Three Sarawak institutions, namely Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus and UiTM Kota Samarahan Campus, rose to the challenge in this year’s IEEEXtreme Programming Competition, a prestigious 24-hour global online coding marathon that brings together top student programmers from around the world.
Held from 8:00 a.m. on 25 October to 8:00 a.m. on 26 October 2025, the competition pushed teams to their limits as they worked non-stop through the night to solve complex algorithmic problems under intense time pressure. The annual event, organised by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), is open exclusively to IEEE student members and is widely regarded as one of the most demanding global programming contests.
Throughout the 24-hour challenge, participants collaborated virtually to tackle advanced computational problems, including bitonic sequences, secure elliptic curve point addition, circular permutations and other intricate algorithmic tasks. Teams were evaluated based on the accuracy of their solutions, speed of submission and the level of problem difficulty.
In an impressive national achievement, the team from Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus emerged as the top-performing team in Malaysia, showcasing exceptional technical expertise, strategic thinking and teamwork on the global stage.
The event was supported locally by proctors from the IEEE Sarawak Subsection, whose dedication ensured smooth coordination and a conducive competition environment for all participating teams. The strong representation from Sarawak highlights the region’s growing talent pool in computer science and competitive programming, reinforcing its presence in the international technology arena.
