The study on the pen-sized digital microscope called the “pencroscope” invented by Ceejay Faala, a student of the Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU) Binalbagan Campus in Negros Occidental province, is among the finalists in the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Asia 2025.

The winners will be announced in a ceremony on April 22 in Macau.

In a statement, the CHMSU said Faala’s study titled, “Learning with Innovated Microscope: Addressing Instrument Gap in Biology Class,” has been shortlisted for the Research Project of the Year: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

“To see our efforts acknowledged on such a prestigious international platform is both humbling and motivating. I am deeply grateful to my mentors, research collaborators and everyone who believed in the vision of the pencroscope,” Faala said in a Facebook post.

CHMSU is the only school in the country shortlisted in the Research Project of the Year: STEM category with eight other universities from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkiye.

Faala, a junior Secondary Education major in Science student, was guided by his research adviser Alberto de la Cruz in making the “pencroscope” using recycled materials such as scrap electrical devices.

In a previous interview, Faala said the pencroscope could connect through a mobile phone and television and is 10 times cheaper than the typical microscope.

CMHSU is assisting Faala with preparing the documents for the registration of the patent for the pencrosope with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

THE is a global organization that provides information and rankings about universities worldwide, primarily known for its “World University Rankings.”

It assesses universities based on their performance across teaching, research, international outlook, and knowledge transfer, and is considered one of the most authoritative sources for evaluating higher education institutions globally. (PNA)