CME PhD Student Shares Research Experiences at Global IChemE Webinar
Chew Zhi Ling, a PhD student under the supervision of Asst. Prof. Dr. Kua Yin Leng from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering (SECE) at Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM), presented her research at a global webinar organised by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) National Early Careers Group (UK and Ireland) on 6 October 2025.
The webinar invited two young chemical engineers, William Ryden (Early Career Winner, a graduate process engineer from Mott MacDonald Bentley) and Chew Zhi Ling (Postgraduate Winner), to share their projects that emerged as winners of IChemE’s Young Engineers Awards for Innovation and Sustainability (YEAIS) 2025. During the webinar, they also shared their experiences with YEAIS and provided tips on submitting great entries for YEAIS 2026.
Food and agricultural wastes continue to challenge environmental sustainability, but they also offer untapped opportunities for innovation. Chew Zhi Ling’s presentation explored how durian seed can be harnessed to develop eutectogels and oleogels using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) and black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) oil. The colloids could be further enriched with phytonutrients from oil palm leaves to enhance their antioxidant and health benefits. In her presentation, Chew Zhi Ling highlighted the innovative approaches to waste valorisation and the production of tunable, value-added colloids for diverse applications that support circular economy practices, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the IChemE Priority Topic on Responsible Production, Innovation and Industry.
The research projects are financially supported by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Malaysia, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Education for Nature (EFN), and Xiamen University Malaysia in collaboration with Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Malaysian Cocoa Board (MCB), BioLoop Sdn. Bhd., and Lian Feng Frozen Durian Sdn. Bhd.
Read more about this event (webinar recording available):
In addition to her winning and research sharing for IChemE’s YEAIS 2025, Chew Zhi Ling was invited by Dr. Tharshinye Soomaran, the Country Manager Malaysia of IChemE, to serve as the emcee for Meet IChemE’s 84th President, Professor Raffaella Ocone — an exclusive Meet and Greet reception organised at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral on 24 September 2025. During her postgraduate journey, she has been actively engaged in various competitions, outreach activities, and conferences, earning multiple awards at university, national, and international levels. Her research interests focus on sustainable processes, biomass and food waste valorisation, oleochemicals, green extraction, and sustainable colloids. She is also a graduate engineer registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and an Associate Member of IChemE.
