
“Stellar Stories” is an interactive digital narrative featuring clay-animated characters and vivid storytelling, making the complex concept of space weather engaging and understandable for audiences of all ages. The project champions STEM education and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in quality education and innovation.
Among thousands of entries submitted by universities, schools, and organisations worldwide, StellarTeller stood out for its originality, educational impact, and artistic creativity. The results were officially announced on 5 October 2025 by NASA Space Apps Kuala Lumpur (NASA KL), honouring SEGi’s talented students for their imaginative interpretation of space science.
As part of the recognition, the team received a special reward from Pixelsium, a digital storytelling platform, which granted them six months of free website hosting to publish their project. Their interactive story is now available to explore online at stellarteller.by.pixelsium.com, and is also featured on the official NASA Space Apps Challenge website.
This achievement highlights SEGi College Penang’s commitment to fostering innovation, creativity, and global competitiveness, particularly in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence.
Congratulations to Joan Lim Pei Ying and Yeap Li Wei for their stellar accomplishment at the NASA International Space Apps Challenge 2025. They have not only made SEGi proud but have also inspired fellow students to dream beyond the horizon—towards the stars.
This initiative also contributes to three important United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- SDG 4 Quality Education
- SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastucture
- SDG 13 Climate Action
