THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

special

Equipped for
sustainability

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

2 postgraduate

Building on the green factor

By IAN JEROME LEONG
WITHIN the last few decades,
technological advancements have
led to the creation of tools and
machinery that not only aid daily
living but enable mankind to
discover new knowledge and push
the boundaries of science and
engineering.
However, for every step
towards leading a more
comfortable life, one begins to
wonder if mankind is taking two
steps back on the environmental
front as the actions of men
have often contributed to or
exacerbated large-scale problems
that are harmful to both our
health and the natural
surroundings.
In light of this problem, civil
and environmental engineers
whose work is highly interrelated
with environmental health issues
become ever more relevant in
the fight for sustainability.
Besides the built environment
that includes buildings, supporting
infrastructure and energy
networks, key developments from
the civil and environmental
engineering sector can greatly
reduce the negative effects of
global issues such as climate
change, pollution, disease
outbreaks and the dependency
on natural resources.

Necessary concern
Dr Yap Poh Sin, environmental
epidemiologist and senior lecturer
at International Medical
University, explains that
professionals who work within
the fields of environmental health
are important as they are
concerned with protecting human
health from harmful biological,
physical and chemical exposures
in the environment.
Their research will be used by
authorities to support policy
decisions and enforce compliance
with legislation that protect or
improve the health of the public,
she says.
Prof Andy Chan, associate dean
for research in the faculty of
engineering at The University
of Nottingham Malaysia Campus,
agrees that despite the
contributions of science,
technology and engineering, the
introduction of technologies has
brought along some detrimental
effects to mankind.
However, he adds that it is for
this reason engineers need to
make valuable contributions to
sustainability while development
continues to progress in all
technological sectors.
The concept of sustainability
is now fully embedded in the
discipline of engineering to do
all these things that we have been
doing without creating a liability
for the future.
This is the role of current state
engineers and environmental
engineers and they are specifically
trained to perform this role, says
Prof Chan.

and engineering.
Despite the calls for better and
more efficient technological
solutions, the complication
arises when said technology
fails to make it to production
or receive the acceptance
required from the
public and relevant
parties.
Prof Chan says, It is
easy to believe that all
good ideas will come to
reality but this is
simply not true.
All products go
through a stringent
process of natural
competition and
elimination that
includes feasibility
concerns, cost factors,
market demands and
trends, before entering
the market, he says.

High financial
strain

The problem
at large

According to Dr Yap, among the

issues affecting humanity is that
societies are estimated to use up to
40% more resources than needed
every year.
The finding is all the more
worrying as it is estimated that
there will be twice as many
megacities in the future with the
world population projected to
increase to 9.6 billion people by
2025.
Particularly in growing cities,

the supply of resources will place

severe demands on infrastructure
and the environment.
This is when innovative
technology and economic
development play their part in
finding a solution for sustainable
strategies to reduce pollution,
energy waste and natural
resources, and reduce the disease
burden of human health, says
Dr Yap.
The problem, however, does
not stem purely from the
existence of innovative technology

Universiti Kuala
Lumpur programme
manager Assoc Prof Dr Robert
Thomas Bachmann says that
technologically, engineers already
have the solutions to the
environmental problems caused by
inefficient buildings as well as
manufacturing processes.
Principally, we also know how
to design a sustainable, durable
product that uses eco-friendly
material that is easy to maintain
and repair, he says.
He explains that the major
obstacle facing most companies,
however, is the high costs involved
in being an eco-conscious
company.
In regards to pollutants
released during production, are
companies willing to make the

required investments related to

noise, air, water, solid and
hazardous waste treatments,
or do they prefer to pressure
governments to refrain from
imposing more stringent
environmental laws and
policies that will cost them
more money?
If the government imposes
more stringent laws, will
companies stay put or decide to
relocate to another country where
pollution is still tolerated?
Assoc Prof Bachmann adds
that the onus lies not only with
companies but with end
consumers as well and he
questions if consumers are willing
to pay the higher prices that result
from the production of sustainably
designed products.

Widespread
consciousness
Prof Chan, Dr Yap and Assoc Prof
Bachmann agree that education is
vital in spreading sustainability
awareness to the masses and
represents the first step to global
legislative reforms.
We can highlight sustainability
issues to governments via
professional societies and engage
in discussions with all stakeholders
to jointly develop solutions.
International collaboration
between institutes of higher
learning can also help to indirectly
influence governments to train
the next generation of engineers
or enhance the knowledge and
skills of existing workforce within
governments and industries to
develop holistic solutions that
are economical, environmentally
friendly and acceptable to society,
says Assoc Prof Bachmann.

> SEE PAGE 4

Looking to the future

MANUFACTURING sustainable
products involves high costs.
But besides this barrier to the
adoption of sustainable
technologies and design, general
development and wealth
generation appear to take centre
stage in the hearts of many both
individuals and businesses.
Universiti Kuala Lumpur
programme manager Assoc Prof
Dr Robert Thomas Bachmann
says companies are often forced
to meet high sales targets and
firms listed in the stock market
have to constantly satisfy their
shareholders with high profits
and market share to ensure
continued investment.
To increase sales and generate
more income, products are often
designed in such a way that are
either out of fashion after some
time or designed to fail after a
certain period.
The lifestyle the economy
promotes seems to have a more

materialistic focus, he says.

If society does not complain
about pollution and if the prices
for natural commodities remain
low, sustainability is not a top
priority.
Between the issues of
sustainability, resource demands
and general development, the
notion that these factors can
grow hand-in-hand is, however,
a possibility, according to
Prof Andy Chan, associate
dean for research in the
faculty of engineering at The
University of Nottingham
Malaysia Campus.
He believes societal priority is
sometimes down to the cultural
background and history of
various nations.
Prof Chan raises the example
of how China as a developing
country currently prioritises
development over sustainability
while European countries are
famed for putting sustainability

and natural conservation above

any development making it
almost a cornerstone in all
development efforts.
He believes that proper
planning, vision and enforcement
are needed to overcome this
global problem.
According to Dr Yap Poh Sin,
environmental epidemiologist
and senior lecturer at
International Medical University,
Achieving sustainable living will
require change in industrial
processes, in the type and
amount of resources used,
and in the products that are
manufactured.
Sustainability depends on the
evolution of energy technologies,
the efficient functioning of public
infrastructure such as water
and sewage systems, innovative
biotechnology and an
information technology
revolution, she says.
While civil and environmental

engineers carry the burden of

introducing more feasible and
environmentally friendly
practices and products, the
changes necessary for a healthier
world remains the responsibility
of all.
Assoc Prof Bachmann says, If
societies strive for a luxurious
lifestyle as commonly showcased
in Western countries, one planet
is not enough.
Efforts to stimulate the civil
and environmental engineering
sector must be driven by real
demand.
If society does not want to
accept the pollution of air, water
and land, and is willing to
allocate a bigger portion of its
household income towards
sustainable products and
services, politicians and policy
makers will react allowing civil
and environmental engineers
to play a more important role,
he says.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

4 postgraduate

> FROM PAGE 2

Fortunately, such undertakings are
already in place around the world and will
hopefully bring about new ideas to combat
environmental problems.
One such event is the World Congress
on Civil, Structural, and Environmental
Engineering that will take place at the end
of this month in Prague, Czech Republic.
Authors, researchers, scholars and
industrial experts from around the world
will come together at the congress to
participate and discuss important issues in

Uniting for common sustainable goal

separate conferences focusing on
geotechnical research and engineering,
environmental sustainability, development
and protection, and air, water, soil pollution
and treatment.

Time for responsibility

Quoting the words of Mahatma Gandhi,
Assoc Prof Bachmann says, The world has

enough for everyones need, but not enough

for everyones greed.
If the world is to take sustainability and
ecological problems seriously, there needs to
be a unified effort to re-examine the way we
lead our daily lives.
Both sustainability and development
are important in todays world but the focus
is to find the balance between competing
needs such as technological and economical
needs, the need to protect the environment
as well as the need for additional efforts,
including significant changes in lifestyles,
human behaviour and consumption
patterns.
Dr Yap says, History has shown many
examples of adverse health impacts arising
from technological advancement but the
challenges of sustainable living lie on the
fine line of balancing the array of interests
and adopting the sustainable development
that encourage technological advancement,
economic growth, environment protection
and public health.

With 2020 being only four years away, the

entire issue of sustainability will likely take a
back seat to national development over the
coming years.
However, events held in Kuala Lumpur
such as the International Conference on
Civil, Environmental and Structural
Engineering last month and the Fifth
International Conference on Advances in
Applied Science and Environmental
Engineering that took place last weekend
is a good start for local engineers to
introduce research and developmental
activities, which will inspire civil and
environmental engineering graduates
who will lead the charge for national
environmental reforms in the near future.
This, plus continuous media exposure of
environmental issues, are the first crucial
steps to educate the broader public on the
importance of initiating green lifestyle
changes and demanding more stringent
environmental policies, which current
environmental technologies can realise.

The MBA programme at the University of Strathclyde provides a diverse learning environment.

Place for useful learning

THE University of Strathclyde Business
Schools full-time Masters in business
administration (MBA) programme has been
ranked 63rd in the Financial Times Global
MBA Rankings 2016 of top global 100
programmes.
Strathclydes MBA was also ranked
seventh in the world under the Employment
and Best Value for Money categories.
Executive dean Prof David Hillier says,
We are delighted to have such a good
showing in the Financial Times ranking,
particularly this year when we celebrate 50
years of running our full-time MBA
programme and 40 years of running our
part-time MBA programme.
Our standings confirm Strathclyde as a
university that has real impact not only in
Scotland but throughout the world.
The Strathclyde Business School (SBS) is
internationally respected as one of the most
innovative business schools in Europe with
one of the largest academic faculties.
Strathclyde is accredited by the
international accrediting bodies such as
AMBA (Association of MBAs), EQUIS
(European Quality Improvement System)
and AACSB (Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business).
SBS also has a reputation for research
excellence. In the most recent Research
Assessment Exercise, it was rated seventh
in the UK for its world-leading and
internationally excellent research.
The Strathclyde MBA allows its
participants to have the flexibility of
switching between different modes
of study, depending on their location

and lifestyles.
The programme is designed for ambitious,
talented and well-qualified individuals with
solid business experience.
It is based on collaborative learning where
work experience, knowledge, understanding
and applicable skills are shared, worked
with and reflected on.
The integrated programme comprises
compulsory modules supported by a
selection of optional in-depth functions,
allowing students to tailor the MBA to their
career aspirations.
Students spend time working on and
building a corporate strategy. Strategic
analysis and strategic thinking are central to
the programme and run throughout the
modules.
The programme seeks to help students
develop ways of grappling with
opportunities and problems in the practice
of management by becoming reflective,
open-thinking, adaptive learners.
The teamwork approach fostered at
Strathclyde is an important aspect of the
course and ensures that people from
different backgrounds are encouraged to
engage in a diverse working environment.
Strathclyde academic staff have a
multidisciplinary outlook and build on the
extensive expertise of academic staff from
other business faculty departments.
Its academics have particular expertise
in the areas of strategic management,
leadership and scenario planning.

n For more information, visit

www.cdc.edu.my or call 03-7660 8950 ext 109.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

6 postgraduate

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

Dr Tan Teik
Kheong,
graduate of the
Industrial
Doctorate
programme at
AeU, is a
technopreneur
and educator.

Innovate
and pioneer
DR Tan Teik Kheong, graduate of AeUs
Industrial Doctorate programme, is a
technopreneur and educator.
His passion for big data science from
engineering disciplines to financial market
analysis won him an award in 2014 and
several nominations.
Most recently, he was conferred the title of
senior corporate fellow from AeU for his
many achievements.
Here, he shares his views on
technopreneurism and innovation:
I represented Asia e University (AeU) and
was the only Malaysian participant
competing globally against many others at
the London Hedge Fund Competition in
2014.
This competition was my first attempt to
apply quantitative skills combined with the
Bayesian analysis for big data in the finance
industry.
I managed to build the portfolio of
companies that led to the top selection in
the final rounds. It was an eye-opening
experience for me because I developed a
methodology of portfolio selection that
enabled the fund to maintain its high net
return in both bullish (a market in which
share prices are expected to rise,
encouraging buying) and bearish (a market
in which share prices are falling,
encouraging selling) markets.
Since then, I have further refined the
technique for robustness and risk mitigation
for optimum capital allocation.
Part of this work was presented last year
and this year at the recent IEEE conference
(organised by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers, the worlds largest
professional association for the
advancement of technology).
After winning the top three hedge fund
competition in London, I was psyched up
and encouraged to apply high-probability
Bayesian techniques to stock selection, thus
driving my passion for finance.
Being a technopreneur at heart, I founded
several startups and experienced product
development life cycles multiple times in
networking equipment and semiconductor
industry.
Entrepreneurship was part of my business
philosophy from young. I believe the key to
successful entrepreneurship rests in the
characteristics of the individual, including
the ability to spot opportunities.
The second trait is confidence,
substantiated by passion, desire and
preparation. Innovation focuses on creating
new ideas and is often used by business as a
tool to increase productivity or create a new
product to gain competitive advantage.
Entrepreneurship and innovation work

Entrepreneurship was part

of my business philosophy
from young. I believe
the key to successful
entrepreneurship rests
in the characteristics of
the individual, including
the ability to spot
opportunities.
Dr Tan Teik Kheong

simultaneously in furthering the success of

the entrepreneur. Throughout my 30 years
of being in private and public organisations,
declaring myself as an entrepreneur has
been easy but it is not as easy to convince
investors, your team and customers that you
are someone special to fund and follow.
If you do not consistently display the
mindset and traits of an entrepreneur,
people will not follow you and you are in
danger of not succeeding in your business
ventures.
Running a business involves a
combination of successes and failures
although I believe failing as a result of
calculated risk-taking should be embraced
positively.
An example was the initial public offering
(IPO) process for a semiconductor firm I was
involved in for four years.
Even though I had planned and prepared
well, the circumstances did not allow the
IPO process to happen.
However, prior to that, I had successfully
helped several companies in their funding
series, one of which resulted in the sale of
their mobile broadband assets to
Qualcomm.
Being trained in electrical and software
engineering and being the founder of
several startups, I have developed a strong
intuition on how to start and run a
technology business and there are many
opportunities available.
Everything from mobility to wireless
communications to consumers relationships
with technology is being disrupted.
Predictive analytics, cloud computing, big
data sciences and next-generation wireless
communications will be key enablers for the
next generation of entrepreneurs to
capitalise on.

n For more information, visit

www.aeu.edu.my.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

RAENETTE Yoong Yenn Shin,

bachelors degree student in
hospitality, with the assistance and
support of Berjaya University
College of Hospitality (Berjaya
UCH), spent a memorable autumn
at Sejong University in South
Korea.
What she gained through a
semester abroad was more than
knowledge and skills it was
invaluable experience.
Yoong has always been
interested in the Korean culture,
which was her main motivation
in applying to study in South Korea
for a semester.
For four months, she took up
general studies and three
hospitality-related subjects.
Lectures were conducted in
English though occasionally the
Korean language was used in
classes.
With the practical knowledge
she gained from Berjaya UCH,
Yoongs exchange at Sejong
University went smoother than
expected.
She believes that Berjaya UCH
gave her a strong foundation that
helped her a lot in lessons. In
regards to her experience in
coursework, she says, When it
comes to preparing reports and
proposals, most of my research
involved South Korean companies
and the information provided was
usually in Korean.
It was then that I had to enlist
my classmates for assistance in

postgraduate 7

Going the distance

About Berjaya UCH

Yoong gained a wealth of cross-cultural knowledge, skills and experience during her semester in South Korea, where
she also made new connections.

translating the details. But I was

glad and up for the challenge
as it helped to improve my
Korean.
Sejong University also provided
her with a global network of
friends.
Yoong made friends with
students from around the world
during her assignments,

discussions and studies.

She learnt about their different
cultures and beliefs, which are
important for her to pursue a
careers as a global hotelier.
She lived in a guesthouse and
worked there in exchange for
accommodation. Besides spending
her free time completing
assignments, she travelled to the

nearby neighbourhoods of
Insa-dong and visited her Korean
friends.
She would like to visit South
Korea again if given the
opportunity as she loves the
weather and culture.

n For more information on Berjaya

UCH, visit www.berjaya.edu.my.

BERJAYA UCH is arguably

Malaysias premier university
college in the fields of
hospitality, culinary arts,
tourism and event management.
It also offers courses in business
and liberal arts.
Situated in the Golden
Triangle of Kuala Lumpur, it is
located on the 11th and 14th
floors of Berjaya Times Square.
It is conceptually designed
with the ambiance of a five-star
hotel and equipped with
comprehensive and advanced
facilities that mirrors real-world
settings.
Berjaya UCH is working to
make higher education more
accessible, affordable and
attainable for everyone.
The PTPTN education
financing scheme is available
for Malaysian students. Its
affiliation with the Berjaya
Corporation Group of
Companies also allows it to host
several bursary schemes and
education scholarships made
available to both local and
international students.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

8 postgraduate

THE Management & Science

University (MSU) is one of
Malaysias top universities.
It focuses strongly on in-demand
areas of study, which encompass
medicine, health sciences,
pharmacy, information sciences
and engineering, business
management and professional
studies, education, social sciences,
hospitality, culinary arts, music,
and fashion.
MSU has received much
recognition from independent
Malaysian and international
bodies.
It has been rated as an excellent
status university twice by the
Higher Education Ministry through
a rating system for all universities
in Malaysia.
MSU is also accredited by the
Accreditation Services for
International Colleges (ASIC), the
United Kingdom, and the Alliance
on Business Education and
Scholarship for Tomorrow
(ABEST21), Japan.
MSUs Graduate School of
Management (GSM) recognises that
todays global companies require
managers with a broader outlook.
The university attracts top
students through its
internationalisation effort of
employing faculty members with
overseas experience and forming
effective links with businesses.
The Master in Business
Administration by MSU (MSU-MBA)
offers students an experiential

Enhance leadership skills

MSU-MBAs active learning exercises allow for a rich learning environment by

integrating real-world experiences in the classroom.

learning opportunity in crosscultural communications, building

a global network and possibly
creating a future international
career. In addition, students are
able to develop management skills
and techniques, obtain strategic
orientation and implement the
strategies formulated.
The MSU-MBA helps students
develop skills in leadership,
entrepreneurship, strategic
management and decision-making
so that they become successful
leaders in the most competitive
markets.
The programme aims to build
on the foundations of work
experience and, by equipping

students with new skills and

knowledge, enable them to make a
smooth transition to a higher level
of responsibility.
The MSU-MBA provides
sufficient knowledge for students
to understand the various facets of
an organisation to formulate
successful strategies. It also instils
confidence in them.
The MSU-MBA is popular with
employers as it is a recognised
currency in the human resources
marketplace. Employers know the
value of the qualification and what
they can expect from an MBA
graduate.
They also recognise the
commitment shown by MSU-MBA

students in investing heavily in

their careers. Such candidates are
likely to be dynamic self-starters
who will be an asset to any
organisation.
Active learning exercises within
the programme act as a basis for
verbal analysis and discussion,
allowing for a rich learning
environment through the
integration of classroom lessons
with real-world experiences.
These exercises broaden
students understanding of issues
by inviting them to think beyond
their learning materials. New
terms and concepts are defined
in the margins to facilitate
learning.
Strategic-thinking sections that
follow opening vignettes and cases
provide thought-provoking
questions and exercises that
sharpen students problem-solving
abilities.
The opening vignette is designed
to illustrate the major issues found
in each module with compelling
real-world issues.
GSM has established
collaborative educational links
with a number of top overseas
universities, including those in the
UK, the United States, Australia,
New Zealand, South Korea, Japan,

Germany, Russia and China.

The Global Mobility Programme
is a means to provide MSU
postgraduate students with
international exposure.
Through this programme,
students have the opportunity to
develop an awareness and
appreciation of other cultures,
political and economic
environments, and approaches of
doing business.
Professors of the MSU-MBA are
accomplished teachers who have
made significant contributions to
the business world, both as
academics and working
professionals.
They have conducted research
and published articles across a
broad range of business and
professional areas.
They have also taught universitylevel business courses abroad, thus
bringing their rich multicultural
experience to Malaysia.
Professors at MSU are selected
worldwide from among the best
consultants and professionals in
their fields.

n For more information,

call 03-2718 4302/4300/4301 or
e-mail gsm@msu.edu.my or visit
www.msu.edu.my.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

postgraduate 9

UniKL graduates are experts ready to meet market needs due to their
experience in an industry-relevant programme.

Improving
energy
efficiency
FOUNDED in 2002, Universiti
Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) is a
leading university in
engineering technology and
has received successive Tier 5
ratings in Malaysian
Qualifications Agencys SETARA
2009, 2011 and 2013 evaluations.
It is also the first technical
university in Malaysia to
pioneer the upgrading of
technical education to higher
technical vocational education
and training (HTVET).
Lifelong learning has become
the main agenda for many
employers and employees in
the world, and UniKL is
committed to providing various
programmes that fulfil the needs
and wants of the global business
community.
Buildings play an important
part in every humans life. They
provide shelter from the
elements as well as a place for
rest, study, work, recreation and
rehabilitation.
Buildings consume 30% to
40% of electrical energy,
although the share of electrical
energy consumption of
appliances varies between
commercial, public, industrial
and domestic sectors as well as
countries.
Alongside other greenhouse
gases leading to global warming,
buildings have their share in
contributing to climate change.
To dampen the effects of
global warming and guarantee a
sustainable environment, major
changes and bold decisions will
have to be made in the next
decades to cater for a new
diversified energy mix as well as
improved energy efficiency.

UniKL has teamed up with the

University of Applied Sciences
Rosenheim, a German university
internationally renowned in the
field of sustainable buildings, to
provide a joint masters
programme to assist in creating
a green, state-of-the-art energyefficient yet affordable building
culture.
The programme not only
combines but also goes beyond
conventional engineering and
management subjects.
This is to produce experts
who meet the market needs
primarily to operate as well as
retrofit existing buildings in a
sustainable, energy- and
cost-efficient manner, complying
with green building certification
tools such as the Building
Research Establishment
Environment Assessment
Methodology, the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental
Design, the Green Star or the
Malaysian Green Building Index.
By building up human capital
in terms of green building and
technology experts and
technopreneurs, UniKL aims to
achieve a tangible contribution
to dampen global warming and
the predicted energy crisis in
Malaysia and beyond.
UniKL Malaysian Institute of
Chemical and Bioengineering
Technology (UniKL MICET)
offers the Master of Engineering
Technology in Green and Energy
Efficient Buildings in the July
intake.

n For more information, visit

www.micet.unikl.edu.my/mgeeb/
or e-mail yuzrifa@unikl.edu.my
or bachmann@unikl.edu.my.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

10 postgraduate

Dr Kenny Tan Boon

Thong says engineering
graduates and
professional engineers
will have a competitive
edge upon completion
of Monashs masters
programme.

Possessing
the green edge
SUSTAINABILITY is the latest buzzword for
developed and industrialised economies,
especially as governments seek new energy
sources and ways to optimise efficiency.
Monash University Malaysias Master of
Advanced Engineering (Energy and
Sustainability), which commenced in
February, incorporates aspects of energy
use, conservation, sustainability,
management and processing in areas
such as water and lighting.

Focus on sustainability
Traditional undergraduate engineering
programmes only gloss over these subjects,
says Dr Kenny Tan Boon Thong, senior
lecturer and course coordinator (mechanical)
in the School of Engineering.
But these days, a strong emphasis is
placed by governments on corporations to
clean up their act. As such, there is a need
for more engineers who specialise in these
areas.
Dr Tan believes that engineering graduates
and professional engineers who wish to have
a change in career should leverage on the
masters programme to capitalise on the
emerging trends of green energy and
sustainable living.
He adds that as many companies begin
incorporating sustainability into their
practices, more job opportunities are created
in processing and energy sectors as well as
consulting.

Nurturing innovative engineers

Malaysia has acknowledged the

importance of such issues by establishing the
Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and
Water in 2009 and the Renewable Energy Act
2011 to encourage organisations to produce
electricity from renewable sources, reduce
carbon emissions and drive advancement in
green technologies.
The masters programme accepts students
with a bachelors degree in any engineering
discipline as it incorporates elements of
electrical, chemical and mechanical
engineering.
According to Dr Tan, this gives graduates
an advantage.
Graduates will have fundamental
knowledge of broad areas related to energy
and sustainability instead of starting from
ground zero when joining a consultancy,
he says.
The course also features some unique
subjects, including intelligent lighting and
engineering entrepreneurship, where
students are taught how to commercialise
an idea or innovation.
The masters programme can be
completed full time or part time for
the duration of one year or two years
respectively. Classes are taught from
6pm to 9pm.

n For more information about the Master

of Advanced Engineering (Energy and
Sustainability), visit www.monash.edu.my.

Future
tech now
SCIENCE, technology and engineering
graduates are big contributors to the
economic growth of a country as they
drive innovation and development.
This is particularly important because a
nations economy and its application in the
fields of science and technology is the
deciding factor that determines if it is a
developing or developed nation.
Here are some recently introduced
technological products.

Look, no hands!
Many developed and developing countries
have either semi-automated or fully
automated public rail systems. The
Copenhagen Metro in Denmark is an
example of a fully automated rail system that
can transport commuters between stations,
close its doors, detect obstacles on the track
and react to emergency situations without
human intervention.
The town council of Trikala, Greece, has
gone a step further by introducing driverless
buses. Part of a European Union-funded trial
project called CityMobil2, these automated
vehicles are even able to operate on normal
roads surrounded by cars, bicyclists and
pedestrians instead of on segregated lanes.
Although special laws were passed to make
way for the project, it is a good indication of
how a fully automated transportation system
can be introduced into public infrastructure,
possibly reducing the number of road
accidents that occur due to human error.

The success of this programme will lead

to a large-scale implementation of similar
systems around the world.

Remote construction
Japanese construction and mining
equipment company Komatsu and United
States drone maker Skycatch recently
collaborated on a project called Smart
Construction, bringing cloud computing
and construction to a new level.
In an effort to overcome the shortage of
workers in Japan and reduce rising labour
costs, Komatsus construction vehicles, such
as excavators and bulldozers, can now drive
and move earth by themselves.
Before the vehicles are sent to work, a
Skycatch drone flies over the construction
site to take pictures of the ground and stitch
these pictures to form a 3D map.
Site planners then enter the information of
what earth they want moved, the areas to be
left untouched and how the next stage of
construction should look like.
A human controller or manager can then
supervise the machines on a computer,
enabling efficient and optimal construction
with minimal labour force. This high level of
drone mapping significantly reduces the
amount of time needed to survey the entire
area compared to the traditional manual
process.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

postgraduate 11

VC COLUMN

Bridging the gap in engineering

LAST Tuesday marked
International Womens Day,
coincidentally the day after I
attended the Industrial
Engineering and Operations
Management (IEOM) Societys 6th
International Conference, where I
had the opportunity to speak in a
panel discussion on the topic
Women in Industry and Academia.
The panel, organised by Resh
Plaha who champions the role of
women within IEOM, included
speakers from the United Kingdom,
Malaysia and Morocco and
were a mix of engineers and
non-engineers.
The audience was even more
nationally diverse but what was
striking was the commonality of
experiences across cultures and
the similarly slow rate of progress
in terms of female representation.

Women in education
The starting point for much of
the discussion was higher
education. For many of the science
subjects, the primary concern was
the problem of the leaky pipeline
there is plenty of female interest
in the science subjects at university
level but that does not translate
into the workplace and

By PROF
CHRISTINE

ENNEW

particularly, the academic

workplace.
At various points along the
career pipeline, women drop out in
a way that men do not and, as a
result, are significantly underrepresented in the various
professions and at senior levels in
business, industry and academia.
I suspect that many of my
colleagues in engineering might
like to just have a leaky pipeline
problem; for engineering, the
major problem seems to be
creating interest in the first place
and attracting female students to
engineering and technology
subjects at university.
Around the world, female
students are significantly underrepresented in university
engineering programmes.
Commentators have attributed
this to a variety of factors,
including misconceptions of what
engineering is really about, a
lack of positive role models and
the difficulties of working in a

dominantly male environment.

Some are concerned that
engineering is perceived as a
purely technical/vocational activity
(such as fixing cars, repairing
machinery, building roads and
bridges), which makes it appear
unattractive from a career
perspective.
Others suggest that female
students are less confident about
their technical abilities than male
students. Unfortunately,
engineering is usually strongly
associated with masculinity.
The problem of attracting
women into engineering is one
that appears to be widespread.
Comparative data can be difficult
to find, but if we look at women
working in engineering, we find
some interesting contrasts.
In the UK, about 7% of the
engineering workforce is female; in
Australia, the figure is 10% and in
the US and Canada, it is 11%.
Contrast this with China, where
40% of the engineering workforce
comprises females. In Malaysia, it
is estimated that about 20% of the
engineering workforce is female,
despite the fact that nationally the
proportions of females studying
engineering is relatively high
(though still below 50%).

Changing the imbalance

Engineering as a profession is
missing out if it fails to attract
more women; if the profession
mostly draws its talent from one
half of the population, it loses out
on the intelligence and expertise
and creativity that reside with the
other half of the population.
Changing this imbalance means
attracting more women to the
study of engineering and then
helping them as they transition
into the engineering workforce.
As one of my fellow panellists
noted, for women, there is a shaky
bridge between engineering at
university and engineering as a
profession.
There are plenty of practical
activities that can support female
students as they look to cross
this bridge such as mentoring,
employer visits, scholarships and
bursaries, internships and
enhanced career advice.
These are undoubtedly
important but fundamentally, there
needs to be a change in a range of
deep-seated, possibly subconscious
beliefs and attitudes.
And that change depends on
highlighting both the true nature of
engineering and its attractiveness
as a career choice for women.

Engineering is the profession

that harnesses scientific
innovation, turning it into
something of direct use and real
value.
Engineers make a very real and
practical difference to our lives
because they create solutions to
problems and find new and better
ways of doing things.
We need, more publicly, to
recognise and promote the
fundamental importance of this
area of study and work.
Moreover, history tells us that
there is a long tradition of
successful and highly influential
female engineers; we need to more
explicitly recognise and celebrate
their achievements.
If we want to attract more
women to the study of engineering
and engineering profession, we
must be able to demonstrate both
the value of the subject area in
itself and the real opportunities
that it offers to women.
Prof Christine Ennew is the
chief executive officer and provost
of The University of Nottingham
Malaysia Campus.

n For more information, visit

www.nottingham.edu.my.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

12 postgraduate

FOR Assoc Prof Dr Bimo Ario Tejo, new

dean of UCSI University (UCSI)s Faculty
of Applied Sciences, it was in the
pharmaceutical chemistry laboratory of the
University of Kansas, United States, that he
discovered his research interest.
Back then, I remember not having a
specific research field in mind and going
abroad was just an excuse for me to travel
and see the world, he says.
But by stepping out of his comfort zone
and choosing a research field completely
different from the one he was previously
majoring in, Assoc Prof Bimo found a
discipline he could dedicate his academic
life to.
It is a testament to his research interest
and dedication that he has already
contributed to more than 50 publications
over the course of his career.
Having had his hand in the research field
of biotechnology, peptide and protein
chemistry as well as pharmaceutical
chemistry for more than 15 years, Assoc
Prof Bimo is very much the right person to

Passion for research

Joko Logis.

spearhead the facultys research endeavours

as UCSI gears towards being the hub of
postgraduate studies for research.
UCSIs wide variety of postgraduate
degrees, which range from research-based
programmes to coursework-based ones and
include full-time and part-time modes,
accommodates both fresh graduates and
working adults.
The programmes offered at UCSIs Faculty
of Applied Sciences are MSc Food Science
with Business Management, MSc
Biotechnology, MSc Biotechnology with
Business Management, MSc in Applied
Sciences by Research and Doctorate of
Philosophy (Science).
Another programme, MSc in Nutrition
with Management, is in the pipeline and will
be launched next.
To ensure that its postgraduate
programmes are accessible to the best and
brightest, the university has allocated funds
under the UCSI University Trust Graduate
Fellowship.
Great lengths have been taken to ensure
that the teaching and learning environment
suits local and international students alike.
Joko Logis, UCSIs MSc Applied Sciences by
Research student whose passion lies in

discovering a solution to reduce dye

pollutants in the environment, cannot agree
more.
Previously a BSc (Hons) Biotechnology
student at the university, the Indonesian
student decided to further his education at
UCSI due to his passion for research and the
culture in the laboratory.
I cannot think of a reason not to continue
my postgraduate studies here; I am
surrounded by supervisors who are helpful
and laboratories equipped with cutting-edge
equipment. Of course, having friends here
also helps tip the scale, he says.
UCSIs emphasis on research saw more
than 30 publications published in 2015 by its
lecturers.
With more than 50% of the lecturers in
the Faculty of Applied Sciences having PhD
qualifications the highest among private
universities postgraduate candidates can
rest assured that they will have the
opportunity to conduct meaningful research
with award-winning academicians who are
respected researchers in their own right.

n For more information, call the Office of

Postgraduate Studies at 03-9102 4739 or
visit www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my.

Binary Universitys city campus offers a green environment with in-house accommodation as well
as food and beverage facilities.

Groomed for industry

HAVING opened its doors in 1994, the Binary
Graduate School (BGS) is a pioneer in
offering postgraduate courses. It started
off offering three courses.
The BGS has grown by leaps and bounds
and offers more than 20 postgraduate
courses, including its flagship PhD and
Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA),
both of which are fully accredited, says
vice-chancellor Prof Dr Sulochana Nair.
According to Binary Universitys founder
chairman Datuk Prof Joseph Adaikalam, the
success of the BGS is a result of its unique
delivery structures that meet the different
needs of working adults and full-time
students.
For working adults, we deliver using the
Block Release Mode, which enables them to
pursue the PhD, DBA or masters degrees
without needing to leave their jobs. In
addition, all our postgraduate courses are
offered on a modular basis, says Prof
Adaikalam.
As for full-time students pursuing
masters by research or taught masters
programmes, they carry out research that
matters to employers, thus becoming highly
employable graduates.
Students can pursue the masters of
science (MSc) by research in areas such
as human resource management,
international marketing, innovation and
entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship,
and environmental management.
The Binary MBA offers ambitious
individuals the opportunity to combine a

general MBA with industry-specialist

skills, thus grooming one to take on senior
positions in the future, says Prof Adaikalam.
According to Prof Nair, the fully accredited
Binary PhD has a large following because it
is supported by five dedicated research
centres.
PhD candidates may publish using
our homegrown journal Future Journal of
Management & Entrepreneurship, which is
internationally subscribed to, says Prof
Nair.
As for individuals from the corporate
sector who wish to combine their work
experience with contemporary management
thinking, Prof Adaikalam says the DBA is the
ideal programme.
Despite current economic challenges, our
Government is highly supportive of creating
more postgraduate talents. Under the revised
Budget 2016, the MyBrain15 grant is
extended to benefit all Malaysians through
MyMaster and MyPhD, he says.
The next intake for the PhD, MBA and MSc
by research programmes are on April 27
while the intake for DBA is on May 23.
All postgraduate applicants may apply
for the MyMaster and MyPhD grants of
RM10,000 and RM20,000 respectively
through the BGS. These grants are provided
by the Education Ministry to qualified
candidates.

n For more information about personal

counselling sessions, call Thinaharan at 012288 8500 or Kumarandran at 017-254 7125.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

postgraduate 13

Transforming
communities

GRADUATES of the
International Medical
University (IMU)s Master of
Science (MSc) in Public Health
have been helping to build
happier and healthier
communities around the world.
From the villages of Nigeria
to the metropolis of Kuala
Lumpur, IMUs MSc in Public
Health graduates are
transforming the lives of the
people they serve.
The programmes graduates
are making their presence felt
in a variety of public health,
health education, and research
and disease prevention
initiatives in Malaysia, Nigeria,
Bangladesh, Myanmar, India
and Tanzania.
The broad-based flexible and
modular curriculum enables
graduates to leverage on their
knowledge and skills learnt at
the undergraduate level to
upgrade their competencies
in a field they prefer.
The MSc in Public Health
at IMU has students who are
nurses working as health
executives in the corporate
sector, nutritionists as lecturers,
pharmacists as researchers or
executives in pharmaceutical
organisations, medical doctors
in clinical research centres, and
biomedical scientists as health
programme officers.
Valuable input from faculty

members with years of public

health experience at the
national and international
levels plays an important role in
the teaching and learning of this
programme.
Throughout the curriculum,
communication skills are
enhanced with hours of
face-to-face presentation,
seminars and written
assignments.
Research is given due
prominence and students
have to explore a subject for
research, do the project
proposal, get it through the
ethics committee, develop the
instruments for data collection
and carry out analysis and
write their thesis. The research
can be done either locally or
elsewhere.
The programme includes
modules in epidemiology,
biostatistics, environmental,
occupational and population
health, medical sociology, health
promotion and public health
practice.
Furthermore, there are field
visits and a two-week
attachment in a government
public health organisation.
Not surprisingly, this is the
only postgraduate programme
from a private university that
is recognised by the Public
Service Department (JPA) for
employment in the government

Technologies for
sustainable future
MUCH of the Earths natural
resources are rapidly depleting
at the hands of humans. Soon,
we will be without many of the
resources on which we rely
heavily today.
To counter this, scientists and
engineers across the globe have
been developing technologies to
make use of non-exhaustible
resources and turn them into
energy.
Here are some of the latest
technologies that are or will be
available for use in the near
future.

Solar-powered car
The Ford C-Max Solar Energi
Concept car is an electric car
that runs on electricity
generated by solar panels.
Its roof is mounted with a
solar panel array that collects
energy from the sun that
powers the cars 7.6kWh
lithium-ion battery pack.
Ford claims that on a full
charge, the C-Max Solar Energi
can travel 34km on electricity
alone.

The solar panels on the car

are equipped with solar
concentrator and sun-tracking
technology, which allows the
panels to absorb more energy.
Like every other electric car,
the C-Max Solar Energi can be
charged at electric vehicle
charging stations.
If the car runs out of
electricity, the solar panels will
come in handy as drivers can
leave the car to charge under
the sunlight while they go dine
or watch a movie.
Once home, the car is
designed to be parked
under specially designed
concentrators that act like a
magnifying glass, concentrating
sunlight onto the solar panels to
speed up the charging process.
The car is expected to
significantly reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and, of course,
reduce the consumption of
depleting fossil fuels. The
Ford C-Max Solar Energi is
anticipated to be on sale within
the next two years.

SEE PAGE 16 >

sector, provided the students

undergraduate degree is also
recognised by the JPA.
IMU also offers the MSc in
Molecular Medicine, MSc in
Analytical and Pharmaceutical
Chemistry, Master of Pharmacy
Practice, MSc in Environmental
Health as well as MSc and PhD in
Medical and Health Sciences (by
Research).
Research programmes
commence anytime throughout the

Students from IMUs Master of Science in Public Health programme can play vital
roles in building happier and healthier communities.

year while the commencements of the

other postgraduate programmes are
in March and September.
If you have an interest in furthering
your studies at the postgraduate level
in any of these areas, apply online

today and gain an advantage in a

highly competitive job market.

n For more information, visit www.

imu.edu.my or e-mail postgraduate@
imu.edu.my or call 03-2731 7272.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

14 postgraduate

Ensuring quality in education

WITH programmes ranging from
pre-university to professional level
as well as leadership development
in the areas of law and business
administration, management,
allied health sciences, engineering,
information communication
technology, English, Arabic and
other foreign languages, the
International Islamic University
Malaysia (IIUM) Centre for
Strategic Continuing Education and
Training (IIUM Crescent) offers
students a unique opportunity for
pursuing lifelong learning and
continuing professional
development.
According to Prof Datuk Seri Dr
Zaleha Kamrudin, rector of IIUM,
since it was established in 1983,
the university has made significant
contributions that put IIUM on the
global map.
The biggest achievement is its
recognition as the Premier
International Islamic Research
University conferred by the Islamic
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (ISESCO) on Dec 17,
2014.
IIUM has been recognised all
over the world especially among
Muslim nations and has become a
role model offering integrated
tertiary education infused with
Islamic values without
compromising the professional
aspects and contents of various
disciplines.
Prominent global leaders,
ministers and heads of universities
and institutions from various parts
of the world came to IIUM to
benchmark themselves against
our achievements.
IIUM has also developed
collaborations with various
institutions of higher learning
and agencies all around the
world, says Prof Zaleha.
Significant contributions by IIUM
to developing countries were made
possible upon appointment as
consultants by the Islamic
Development Bank and Asian
Development Bank to establish
Islamic universities in Maldives,
Afghanistan and a few other
countries.
This special recognition is
testament to the success of our
strategies, quality leadership, and
the commitment and contribution
of our academic and
administrative staff, she says.
Prof Zaleha is confident that
IIUM is capable of developing
strategies and innovative ideas to
remain competitive and attractive
among the Malaysian and global
community as an institution of
choice for tertiary education and
continuing education.

Contributing to
development
The establishing of IIUM
Crescent is one of the universitys
strategies to provide opportunities
to those seeking to achieve their
ambition of pursuing tertiary
education.
This is in line with the
Governments commitment to
transforming Malaysias education
system as set out in the Education
Blueprint, which focuses on

Prof Datuk Seri Dr Zaleha Kamrudin,

rector of the International Islamic
University Malaysia (IIUM).

Prof Dr Ainul Jaria Maidin, dean of

IIUM Crescent.

equipping students holistically to

succeed in the 21st century.
IIUM is committed to contribute
to developing Malaysians who are
knowledgeable, can think critically
and creatively, have leadership and
communication skills.
IIUM Crescent is the merger of
three specialised business units
(SBUs), which together have more
than 30 years of experience in
offering continuing education and
professional development
programmes developed by the
academics from the various
Kulliyyahs in IIUM.
IIUM Crescent offers a wide
range of organic homegrown
academic and professional training
programmes developed by senior
professors with strong research
and publication backgrounds.
IIUM Crescent is based at the
IIUM Kuala Lumpur campus
located strategically at Persiaran
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, Taman
Duta.
It provides an environment
conducive to learning with ample
facilities, such as well-equipped
classrooms, library, Wi-Fi
connectivity, student
accommodation and study
areas and more.

syariah judges and lawyers can

pursue the Diploma in
Administration of Islamic
Judiciary and Diploma in Shariah
Law and Legal Practice.
Other postgraduate
programmes now offered
are the Master of Business
Administration (MBA) and
Master of Law (LLM) with focus
on specific areas of law such as
Islamic finance and banking law,
business law and international
law.
At doctoral level, the centre
offers the Doctor of Business
Administration programme and
PhD in various areas of Islamic
studies and social sciences.
IIUM Crescent welcomes
working adults and those looking
to enhance their qualifications.
There are also various
professional qualifications and
postgraduate programmes that
are tailored to the needs of
working adults who need to
combine work and study.
As a centre established under
the International Islamic
University Malaysia, a leading
international university, it is
important for IIUM Crescent to
offer programmes and training

Quality education
Offering postgraduate
programmes covering a wide range
of disciplines, IIUM Crescent is
committed to excellence in
providing continuing education,
professional development, as well
as leadership skills development
trainings.
IIUM Crescents postgraduate
programmes in business and
management and law as well as
pre-university and language
courses are popular with local and
international students.
IIUM Crescents signature
academic programmes are the
study of Islamic products and
Islamic services as well as Islamic
banking and finance (Certificate in
Islamic Banking and Finance Law,
LLM in Islamic Banking and
Finance, BSC and MSC in Islamic
Banking and Finance).
The MBA programme offers
specialisations in Islamic finance,
strategic management, waqf
management, construction
management and finance.
Those seeking to qualify as

modules that produce graduates

who are able to internalise and put
into practice the knowledge and
skills acquired in shaping
management, leadership and
organisational excellence, says
IIUM Crescent dean Prof Dr Ainul
Jaria Maidin.
Being one of the pioneering
international Islamic universities
in the region, IIUM emphasises
internationalisation and promotes
the integration of Islamic values
and ethics into all the sciences
and non-sciences programmes.
We ensure our graduates can be
agents of change either locally or
globally.
The mission of IIUM is to become
a leading international centre of
educational excellence that seeks
to restore the dynamic and
progressive role of the Muslim
Ummah in all branches of
knowledge and intellectual
discourse.
The integration of Islamic
principles, values and ethics into
the curriculum promotes the
good values of Islam that are in
convergence with universal values.
Recognising the need to produce
holistic graduates, effective
and innovative educational
programmes were developed and
made available using innovative
teaching pedagogy and blended
learning environment.
Prof Ainul explains that to
maintain the quality of education,
the IIUMCs best practices are
implemented via statutory
procedures and policies endorsed
by Ministry of Higher Education.
Its programmes are also
accredited by the IIUMs selfaccreditation practices and
standards set by the Malaysian
Qualifications Agency.
In addition to high-quality
standards in academic
programmes, the efficiency and
effectiveness in the context of
teaching and learning is
maintained through various core
processes certified by ISO9001:2000

quality management system, says

Prof Ainul.
IIUM graduates will acquire high
level of English proficiency as the
language is the main medium of
instruction besides Bahasa
Malaysia and Arabic for certain
programmes, especially those
commissioned by Malaysian
government departments and
some Gulf countries.

Widespread recognition
Prof Ainul says, IIUM Crescent
cultivates strategic partnerships
across the world, collaborating in
terms of teaching, research and
knowledge exchange.
This dynamic strategy drives
our distinctiveness to continue
attracting and retaining highquality students, staff and
collaborators.
IIUM Crescent has established
partnerships with various local
and international organisations,
such as the Australian Institute of
Management in Western Australia,
Georgia Institute of Technology
(Georgia), Malaysian Prisons
Department, Malaysian
Immigration Department, Tabung
Haji, Public Bank Berhad, Malayan
Banking Berhad, Bank Negara
Malaysia, United Nation
Development Program, Unhabitat,
Kyoto University, Wisconsin
University USA, Madin Academy
Kerala India, Hong Kong University
and others.
The postgraduate programmes
offered by IIUM Crescent was
developed taking into account
the need to balance between
knowledge and practical skills such
as social responsibility, practical
skills, communication skills,
leadership and teamwork,
managerial and entrepreneurial
skills, professionalism and
integrity.

n For more information, visit

www.iium.edu.my/iiumcrescent or
call 03-6207 3400.

Centre for continuous learning

IIUM Crescent, established on
Feb 25, is a merger of IIUMs
strategic business
units, Graduate School of
Management, Harun M. Hashim
Law Centre and the Institute for
Language Advancement.
IIUM Crescent was set up to
govern the universitys various
SBUs that offer executive
programmes, professional
development training and
continuing education courses
with emphasis on lifelong
learning.
Dean of IIUM Crescent
Prof Dr Ainul Jaria Maidin said
that it is timely for IIUM to have
a central agency to manage the
lifelong learning programmes
for promoting good governance,
efficiency in implementation
and ensuring quality.

This body ensures that the

delivery of the programmes
adhere to the procedures
stipulated by the Higher
Education Ministry, Malaysian
Qualification Agency (MQA),
and the university with regards
to its implementation and goes
towards enhancing the quality
of the services rendered, says
Prof Ainul.
IIUM Crescent is focused on
increasing the standard of
excellence in administration
procedures, achieving efficiency
in the utilisation of resources
and minimising issues
pertaining to human resource
and financial governance as well
as customer services.
IIUM Crescent has as one of its
missions to establish strategic
partnership with a wide range

of local industries that include

skills training institutions,
other higher-learning
institutions, as well as
government agencies involved
in offering skills training,
continuing education courses
and professional development
programmes.
Your gateway to professional
leadership excellence can start
with IIUM, which offers the
opportunity to improve
knowledge, skills and credentials
for career development.
Besides the opportunity to
study courses on a full-time or
part-time mode taught by highly
qualified teaching staff,
including industrial experts,
students at IIUM Crescent will
benefit in terms of networking
opportunities.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

postgraduate 15

Masterclass
experience
WITH the changing business
landscape, the delivery of the
masters in business
administration (MBA) has
transformed to be more
innovative with greater
inclusiveness of a wide range
of topics.
The MBA programme offered
at Sunway University has proven
to be contemporary and capable
of keeping up with global pace
with its recently organised
masterclass.
Held in January, the
masterclass was an evening
lesson for current and
prospective Sunway Universitys
dual-award MBA students to
explore change management, an
increasingly prominent business
issue.
The class focused on
managing change from a
process-relational perspective
or lens on organisational
activities and behaviours.
Dr Thomas Thornborrow,
director of partnership
development at Lancaster
University, was the mastermind
behind this masterclass,
addressing some of the key
issues in contemporary change
management practices.
Over the last decade, the
evolution of change
management theory and practice
has accelerated from the hard
systems approaches of
yesteryear to encompass and
embrace the human behaviour
aspect in relation to change.
If the focus of change is on
processes, procedures, input and
outputs, measurement and
rational logical approaches, then
the change itself will often end
up bogged down in the human
fallout of imposed change, said

Dr Thornborrow. He encouraged
change agents to become more
people-centric if they want to be
successful.
The masterclass turned out to
be a useful introduction, not
only to the Sunway MBA
students but also aspiring
mindful managers as it allowed
participants to gain substantial
knowledge on change
management and also a feel
of how the MBA programme is
delivered.
The dual-award MBA is one of
Sunway Universitys premier
programmes as graduates will,
upon completion of the MBA, be
awarded two certificates, one
from Sunway University and one
from Lancaster University.
Sunway University is a
renowned business education
provider within Malaysia while
The masterclass held by Sunway Universitys MBA, which focused on change management, was a fruitful learning
Lancaster University is a
experience for current and prospective students.
UK-based university ranked in
the worlds top 1% of
universities.
Lancaster University is
renowned for its MBA
programmes that are tripleaccredited and globally
recognised by the Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB), European
Quality Improvement System
(EQUIS) and the Association of
MBAs (AMBA).
To maximise the career
potential of this world-class dualaward MBA, join the Preview
Session at Sunway University
Graduate Centre.

n To reserve a place at the

preview or find out more
information about the
programme, call 03-7491 8701
or visit www.sunway.edu.my/
university/MBA.

The masterclass allowed participants to get a feel of how Sunway

Universitys MBA programme is delivered.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016

16 postgraduate

l New learning management

system
The current MyVLE has served
the university well. However, due
to the introduction of new learning
styles and advances in technology,
it has fallen a bit behind.
While it is sad to bid farewell to
a reliable old friend, from May
onwards, learners will be accessing
a new learning management
system myInspire.
This new system has been
designed to be user-friendly,
easily accessible, based on social
constructivism and to conform to
devices, including smartphones.
l Enhanced, all-digital
learning modules
OUM is known for its

Investing in learners

OUMs new Learning Management System and enhanced digital learning modules will make teaching and learning
more efficient and convenient.

high-quality print modules.

However, to keep up with the new
form of learning materials, needs
and styles as well as the enhanced
capabilities of myInspire, OUM

has been improving its modules

by adding enhancements such as
colour graphics and interactive
quizzes that can only
be experienced in digital format

or, better still, through the new

learning management system
myInspire.
Starting from this years May

semester, OUM will no longer

produce and distribute print
modules.
Instead of the three learning
modules that are given to learners
every semester, learners will
now be given access to digital
modules for all programmes in
the faculty.
This way, learners can broaden
their knowledge by making cross
references with related learning
modules. It will be like having their
own mini library.
Digital modules will also make it
easier for quick updates to be
carried out and enable learners to
have access to the latest versions of
the modules as soon as they are
ready for release.
The above initiatives are part of
OUMs efforts to provide a better
learning experience for its
learners.
With digital modules that
can be stored and viewed on
smartphones, learners can
learn and interact anytime
and anywhere.
It is OUMs hope that all its
learners have an enriching and
engaging learning experience.

n For more information, visit

www.oum.edu.my.
Source:www.power-eng.com

IN its bid to provide the best

learning experience to its learners,
Open University Malaysia (OUM)
has been investing heavily to
enhance and improve its services.
From May this year, OUM will be
rolling out several new initiatives,
including:
l Increased bandwidth at
Learning Centres
OUM will strive to increase
Internet bandwidths (subject to
availability at the location) so
that learners can enjoy better
experience at all OUM Learning
Centres.
This is an ongoing project and is
scheduled to be completed by the
end of this year.

Alternative
sources
> FROM PAGE 13
Solar Roadway (SR) panels are solarpowered road panels that can be
individually pieced together like a jigsaw
puzzle to form roads and parking lots.
These panels are fitted with LED lights
that, when activated, form lane markings
or warning signs.
SR panels are made with specially
formulated tempered glass that is durable
enough to support the weight of a 36-metric
tonne truck. Damaged panels can be
replaced with new ones.
SR panels have textured surfaces that
provide traction for vehicles. They contain
microprocessors that can be programmed,
making the panels intelligent.
This allows the panels to communicate
with one another, the central control station
and the driver.
In future, the panels can display road
directions for cars that have compatible
technology.
SR panels can also store and produce
power harvested from solar energy. They
produce enough power to replace traditional
power grids in small towns.
This eliminates the need to build a power
plant to supply energy to power grids, hence
reducing the usage of fossil fuels.
Solar Roadways Incorporated, the
company that develops the SR panels, has
received support funds of up to US$2.2mil
(RM9.1mil) from the public through
crowdsourcing website Indiegogo to further
continue the development and testing of its
product.
With this amount of public and financial
backing, we could be seeing the mass
manufacturing and implementation of SR

Wind Trees harness wind to create energy.

panels on roadways in the near future.

Urban turbines
Wind Trees are tree-shaped wind turbines
developed by French start-up company
NewWind. Each 26-foot tall Wind Tree is
equipped with smaller, leaf-shaped wind
turbines called Aeroleaf.
Up to 72 Aeroleaf can be installed on the
branches of a Wind Tree. The mechanism in
the Aeroleaf spins when it is blown by wind,
generating energy.
Since Wind Trees are smaller than regular
windmills, they can be placed in towns and
cities.
It only takes a small amount of wind for
the turbines to function, so even in cities and
towns where much of the wind is cut off by
tall buildings, the Wind Trees can still
harvest enough wind to produce energy to
power several low-energy structures in the
vicinity.
Wind Trees were set up in Place de la
Concorde, Paris, for testing last year. It is
believed that the Wind Trees could go under
mass production starting from June of this
year, but will only be used initially in France
before the turbines are shipped to other
countries.