'Voice for BT' - INTERNATIONAL 2025 (ASEAN)

Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises - ABLE has been successfully organizing ‘voice for BT’ - India’s national-level public speaking contest for the past 12 years, exclusively for the final year under-graduate and first year postgraduate students in 'Biotechnology and Life Sciences'. The program has been supported by Novonesis in India from its inception, which serves as a unique platform to recognize and motivate budding biotechnologists to pursue and promote biotechnology and life sciences.

The above initiative has attracted international biotech institutions and 'Universiti Putra Malaysia', Kuala Lumpur has evinced keen interest to host the event for ASEAN biotech colleges . They believe this will further promote biotechnology as well as sustainability in the region. We are delighted to share that the ABLE, with the support of Biocon Group, Amano Enzymes and Novonesis* will be conducting the first-ever ‘voice for BT’ – International competition at Universiti Putra Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur on 27th November 2025 , during Sci4Life 2025.

'voice for BT' event has been conducted for over a decade in India which has received accolades from across the biotech fraternity and enthusiastic response from the budding biotechnologists. The event has been conducted by ABLE with a lot of dedication and sincerity, which has been given due recognition by the various biotech institutions in India as an appropriate event to foster biotech innovation.

This event also will attract cash prizes for the top three student winners. The winners of 'voice for BT' - ASEAN will also have the opportunity to participate in the 'Grand Finale' to be held in India, where they will be competing with the Indian winners for the International prize.

‘voice for BT’ is an inter-collegiate public speaking competition in biotechnology, designed to provide students with a platform to showcase their knowledge, insights, and perspectives on diverse areas of biotechnology.

For the first time, ‘voice for BT’ – International will be held at Universiti Putra Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur , organized by ABLE with the support of Biocon Group , Amano Enzymes and Novonesis * This edition is open to biotechnology colleges across ASEAN nations (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam).

The competition is open to final-year undergraduate (B.Tech/B.Sc) students and first-year postgraduate (Biotechnology, Food Technology, and Life Sciences) students.

Winners of ‘voice for BT’ - International will also secure a place in the Grand Finale in India, where they will compete alongside Indian winners for the coveted international title.

The ‘voice for BT’ event is scheduled to be held on 27th November 2025 during the Sci4Life 2025. Sci4Life 2025 is a five-day, conference-style programme aimed at bringing together final-year undergraduate students from ASEAN universities. Sci4life will act as a platform for which innovative and high-impact final year projects from the final year students can be presented in the form of oral presentation or poster presentation, therefore highlighting the impact and importance of each final year project on a larger platform. The event seeks to strengthen academic collaboration, foster leadership communication, and promote knowledge sharing on sustainability-focused research and global development issues. The programme will feature panel forums, an interactive workshop, and industry visits. These sessions are designed to encourage critical discussions on science, innovation, and sustainable development, while equipping participants with professional skills to face future global challenges.

• Eligibility: Final-year Undergraduate (B.Tech/B.Sc) students and First-year Postgraduate Biotechnology, Food Technology, and Life Sciences students.
• Each college may nominate only one student .
• Only first 15-20 participants will be selected
• The participant has to be selected by the college. Nominations must be submitted through the official online Nomination Form.
• Three topics will be shared with nominated participants three days before the event. Participants must prepare for all three.
• On the final day, organizers will select one topic (shared one day in advance) for each participant.
• Each participant will have 5 minutes to speak, without notes or presentations. This is strictly a public speaking competition.
• ABLE will provide USD 60 sponsorship for each participant covering accommodation and meals on the contest day. In case the participant wants to participate in Sci4life, additional USD 120 needs to be borne by the participant.
• In case of cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances, the event will be rescheduled and all colleges/participants will be notified.

• A distinguished jury of scientists, academicians, and industry leaders will evaluate participants.
• Each participant will be allotted 5 minutes to speak on their assigned topic.
• Judging criteria (25 points each, 100 points total):
  • Creativity and originality of thought
  • Effectiveness of communication
  • Relevance to the chosen topic
  • Strength of conclusion