HORIZON
02 Collaborations

at Work

09 In Searchof Excellence

10 Special

Feature12 In Searchof Excellence

15 Students

in Action

16 From Talks

to Forums

17 Community

at Heart18拉大视 野

20 Sudut

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www. link e d in. c om / c o mp a ny/ u niv ersit i-t u nk u -a b du l-ra hma n02UCollaborations at WorkMoU with Tianjin Chengjian University

TAR and Tianjin Chengjian University (TCU) officially inked amemorandum of understanding (MoU) at Kampar Campus on 18
November 2016.
The MoU will see UTAR and TCU exploring a wide spectrum ofareas including collaboration on teaching and research, student andstaff exchange, and programme development.
Signing on behalf of the parties were UTAR President Ir Prof
Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik and TCU President Prof Li
Zhongxian.
Delegates from TCU present at the ceremony were Dean for
Academic Affairs Office Prof Mao Cui, Vice Dean for School of Civil
Engineering Prof Yang Aiwu, School of Economics and Management
Assoc Prof Dr Wang Xiao and Section Chief of International
Cooperation Office Wang Li; while the delegates from Brunsfield
International Group were Director of Human Resources Goh Siew
Chin, President of Brunsfield America Vincent Lim and Senior
Manager of International Business Shirley Tan.
Prof Chuah expressed his warm welcome to the delegates andgave a brief introduction of UTAR, Malaysia’s education system andthe emphasis on education by the Chinese community in Malaysia.
He said, “Thus far, we have 33 higher education institutions frommainland China among our 230 collaborative partners.”
Impressed by the Kampar Campus’ beautiful scenery and
UTAR’s rapid growth in a mere 14 years since its inception, Prof
Li said, “I believe the success of UTAR is the culmination of thecontinuous efforts of UTAR staff and students, and is a model of
educational excellence.”
He also gave a brief introduction about Tianjin, TCU and its
programmes during the ceremony. He said, “Our visit to UTAR laysU

TAR and the Malaysian Institute ofCertified Public Accountants (MICPA)
inked a memorandum of understanding(MoU) at the Sungai Long Campus on 3
November 2016.
Signing the MoU was UTAR President
Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean
Teik and MICPA President Dato’ Abdul
Rauf Rashid, witnessed by MICPA Council
Member Dato Gan Ah Tee and Faculty of
Accountancy and Management Dean Dr Sia
Bee Chuan.
Other representatives fromMICPA present were Council Member
Venkatramanan Viswanathan, Executive
Director Foo Yoke Pin, Senior Marketing
Manager Eileen Grace Lee and Marketing
Executive Hasiib Shaharuddin.
The MoU aimed to be a framework foracademic cooperation in areas of mutualinterest. UTAR and MICPA agreed to work
closely to develop educational programmes
related to the accounting field, and promote
institutional exchanges by inviting staff fromboth parties to organise future symposia,
conferences and short courses pertaining
to accountancy. Apart from that, joint effort
in the exchange of information for teaching,training and student development will be partof the collaboration.
“We need to partner with professional
bodies that are industry-relevant in order for
students to acquire knowledge not taught inProf Li (left) and Prof Chuah with the signed agreements

the cornerstone of our understanding of Malaysia’s educationallandscape and the institutions that serve its people. We dearlycherish it and look forward to working closely with UTAR.”MoU with MICPA

03

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UTAR hosts University-Industry ForumTAR hosted the University-Industry
Forum at its Kampar Campus on 28
November 2016 following the inaugural
University-Industry Link Campus Open Day
held previously at the Sungai Long Campus
in July 2016.
A concerted effort by UTAR, theFederation of Malaysian Manufacturers(FMM) Perak and The Associated Chinese
Chambers of Commerce and Industry of
Malaysia (ACCCIM), the University-Industry
Forum aimed to connect UTAR’s academic
fraternity with industry players throughnetworking sessions, further allowing bothsides to jointly explore opportunities for winwin collaboration.
Invited to officiate the forum was Second
Minister of International Trade and Industry
Dato’ Seri Ong Ka Chuan, who is also a
Member of the UTAR Council. Also present
at the ceremony were UTAR President Ir
Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean
Teik, Chairman of FMM Perak Dato’ Gan
Tack Kong, Chairman of ACCCIM’s Science,
Technology and Innovations Committee
Datuk Ir Hong Lee Pee, SilTerra Senior Sales
Director Timothy Lee, UTAR Vice President
for R&D and Commercialisation Prof Ir Dr
Lee Sze Wei, Dean of UTAR Faculty ofEngineering and Green Technology Assoc
Prof Dr Yap Vooi Voon, and Chairpersonof UTAR Centre for Very-Large-Scale
Integration (VLSI) Research Tang Chong
Ming, along with over 150 participantsconsisting of academics and 103 industry
representatives.
Dato’ Gan said, “We need this paradigm
shift of university-industry collaboration thatis vital to help the economy and industries
flourish, which in turn benefits students anduniversities as well. Hence, both sides mustovercome the cultural and communication
divide to foster closer cooperation forcollaboration. I believe UTAR will be able toprovide an effective link to the industries, andto bring out the best creative minds for thisera of globalisation.”
Representing the government’s efforts
to encourage universities to strengthen theirties with the industries, Dato’ Seri Ong in
his speech said, “To face challenges in theeconomy, we need to work with advanced
countries in R&D and we need the market tofacilitate in these R&D activities. Through aProf Chuah receiving a souvenir from Dato’ Abdul Rauf, while Dato Gan and Dr Sia look on

the university. I believe that this collaboration
with MICPA will provide relevant accounting
experience for our students in preparation
for the pressures of the job and standards
required by the industry,” said Prof Chuah.
Meanwhile, Dato’ Abdul Rauf said, “I
hope that MICPA and UTAR will cooperate inthis MoU to create worthwhile and impactful

benefits for students, the university, ourinstitute, and the greater nation as a whole.
We ensure that our qualified members canwork in any part of the world professionally.
We also have many ongoing initiatives whichfacilitate accounting students in order to help
achieve the government’s target.”
The VIPs admiring some of the exhibits

Launching of the RUMPS401 with (from left) Dr Yap, Datuk Hong, Tang, Dato’ Seri Ong, Prof Chuah, Dato’ Gan, Lee andProf Leestrategic ecosystem, especially through thegrowing electronics industry, the productionof high value products is made possible.
So we see university-industry collaboration
as a way to conduct more research and to
generate innovative solutions for the supply
chain and the ecosystem.”
The highlight of the event was thelaunching of the Rahman University
Multi-Processor System-on-a-Chip 401(RUMPS401). The invention, spearheaded
by Tang, includes four ARM Cortex M0
processor systems in a single silicon chipcommunicating and working together via
a UTAR proprietary Adaptive Network-ona-Chip (NoC). Its built-in hardware also
features functions that can be used forsignal processing, AES encryption in security
sensitive applications, error detection andcorrection, and communication protocol
implementation.
Prof Chuah said, “It is heartening
to see an expert in the very-large-scale
integration (VLSI) design industry like Mr
Tang returning from overseas after a highly
successful career with the world-renowned
Bell Laboratories to help UTAR design theentire undergraduate VLSI Design teaching
curriculum in the Faculty of Engineering andGreen Technology.”
With the launch of RUMPS401, UTAR’s

successful partnership with industry partners,
such as Suzhou Galaxy Camphol (SZGC)Technology Co. Ltd Shanghai, GLX Malaysia
Sdn Bhd, SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd, ARM
Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Synopsys
and others, once again strongly reflected
the university’s contributions to society andnation through innovative research.
Apart from the RUMPS401, the
VIPs and participants also learnt of new
innovative inventions and products fromvarious companies which exhibited at theforum. They included ARM Consulting(Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Cytron Technologies
Sdn Bhd, Eclimo Sdn Bhd, GLX Malaysia
Sdn Bhd, SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd, andPensonic Holdings Bhd. Not to be outshone,several UTAR research centres joined in the
showcasing of their work, namely the Centre
for VLSI Design, Centre for Information
System and Software Technologies (CISST),
Centre for Business and Management(CBM), and Centre for Environment andGreen Technology Research (CEGT).
The forum came to an end after the“University-Industry Dialogue” session,
where staff and industry representatives
wasted no time sharing ideas, exchanging
information and discussing on potential
collaborations.

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Collaborations at Work
12th Malaysia Festival of the Mindhe final leg of the 12th Malaysia Festivalof the Mind was held in conjunction with
the Kuala Lumpur Engineering Science
Fair (KLESF) from 4 to 6 November 2016at the Mines International Exhibition andConvention Centre.
Themed ‘Great Mind, Great Future’,
the festival aimed to raise awareness on
the importance of mental literacy among
Malaysians.
“The human brain has boundlesspotential to enable us to create, innovate,advance, develop and transform. Hence,
the key element to activating the potentialof the human brain is to educate society
about the significance of mind literacy andthe techniques to optimise the human brain,”said Malaysia Mental Literacy Movement(MMLM) and UTAR Council Chairman Tun
Dr Ling Liong Sik.
With a total of 19 workshops, 19 talks
and 22 exhibitors, the festival managed to
attract over 12,000 visitors including children,
students, families and educators.
Cash prizes worth RM55,000 wereawarded to the Mind Competitions 2016’s
winners.
“The competition helped me to better
remember facts and figures, especially for
subjects such as mathematics and history,”said 14-year-old Teng Sew Yik, winner ofthe Random Words category of the Memory
Competition.
Winner of the Random Alphabet

U

Participants trying out sport stacking

category of the Memory Competition Nik Adibbin Nik Muhammad from Universiti Putra
Malaysia (UPM) said the competition helped
him to realise the potential of his brain. He
also said the skills he acquired were very
useful for theory-based subjects.
Also present at the festival were MMLM
Deputy Chairman Dr Milton Lum Siew
Wah, ASEAN Academy of Engineering andTechnology (AAET) President Ir Academician
Datuk Hong Lee Pee, Country Heights
Holdings Bhd Chairman Tan Sri Lee Kim
Yew, and Malaysian Industry-Government
Group for High Technology (MIGHT),
Science to Action (S2A) Agenda Programme
Director Norhasrizam Hashim.

Classical Chinese poetry conference

TAR’s Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS)
hosted “The 2016 Malaysia International
Conference on the Tradition, Progression
and Development of Classical Chinese
Poetry at Kampar Campus from 5 to 6
November 2016.
Aimed to be a platform for scholars toshare their research findings in classicalChinese poetry, the conference was a joint
collaboration between the Mencius Institute’s
Centre for Chinese Studies (CCS) Sinology
Unit and UTAR Chinese Studies Society.
The two-day conference saw 29 papers
submitted by 90 participants hailing from as
far afield as China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Among the delegates were CCS
Chairperson-cum-ICS Deputy Dean for
R&D and Postgraduate Programmes Assoc
Prof Dr Wong Wun Bin, President of the
Alumni Association of the Department ofChinese Studies of UTAR Loh Say Chung,and Keynote Speaker from Nanjing Normal
University Prof Zhong Zhen Zhen. Prof
Zhong’s keynote speech titled “Reading
Inertia in Prose and Misreading of Poetry”
discussed text comprehension, artistic
analysis, aesthetic judgment, and reader
and author positioning relating to classicalGroup photo of the organisers and speakers during the opening ceremony

Chinese poetry.
Dr Wong said, “Poetry is precious andwonderful. These graceful words are formedby the ancients’ deep contemplation on
the meaning of life, and with the passing ofage, you will find that the verses in classicalpoetry impart important wisdom for our lives.”
Topics of discussion included the
spread and acceptance of classical poetry,
the writing of classical poetry in Malaysia,
literature, theory and practice, poetics, Song

iambic verse and Yuan drama.
ICS Deputy Dean Assoc Prof Dr Tee
Boon Chuan said, “The vital intergenerationaltransmission of our cultural heritage has
occurred in this conference today, wheresenior professors provided us with theirremarkable experience and guidance,
while the younger generation brought forth
their youthful vitality for new, continuous
research.”05

Wushu Open at UTARThe UTAR National Wushu OpenChampionship 2016 was successfully
held at Kampar Campus from 12 to 13
November 2016. Held for the second year
running, the championship saw more than
200 participants. It was initiated by the Perak
Non-Islamic Affairs Unit, and organised by
the UTAR Kampar Campus Wushu Club withtechnical support from the Wushu, Dragon,
and Lion Dance Federation of Perak.
This year, the championship saw a totalof three events, namely the sanda and taijituishou as well as the traditional taolu, which
was introduced for the first time.
Administrative Officer of Non-Islamic
Affairs of Perak Ch’ng Teng Leong
represented the guest of honour, Perak
State Executive Council Member Dato’ Dr
Mah Hang Soon, to officiate the opening
ceremony.
In his opening speech, Ch’ng enthused,“Sports and physical education is essential
to the early development of children and theskills learned during physical education andsports contribute to the holistic developmentof young people. Through participation,
youngsters learn about the significanceof fundamental values such as honesty,
teamwork, respect for themselves andothers.”Wushu Club Advisor Lee How Chinhsaid this year’s championship drew
more participants with the introductionof the traditional taolu event. “Due to thestandardisation of Wushu with only theThemed ‘Shining Night’, the UTAR
Alumni Annual Dinner was held at
the Genting International Convention
Centre on 26 November 2016. Organisedby the Department of Alumni Relations
and Placement (DARP) and the UTAR
Alumni Association, the annual dinner
was a memorable night of entertaining
performances, lucky draws and good foodamong all 430 attendees.
Present at the dinner were UTAR
President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr
Chuah Hean Teik, Registrar Yim Lin
Heng, DARP Head Lim Swea Jen, Alumni
Association President Koh Fook Huat,
Division of Corporate Communication andPublic Relations Director Ong Soo Weon,
alumni, their family, UTAR staff, students andinvited guests.
Prof Chuah welcomed everyone during
his opening speech and stated his hopethat the alumni will continue to keep UTAR
close to their hearts and contribute towards
UTAR’s cause for the benefit of their juniors
at the university.
Since the dinner was a night especiallyfor the alumni, it was befitting that alumni
talent was fully showcased. A highlight
was the fashion show featuring designs by
UniQueens Fashion Founder Esther Soon.
There were singing performances byalumni Joanne Lai, Evelyn Foo Ching Lin,
Eric Yang Shun Kai, Rebecca Pang Sing
Vun, Alson Tan Boon Han and Grace Anne

Sanda event

sanda and taiji tuishou competitions foundat international championships, many haveforgotten about traditional Wushu. Hence,
this is one of the efforts on our part topromote traditional Wushu.”
Organising Chairperson Pang Li Wen
added, “Through this event, we truly hopethat we will be able to promote Wushu to the
public. We believe that the sportsmanshipand spirit of Wushu culture will convince you
to practice them in your daily life for better
health.”Alumni annual dinner

Organising committee and some performers

Mak Zhi Hui, along with performances by acapella band Black Muffin.
These were followed by dance
performances by the Sungai Long Campus
Dance Club and the Rhythmix Dancers.
There was also performances by Loong Bee,a sand artist. There was even a surpriseproposal by an alumnus to his girlfriend onstage which brought the house down withcheers and applause.
Overall, it was a night to remember withthe lucky draws attracting hearty participationfrom the audience who joined in thesuspense and thrill of winning.

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Collaborations at Workhe Ambassador-Designateof Sweden to Malaysia His
Excellency Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt
together with International
Coordinator of Lund University
Kieve Saling visited Sungai Long
Campus on 17 November 2016.
The delegates wereaccompanied by Jenn Lew
and Eric Petterson, officers
from the Embassy of Sweden
in Kuala Lumpur. Welcoming
the guests on behalf of UTAR
were its President Ir Prof
Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah
Hean Teik, Vice Presidents Prof
Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei and Prof Dr
Choong Chee Keong, as well as
representatives from faculties,
institutes and administrative
departments.
His Excellency said, “Thisis my first visit to a university in
Malaysia as the ambassadordesignate to Kuala Lumpur. The
main role of the Embassy is tostrengthen mutual understanding
and enhance the relationshipbetween Malaysia and Sweden
in all aspects. One of our primaryconcerns is education.”“As of now, the number of
Malaysian students in Sweden
is fairly low. We welcome
more Malaysian students toH

07

Visit by Swedish AmbassadorDesignate and Lund University

The delegates with UTAR staff and students

further their scholarly ventures
in Sweden, especially at the
postgraduate level. Similarly, I
also wish to see our students
from Sweden visiting andstudying in Malaysia. I hope
the Embassy of Sweden in
Kuala Lumpur can become thebridge that facilitates the closer
relationship between higher
learning institutions and people

from Sweden and Malaysia,”
said His Excellency.
Saling, on his part, sharedcrucial information on pursuingstudies in Sweden andparticularly Lund University.
Mentioning Lund University’s
standing as one of the best
research universities in
Sweden, he explained, “Lund
University is home to morethan 30 world-leading researchand innovation centres andcutting-edge facilities. We havereceived the highest amount ofresearch funding in Sweden.
The research-oriented learning
environment has also opened up
many opportunities for Master’s
students to enter doctoral
studies.”German Ambassador visits campus

is Excellency Holger Michael,
Ambassador of Germany, made a visit toKampar Campus on 23 November 2016.
Receiving the ambassador were
UTAR Vice President for R&D andCommercialisation Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze
Wei, Faculty of Engineering and GreenTechnology (FEGT) Dean Assoc Prof Dr Yap
Vooi Voon, and FEGT Deputy Deans Dr Ng
Choon Aun, Dr Lo Po Kim and Dr Tan Kok
Tat.
In introducing UTAR, Prof Lee
highlighted UTAR’s strategic partnership with
the Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule(OTH) Regensburg in offering twin Master’s
degree programmes, which involves themutual recognition of credit hours for both
UTAR’s Master of Engineering (Electronic
Systems) and also OTH Regensburg’s
Master of Electrical and Microsystems
Engineering. “The collaboration withOTH Regensburg is an attraction forthe postgraduate programme due to theavailability of student exchange between the
two universities, and internship opportunities
in Malaysia and Germany,” explained ProfLee.
Dr Yap added that the university
has active collaborations with Infineon
Technologies, OSRAM, and Beckhoff

From left: Dr Tan Kia Hock, Dr Tan Kok Tat, Dr Yap, Prof Lee, Michael, Dr Teh Peh Chiong, Dr Ng and Dr Lo

Automation, which further solidifies UTAR’srelationship with university and industry
partners from Germany.
Impressed by UTAR’s exponential
growth, Michael expressed his keenness
to learn how the German Embassy could
help facilitate collaboration with Germanorganisations. “I know UTAR is a very
prominent university in Malaysia. In fact,
German universities are very open tocollaborating with others and are keen in

intensifying collaborations in the areas ofeducation and vocational training,” said
Michael. His Excellency added that the driverof Germany’s economic success is the cooperation among businesses, universities
and research centres, which generated
a high amount of patents, innovation andresearch results. Therefore, with almost 400
German companies in Malaysia, there willcertainly be exciting prospects for universityindustry collaboration.

CLT participates in UNESCO conferencesT

he UTAR Centre for Learning andTeaching (CLT) recently participatedin three UNESCO events in Bangkok,
Thailand. They were the World Teachers’
Day Forum held on 5 and 6 October 2016,
the Expert Meeting on Facilitating Teachers’
Use of Open Educational Resources on 7
October 2016 and the 18th UNESCO-APEIDInternational Conference held from 26 to
28 October 2016. The CLT is an official
Resource Distribution and Training Centre(RDTC) of UNESCO Bangkok.
The objective of the World Teachers’
Day Forum was to commemorate the50th Anniversary of the International
Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO’s
recommendations concerning the statusof teachers. Themed ‘Valuing Teachers,
Improving their Status’, it focused onreviewing teacher policies with reference
to the 1966 recommendations. CLT
Chairperson Winnie Er Pek Hoon was invited
as a panellist to discuss on “Teachers’ Needs
from Ground Perspective”.
The next event was the Expert Meetingon Facilitating Teachers’ Use of Open
Educational Resources (OER). CLT Senior
Member Lee Chee Heong represented
Chong Chee Keong to present the findingsof a UNESCO-funded research project
titled “OER Awareness among Teachers in
Malaysia”.

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Participants at the 18th UNESCO-APEID Conference making a stand for quality education

As for the 18th UNESCO-APEID(Asia-Pacific Programme of Educational
Innovation for Development) Conference, it
was themed ‘In Pursuit of Quality Education:
The Past, Present and Future’. At thisconference, Er represented Chong Chee
Keong in presenting a UNESCO-funded
research project named “Awareness of Open
Educational Resources (OER): A MalaysianCase” at the concurrent presentation titled“Open Educational Resources in Asia andthe Pacific”.
While attending these conferences, the
CLT delegates got to interact with many
influential and inspiring individuals with muchknowledge to share.

NOVUS Youth Arena
Malaysia Convention 2016team of UTAR students and lecturers
attended the Novus Youth Arena Malaysia
Convention 2016 held on 14 to 15 October 2016at the Construction Industry Development Board
Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur. The event wasorganised by the Construction Industry Development
Board (CIBD) and Chartered Institute of Buildings
Malaysia (CIOBM). The fourth instalment of this annual event sought
to bring together all the undergraduates and young professionals of
the built environment.
The 28 students from the Faculty of Engineering and GreenTechnology (FEGT)’s Department of Construction Management
were accompanied by Senior Lecturer Ar Tan Seong Yeow and Dr
Olanweraju Abdullateef Ashola.
The VIPs for the event included CIOBM President Sr Ong Bok
Siong, CIOBM Principal Gan Hock Leong, and National PhysicalPlanning Division Director Rokibah Abdul Latiff, representing Deputy
Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government YB
Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique.
Day One kicked off with a talk by Gan titled “Sustainable
Construction and the CIOB Carbon Action Plan 2050”. During theice-breaking session, the participants were encouraged to shed theirshyness through various games. The afternoon session required theparticipants from various universities to form groups for a treasurehunt game called “In search of excellence in construction and thebuilt environment”.
The activities for the second day continued with many talks at the
NOVUS Youth Arena 2016 Forum, headlined by a talk titled “Success
Never By Chance” by CIBD Malaysia’s Department of Construction
Personnel Senior General Manager Mohd Nazli Ahmad Mahyadin.
The common thread of all the talks was the ingredients for
success, especially, the ability to quickly grasp golden opportunities,

The UTAR lecturers and participants at the end of the event

being adaptable and good interpersonal skills. The major advice
delivered by the speakers to the audience was to always have apositive outlook before making a decision.

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In Search of Excellence

Collaborations at WorkSAFEA training programme

he Institute of Management andLeadership Development (IMLD)
organised a 14-day State Administration of
Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) training
programme named “Principles, Practice,
Challenges and Human Capital of Islamic
Financial Market” from 25 September to 8
October 2016 at Sungai Long Campus.
The delegates hailing from China’s
Beifang University of Nationalities comprised
Prof Zhou Ailan, Prof Ren Zhijun, Prof
Wang Jinyun, Assoc Prof Li Su, Assoc Prof
Zhang Zhengbin, Assoc Prof Luo Xiaojun,
Assoc Prof Cai Xiaochun and Assoc Prof Ma
Jinhua.
The programme included an introduction
to Islamic Finance and Banking, overview ofIslamic financial systems, Islamic Financein Malaysia, and regulatory frameworks ofIslamic Finance. The delegates enjoyedfruitful discussions with UTAR staff andrepresentatives from the Malaysian banking
industry.
Besides that, IMLD had also preparedvisits to Malaysian banks and financial
institutions, including OCBC Malaysia,
Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad, Bank Negara
Malaysia and Islamic Banking and FinanceInstitute Malaysia (IBFIM).
Prof Zhou Ailan said, “It’s a greatU

UTAR staff with all the Beifang University of Nationalities delegates

pleasure for me to attend this programme.
It gives us a chance to understand andlearn more about the history, development
and current situation of Islamic Banking in
Malaysia.”
UTAR Vice President for R&D andCommercialisation Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei
said, “Malaysia has a strategic locationthat connects East Asia to Europe and the
Middle East. Malaysia also maintains astrong network of international relations anda multicultural society. Thus, Malaysia hasvery high potential for international trade with
Western and Eastern countries. I hope UTAR
will have many more collaborations with
Beifang University of Nationalities in future.”
SAFEA is responsible for certifying
foreign experts to work in China andorganising overseas training for Chinese
technical and managerial professionals.
UTAR’s IMLD is the first and only institute in
Malaysia recognised by SAFEA to conduct
such training.

Japanese students study tour to UTARFEGT and SIT lecturers with the students

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he “Japanese Students Interaction
Tour to UTAR Kampar 2016” wasjointly organised by the UTAR Departmentof Construction Management (DCM)
and the Department of Architecture andBuilding Engineering of Shibura Institute ofTechnology (SIT) held from 6 to 16 October
2016 at the Kampar Campus.
Twenty-six UTAR Construction
Management students and 24 SIT students
spent a productive 10 days at the workshopthat was part of the interaction tour. They
were guided by experienced academics
from both institutions. The workshop acted
as a platform for information exchange andinternational networking. It taught them new
knowledge on Construction Management andgave them the chance to try out the new 4D
simulation software known as Navisworks.
A special series of programmes plannedby FEGT lecturers and SIT students alsoenabled the UTAR students to learn about
the cultural differences between Malaysia
and Japan.
Learning was not limited to the indoors
as they were brought on a site visit to a
nearby village where students studied
traditional wooden houses. The students
conducted various measurements andanalysed the structures and landscapes fortheir house modelling projects later on.
Despite differences in culture andknowledge, the workshop saw the students
working cohesively to complete their housemodelling projects. They began with 4D
simulations of their house models, worked
on to the actual building process andbeautification of the house models, andfinally presented their project on the last dayof the workshop.
“The workshop was a good experience
for me and I had a great time working with
the UTAR students. They were friendly
and helpful, and from them I learnt more
about Malaysian culture. Dinner was thebest moment where we could interact freely
with everyone while enjoying the local
delicacies prepared,” said SIT student Fuuka
Takahashi.

Second for Best On Campus AwardTAR IET (The Institution of Engineeringand Technology) On Campus wasawarded First Runner-Up for the IET
Malaysia Best On Campus Award 20152016 at the IET YPS Malaysia Network
On Campus Annual Dinner in conjunction
with the IET YPS Annual General Meeting
2016-2017, which was held at Armada Hotel,
Petaling Jaya on 15 October 2016.
They were awarded based on the quality
and number of events organised by thechapter. The awarding also took into accountthe activeness and participation rate of themembers.
Besides that, UTAR IET On Campus
members Lai Jia Shern, Ng See Loon, Leong
Cui Xin, Quah Hui Ping and Lew Kang Jun
were also awarded the IET Leadership Award
2015-2016.
UTAR IET On Campus 2015-2016
Chairperson Lai Jia Shern said, “Teamrecruiting is not an easy task and being thepresident, my task was to lead the team tosuccess. What we have learnt from textbooks
is only a part of what we will be practisingin the real world. Therefore, UTAR IET On
Campus regularly organises industry visits,
talks, seminars and more to help engineering
students to understand and get an overview
of the real engineering world.”“This award will motivate the UTAR IET
On Campus 2016-2017 committee members

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09

From left: IET YPS Malaysia ex-Chairperson Michael Yong Boon Heng with Leadership Award recipients Lai, Ng, Leong,
Quah and Lew

to perform better and organise more quality
events in future. We hope that students
will be able to acquire useful skills andknowledge through our events,” said UTARIET On Campus 2016-2017 Chairperson
Quah Hui Ping.
IET On Campus is designed to support
all in the engineering faculties with students

at the heart of it. IET On Campus Malaysia
gives engineering students access to tailoredpractical, technical and career-relatedresources, helps students create links with
the industry and other universities, and builds
a platform for students to demonstrate skills
and raise their profiles.

Two wins at design competition

eams Future Light and Aces took homefirst and second place at the Nehemiah
Design Competition 2016 held at Monash
University on 18 October 2016. They
also walked home with cash prizes worth
RM5,000 and RM3,000 respectively.
Team advisor Assoc Prof Ir Dr Lee
Min Lee said the students’ success were
contributed by the use of practical, costeffective and sustainable construction
materials in their proposed solutions.
“Our proposed design uses a bamboopiled mattress system. Bamboo piles
were constructed and used to support
embankments on soft soils. The bamboo will
distribute the load uniformly across the soil,
while helping to minimise the settlement of
the soil,” said Future Light leader Tan Sheng
Hua.
Besides Tan, the team consisted of Civil
Engineering students Lee Yee Linn, AliceLim Pei San, Yap Ying Qin, and Wong Huei
Hann.
Meanwhile, Aces leader Liew Chi
Hoe said, “Our project was to create an
inexpensive foundation to support heavy
embankments on deep and soft soils. We
filled tyres with low density industrial waste
such as plastic bags, plastic bottles andTeams Future Light and Aces with their mock chequespolystyrene together, creating an inexpensive
foundation to distribute the load of theembankment and vehicles effectively.”
The team also consisted of Civil
Engineering students Lim Kah Kien and Yim
Zen Wai.
Team advisor Assoc Prof Ir Dr Low Kaw
Sai said this competition gave an opportunity
for them to see how an engineering projectis carried out through the planning, design,
implementation, control and management

stages.
Also present were Minister of WorksYB Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof,
Nehemiah Reinforced Soil Sdn Bhd Founder
Chairman Ir Dr Nehemiah Lee Chee Hai,
G&P Professionals Group CEO Dato’ Ir Dr
Gue See Sew, and Towoong Engineering &Construction Co Ltd, South Korea Chief R&D
Centre Manager Lee Eun Ho.

10Special Feature

T

11

KLESF: The Fair 2016

he Kuala Lumpur
Engineering
Science Fair (KLESF):
The Fair 2016 washeld from 4 to 6
November at the
MINES International
Exhibition andConvention Centre
with the aim topromote Science,
Technology,
Engineering andMathematics (STEM)
education.
UTAR, AAET, MIGHT and IEM jointly organised KLESF: The Fair 2016 with the primary goal to boost school students’interest in STEM subjects

The fair was launched by
the Deputy Minister of Science,
Technology and Innovation Datuk
Wira Dr Abu Bakar bin Mohamad
Diah, accompanied by Minister in
the Prime Minister’s Department YB
Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, KLESF
Steering Committe Chairman and
ASEAN Academy of Engineeringand Technology (AAET) President Ir
Datuk Hong Lee Pee, KLESF Steering
Committe Co-Chairman and Malaysia
Industry-Government Group for HighTechnology (MIGHT) President Datuk
Dr Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman, Academyof Sciences Malaysia (ASM) President
and MIGHT Joint Chairman Tan Sri Dr
Ir Ahmad Tajuddin Ali, Universiti Tunku
Abdul Rahman (UTAR) President Ir
Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah
Hean Teik and Malaysian National
News Agency (BERNAMA) Chairman
YBhg Datuk Seri Azman Ujang.
In his speech, Prof Tan Sri Ahmad
Tajuddin Ali said, “One of the key
takeaways is that the next industrial
revolution is a fusion of technologythat will blur the lines between
the physical, digital and biologicalspheres. The ability to adopt and apply
foreign knowledge to local contexts is
key for economic development in the
Fourth Industrial Revolution. I believe
prior to adapting to foreign knowledge
we need to prepare our next
generation with the right foundation,awareness and wisdom as they will be
the future leaders that will manoeuvre
Malaysia towards the next industrial
revolution.”
Also present at the launch were

The Alice Smith’s School student visiting the St Marian’s Home
School’s booth

Kindergarten children taking part in mind games

Rathakarn, Anne, Pawarut and Nuddanai from Trail
International School, Bangkok

Students assembling patterns at the Universiti Pendidikan
Sultan Idris boothStudents of MAAHAD TAHFIZ with thier innovative projectStudents of SJK (C) Naam Kheung explaining their project

The launching of KLESF: The Fair 2016

KLESF steering committee members, UTAR Vice President for R&D
and Commercialisation Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei, Immediate Past
President of Institution of Engineers Malaysia Ir Choo Kok Beng,
Institution of Engineers Malaysia President Ir Tan Yean Chin, as well
as representatives from the industries, sponsors, and teachers andstudents.
“The fair aims to encourage the participation of organisations
and the industry in promoting STEM education and its development.
It is also the aspiration of KLESF to raise awareness among school
students and the Malaysian community on the importance of STEM
education as Malaysia’s vehicle for socioeconomic well-being andfuture sustainable development. To reap the benefits of STEM, weneed more collective effort from all parties including the government,
NGOs, schools, parents, students and all individuals in the country.
I would also like to announce that KLESF has won the bid for the
hosting of the Asian Science Camp 2017, where the event will
witness 250 to 300 youths from various Asian countries attending tointeract and listen to lectures by more than 12 Nobel laureates, top
scientists and technologists,” said Datuk Hong in his address.
“KLESF has created a platform for children to present theirscience projects which cultivates innovation and develops theircommunication skills through presentations. They also learn fromother participants about STEM which is a crucial learning experience
for their future. I am excited to bring my children all the way here toexperience the hands-on activities and workshops,” said a parent
from Johor Bahru.
Bayer Communications Manager Karen Koh Yah Hui said, “Bayeris glad to be part of KLESF because it serves as a good platform toencourage and enhance STEM education among schoolchildren.
The crowd has been overwhelming and we encourage the generalpublic, parents, students and the industry to continue to support
KLESF, which is also in line with Bayer’s mission in enhancing theappreciation for science and encouraging the younger generation tolearn STEM in a fun and interactive way.”
The fair saw over 300 schools and universities participate. Moreexcitingly, the fair also welcomed participants from ASEAN countries,
namely Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Thailand, toshowcase their STEM projects and share their experience with
Malaysians. “This KLESF fair gave us an enjoyable experience
because we got to meet a lot of people and learn about new projects
from the various booths. We have listened to the talks and attended

some workshops as well. It is a great experience for us international
participants to experience this fair,” said Rathakarn Suwanmanon andAnne Boonyasuppayakorn from Traill International School, Bangkok.
“Being here throughout the three days, I have visited all thedifferent booths and I learnt a lot about science. I am actually very
interested in science, and this experience has done a lot for me
whereby we got to explore the creations of other participants andattend the fun workshops that were available,” said Ashley, a student
from St Marian’s Home School.
KLESF supports the Science To Action (S2A) initiative
announced by the prime minister in 2013 to mainstream the usage
and understanding of science to society and promote innovationand technology as one of the strategic reform initiatives for national
development.
“We must continue to strengthen our efforts and pull ourresources together to ensure STEM education is sustained. STEM
needs to be part of the national culture where it will drive the nation
forward to enable our society to stand on par with other great nations.
It is this spirit of collaboration that is needed for us to progress
forward to a better future. The scientific community in particularneeds to promote STEM to ensure that programmes such as KLESF
continuously generate bigger impacts on society,” said YB Dato’ Sri
Hajah Nancy Shukri during the closing ceremony.
The fair culminated with the prize-giving ceremony to the winnersof the KLESF International Challenge 2016 competition.

Datuk Wira Dr Abu Bakar visiting one of the exhibitors’ booth12T

In Search of Excellence

MSC Malaysia APICTA Awards 2016o Guide, Track and Alert, in short, GTA— that was the project that propelled
Computer Science alumnus Tan De Zhern
to victory at the 17th MSC Malaysia APICTAAwards 2016 on 20 October 2016 at The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
Organised by The National ICT
Association of Malaysia (PIKOM), the event
was held to provide recognition to theoutstanding achievements of individuals,
students, entrepreneurs and organisationsin Malaysia who have contributed to thedevelopment of MSC Malaysia initiatives.
Tan certainly proved his innovation andcreativity with his “GTA — Guide.Track.Alert”
project that secured him the Merit Awardin the Best of Tertiary Student Project —Software/Hardware category. He also walked
home with RM1,000 cash for his win.
The panel chairman of the category
likewise commended Tan’s project andhoped to see more entries from UTAR in
the coming years, especially projects likeTan’s which aimed to provide solutions forindustrial, commercial, medical and social
needs.
The idea was inspired by the lack ofpublic transport catering to the elderly
and handicapped, the possibility of themgetting lost, and their difficulty in getting
help when needed. The GTA project will
enable the elderly and the handicapped
to travel independently while using public
transportation through the user interface
application that is specially designed forthem.
GTA functions by using a voice-F

Joyful win for Tan at the award ceremony

enabled guidance system (guide) to provide
graphical and voice navigation whenusing the public transport system. It uses
automated boundary monitoring (track)
to automatically track a user’s location toprevent them from getting lost and uses
a fall detection alert (alert) to detect any
mishaps faced by the user which will thenalert the family members. Overall, the GTA
project is expected to enable the elderly andhandicapped to live more independently withthe help of technology.
Sharing his experience, Tan said, “I
am thankful to UTAR for their strong IT
foundation that has taught me the various
technologies, the necessary programmingskills and practices, and the knowledge
to transform ideas into fully functioning
software, which has very much helped me incompleting the GTA.”

Deloitte Tax Challenge 2016 Champion

our UTAR students from the Faculty of
Accountancy and Management (FAM)
were crowned Champion for the Team
category in the Deloitte Tax Challenge 2016
finals held at Deloitte Malaysia, Menara LGB
on 10 November 2016.
The winners were Lim Mei Ngoo, Loi Pei
Wen, Chiew Bor Jinn Eugene and Joesvan
Liew Weng Keong. At the award giving
ceremony held at One World Hotel, the teamreceived a RM8,000 cash prize, RM7,572
worth of Wolters Kluwer online resources,
and internships at other Deloitte offices inSoutheast Asia. Joesvan also won a meritaward in the ACCA Best Presenter Award.
The winning team will represent Malaysia in
the South East Asia Deloitte Tax Challenge
2017 in Singapore on January 2017.
Representing UTAR at the Gala
Dinner were FAM Dean Dr Sia Bee Chuan,
Department of Accountancy Head Noreen
Kong Ching Ching, Low Suet Cheng, S.
Shubatra and K. Shamini.
The competition aims to challenge
the teams’ ability in reasoning andworking creatively with limited resources.

Lim, Loi, Chiew and Joesvan with their prize

Through the challenge, the teams
experience real business challenges suchas acquisitions, mergers, divestments,

restructuring, GST and others realities which
are beneficial to their future careers.

13A

team of 38 Architecture students from
Studio One, Two and Three of the
Department of Architecture & Sustainable
Design (DASD) took home Silver in theBest Display Booth Award for their pavilion
design titled “Coming Together” at the
11th Malaysian Institute of Architects(PAM) Annual Architecture Student Works
Exhibition 2016 held at 1Utama Shopping
Centre, Petaling Jaya from 5 to 9 October
2016.
Themed ‘ARCHInteraction’, theexhibition aimed to showcase students’best architectural works from Malaysia’s
higher education institutions. Under PAM’sguidelines, each participating institution was
required to exhibit their design according to
the theme and specification of being within
2-meter in width by 2-meter in depth by
2-meter in height.
“Our pavilion design is an interactive
spherical system in three ascending
curvilinear facades merging into a
blobitecture structure. It also lights up
momentarily when a person assumes asedentary position on the customised chair,”said DASD Lecturer and Exhibition Advisor
Tew Bun Teck.
The structure was held together throughwooden joints in the timber panels, such as
dado and mitre joints, without the help ofadhesives or fasteners such as nails andglue. The structure can also take multiple
forms or be repurposed into domestic
furniture such as a bookcase, wine rack or
clothes rack.

A

Silver at PAM exhibition

The team with their prize

Based on the visitors’ interpretations, thepavilion was also dubbed a space station,a cocoon or a bird nest. Furthermore,
remnants from timber flooring were used tomake bracelets and necklaces as well asinteractive board games such as Tic-tac-toe.
Hence, the pavilion aptly served its purpose

as an interactive architectural development
thematically.
“The team proved themselves to bevery effective and efficient in managing
this project, a skill that is very important forarchitects,” Tew said.

Three wins at architecture competition

rchitecture students Jonathan Wong
Zen Dar, Ong Chun Hoong and Tee
Kaih Yee took home the 2nd Prize andtwo Consolation Prizes respectively in the
Cultural Architecture in My Heart category
at the “Liang Sicheng Cup, the 1st Global
Architecture Design Competition” on 6
August 2016.
Themed ‘Hometown of Overseas
Chinese’, this competition required
aspiring architects to incorporate theChinese heritage of their country together
with modern architecture in their building
designs. It also hoped to build interest andappreciation towards the culture of modern
Chinese architecture among the participants.
“Located at the proposed site near
Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur, the Urban
Community Library aims to create a spacethat will enable visitors to relive nostalgic
moments from our collective past such as
the migration of Hakka tin miners and otheraspects of traditional Chinese culture,” said
Wong, the 2nd Prize winner.
“The building’s design will blend in withthe surrounding buildings, such as the Yan
Keng Benevolent Drama Association. It willfeature elements found in traditional prewar shophouses, such as the five-foot way.
With plenty of kiosks and shops available forrent, the building hopes to revive traditional

Ong putting the finishing touches on his concept building

Chinese trades,” he continued. Wong
received a silver medal and a cash prize of
RMB20,000 for his win.
Ong’s design of The Courtyard Library
includes a tea art centre, lush greenery anda variety of open spaces to allow naturallight in. Meanwhile, Tee’s building, locatednext to a decommissioned tin mining pond

in Gopeng, is inspired by the Yin and Yangsymbol, as well as roof symbols frombuildings in Nanning, China.
UTAR was the only Malaysian universitythat competed alongside highly ranked
universities from China, Taiwan, Hong Kongand the United States of America.

14

In Search of ExcellenceU

TAR alumnus Cheng Chia Loon wasawarded the Paul Fletcher Award 2016at the IET Achievement Awards Ceremony
2016 held at London, United Kingdom on 16
November 2016.
The award is given in memory of Paul
Thomas Fletcher, who wished to encourage
the participation of younger people inengineering institutions and to reward theirsuccess in doing so. It annually recognises
a volunteer of The Institution of Engineeringand Technology (IET) for outstandingachievement in contributing to the activitiesof the IET. The prize consists of an engraved
medal, a certificate and £250 cash.
The award came as a surprise to
Cheng. “I was nominated by my peers fromIET Singapore Local Network. I would liketo thank my peers, family and the love of
my life because I could not have achieved
this without their endless support andencouragement,” said the Mechatronics
Engineering graduate.
“Engineering is a tough and challenging
career, you need to have the passion andlove of your work in order to succeed. I
advise future graduates to choose thejob you love, so that you will be able toappreciate and enjoy the forthcoming
challenges in the process,” he said.
Cheng is currently the AssistantManager of Product Development inAbrasive Engineering Pte Ltd. He believes a
successful leader is obliged to grow othersby nurturing more leaders. He has recruited
many young professionals and equippedT

hirty-five students from the Department ofArchitecture & Sustainable Design (DASD)
won in eight categories they competed in at
the 28th Architectural Student Workshop heldat Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) from 17 to
21 August 2016.
The purpose of this workshop was toprovide an opportunity for architecture andbuilt environment students to interact withprofessional institutions to enhance and share
their knowledge for more sustainable andefficient architectural designs.
The group also scored Second for theGroup Wall Art category with a cash prizeof RM300, while Goh Ee Xuan took home
Second for the Sketch Competition with acash prize of RM150.
The team also took home Third for theiroverall group performance with a cash prizeof RM400, even as Cheah Xin Ying took Thirdin the essay category with a cash prize of
RM100. Samantha Teo Yee Hui and Liew Yu
Qian took home Honourable Mentions in the
Photography and Instagram categories withcash prizes of RM100 respectively.
They were guided by Centre for
Sustainable Architecture Chairperson Dr Lim
Poh Im and lecturers Abd Muluk Bin Abd
Manan, Tew Bun Teck and Abdul Rahim Bin
Mohd Zin. This marked UTAR’s fourth year
participating, together with 21 other local andinternational institutions. This workshop wasorganised by Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Alumnus wins top prize

Paul Fletcher’s son John Fletcher presenting the award to Cheng

them with necessary leadership skills.
The Institution of Engineering andTechnology is the largest multidisciplinary
professional engineering institution in theworld. IET was formed in 2006 and its
worldwide membership currently stands at
167,000.

Eight wins at workshop

The winners exultant with their prizes

Students in Action
M

Shakespeare’s legacy lives on

arking the 400th anniversary of
Shakespeare’s death on 23 November
2016, the English Language Society (ELS)
organised an exhibition, Poem Writing
Competition, Poem Recitation Contest, andPhotography Booth Contest to commemorate
his works and life, which concluded the nextday.
Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FAS)
Dean Dr Alia Azalea in her closing speech
expressed her hopes for the exhibition to
be an encouragement for students to learn
English literature and subsequently use it asa tool for improving their English proficiency.
“Shakespeare’s works are timeless
and we should all continue to appreciatethem. Not only are we able to learn about
his works, but this event has also united
students with interest in English literature
to celebrate the great achievements of
Shakespeare,” said Dr Alia.
Certainly, the exhibition played its role
well and served to be an informative platform
for students to learn more about the great
writer. It was also through the exhibition,
being an out-of-classroom educational fiesta,
which the love of reading was further sown
among the students, with hopes that theiradvancing reading skills will help preparethem for their Malaysian University English
Test (MUET).

A

15

ELS organising committee with their exhibition“As this was my first time reciting a poemin public, winning this award and to be given
this recognition is truly amazing,” enthused
winner of the Poem Recitation Contest,
English Education student Sheena William.

Meanwhile, second place winner English
Language student Lim Keat Boon expressed
his gratitude to the organisers for theopportunity to showcase his talent.

A fantastic fantASIA concert

symphonic composition blending classicaland contemporary elements filled Dewan
Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik with its melodiousmusic at the “fantASIA Concert Tour” on 15
August 2016 held at the Kampar Campus.
Present at the concert were Westlake
International School (WIS) Executive Directorand UTAR Council Member Hew Fen Yee,
Chairman of Havixbeck Youth SymphonicBand (HYSB) Berthold Hoebelt, UTAR Vice
President for Student Development andAlumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee
Keong, and Organising Chairperson Yeong
Yiong Yi. They enjoyed the performance by
the German youth orchestra group, HYSB,
along with the 2,000 attendees present.
Jointly organised by the UTAR MusicClub and WIS, the event not only served as
an opportune platform to expose the local
community to an international orchestra, but
was also meant to provide intercultural andsocial exposure for local music bands.
The crowd enjoyed the night with thecacophony of instruments coming together
as one to produce beautiful music. WIS Headof Marketing and Events Executive Denise
Teoh expressed her enjoyment, saying, “It isdefinitely something new for all of us here.
The orchestra was really good and I’d love
to come to see them perform again.” The
performance ended with Hew presenting atoken of appreciation to Hoebelt as the finale

A spectacular performance by HYSB

to a remarkable concert that night.
HYSB consists of 58 talented German
youths of varying ages. The band wasfounded in 1973 and has been conducted byRainer Becker since June 2002. They have
won a few concert and band competitions,making them one of the most decorated
youth concert bands in Germany today.
Through the fantASIA Concert Tour, theband extended their hope to continuously
support the international relations between
Germany and Malaysia.

16

From Talks to Forums

Community

Nelson’s founder sharesbusiness experience

D

Datuk Seri Kwok advising students on how to be good entrepreneurs

atuk Seri Nelson Kwok, Founderand Managing Director of Nelson’s
Franchise (M) Sdn Bhd, gave valuableadvice at the entrepreneurial talk titled“Making Your Wildest Dream ComeTrue, Mine Did” held on 26 October
2016 at the Kampar Campus.
Nelson’s Franchise is the pioneer
in developing the corn-in-cup concept
store. With 25 years of experience in thecorn and snackfood industries, Nelson’s
has diversified into corn farming andprocessing. Today, Nelson’s operates
over 800 outlets.
“Remember to use your semester
breaks as opportunities to seek for jobs
or internships for more exposure to theindustry you are interested in. Neverstart a business right after graduation.
Learn how to relate to your colleagues
and employer, build your networks, andthen apply the knowledge you learnt tostart your business later on,” advised the
speaker.
Datuk Seri Kwok remindedparticipants that success is not achieved

FBF Industry Advisor Day
I

ndustry Advisor for Bachelor ofMarketing (Hons) Corina Tan Yoke
Ching and Industry Advisor for Masterof Business Administration (Corporate
Management) Dato’ Heng Huck Lee
were invited to speak at the Industry
Advisor Day, organised by the Faculty ofBusiness and Finance (FBF), at Kampar
Campus on 8 November 2016.
Corina is the General Manager
for Dell Penang and APJ Sales Ops
Director of Dell Global Business Centre,
Penang. Her talk was titled “Entering theWorkforce”.
She advised participants toalways maintain a positive attitude
and emphasised the importance of agood attitude as being key to attaining
successful careers. “Step out of yourcomfort zone so you can develop key
competencies. Speak your point of view,and be ready to lead and participate
as you learn from others. Take hold of
the opportunity to expand your horizon
and skills through networking, and allow
yourself to explore,” Corina further
advised.

Dato’ Heng, who is the CEO of
Globetronics Technology Bhd, spokeon “Opportunities and Success in theTechnology Industry”. He underscoredthe need for participants to be fast,
adaptable learners, effective problem
solvers, and good team players to havea successful transition from student toworking adult.
“The only constraint is your own
willingness, abilities and commitments.
Remember that past successes do notguarantee your future survival, therefore
you need to continuously be innovative,
creative and quick thinking,” said Dato’
Heng. Seeing great opportunities in thetechnology sector, he also encouraged
participants to explore that industry.
The Industry Advisor Day was part of
FBF’s initiative to ensure its programmes
stay relevant to the latest industry needs.
Feedback and advice provided by theindustry advisors is vital for FBF tocontinuously design programmes that will
nurture students with the right industrial
requirements.

Corina introducing herself

overnight, but requires patience andhardship. With the economy constantly
changing, he also mentioned thatbusinesses must readily accept change
in order to stay ahead.
Inspired by the success of Datuk
Seri Kwok, Entrepreneurship student
Chong Kuang You said that he is
now even more determined with his
choice of study. He said, “I used to feel
discouraged because many people
have responded negatively to me
studying Entrepreneurship. However,when the speaker said to never lookdown on oneself, I felt motivated andconfident. I want to use the skills andknowledge to build my own businessand bring a difference to society, while
also improving the lives of others,” said
Chong.
Towards the end of the talk, Datuk
Seri Kwok invited UTAR students
and staff to visit his corn farm andalso invited graduates to work at his
company.

T

at HeartWorkshop series for children

he Emotional Intelligence Workshop Series were held at SJK (C)Sin Min, Tronoh Mines New Village on 8, 10, 15 and 17 November
2016. The workshops were conducted by 17 Psychology students aspart of their coursework.
“These workshops are to enhance children’s emotional
intelligence by improving their capabilities to express their emotionsin healthy and constructive ways,” said Workshop Supervisor Pheh
Kai Shuen.
The series of workshops was organised by Kelab Komuniti
Tronoh Mines, Perak in collaboration with the UTAR Faculty of Arts
and Social Science (FAS), SJK (C) Sin Min, Tronoh Mines New
Village, and Jawatankuasa Keselamatan Kampung Persekutuan
Tronoh Mines.
At the launching ceremony, Deputy Finance Minister Senator
Dato’ Lee Chee Leong expressed his gratitude to Project Leader
Dr Cheah Phaik Kin, Kelab Komuniti Tronoh Mines, Perak and theirpartners who have worked tirelessly for the best interests of thevillage.
The Kelab Komuniti Tronoh Mines, Perak is a community
engagement project initiated by FAS’s Department of Public
Relations. The club operates a community library open to the publicin Tronoh Mines New Village.
Village Head Chan Ah Lok welcomed all collaborative projects
that benefit the children. “Similar efforts have been established since2011 and have significantly improved the learning environment of
the children in the village, particularly the community library. I hope
UTAR and Tronoh Mines New Village will further strengthen ourcollaborative efforts, and continue to improve the quality of life of theU

17

UTAR Psychology students conducting the workshop

villagers,” Chan said.
Psychology student Yap Ming Yi said, “By interacting with thechildren and gaining insights into their behaviour, this workshop
allows me to gain more experience in dealing with children for myfuture career.”

Free spectacles for schoolchildren

TAR Council
Chairman Tun Dr
Ling Liong Sik led adelegation comprising
council members andsenior managementfrom UTAR to visit
two schools in Perak,
namely SJK (C) Jeram
and SJK (C) Bemban,
Batu Gajah on 25
and 27 October 2016
respectively.
The visit was acollaborative effort
named “The Gift ofEyesight” between
UTAR and the
Malaysian Association Some schoolchildren having their eyes checkedof Practicing Opticians(MAPO) to help schoolchildren in Perak and Selangor, especially thepoor and those in need of spectacles, to get free spectacles.
The delegates from UTAR were cordially received by SJK(C)Jeram Principal Fong Sook Fun, MAPO Committee Member Khoo
Chee Kheong, England Optical Group Founder Dato’ Dr Chin See
Keat Sin, and teachers and students from SJK (C) Jeram on 25
October; while on 27 October they were met by SJK (C) Bemban,
Batu Gajah Principal Lee Wai Men, MAPO President Tai Lee Pin,
MAPO committee members, and teachers and students from SJK (C)Bemban.
Tun Ling said, “I hope this programme can be expanded to otherstates as schoolchildren with eyesight issues deserve help so theirstudies are not affected.”

Tai said, “MAPO has allocated about 1,000 spectacles to begiven to 22 schools throughout the country. Tun Ling wants toincrease the coverage next year, hence we are going to go big by
screening 3,000 students and giving another 1,000 spectacles toschool students. To date we have screened around 200 school
students.”
As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility programme, theEngland Optical Group also joined the benevolent act and sponsoredmore than 300 spectacle frames.
Apart from SJK (C) Jeram and SJK (C) Bemban, Batu Gajah,
schoolchildren from two other schools in Perak, namely SJK (C)Thong Hon, Chendriang and SJK (C) Kampung Timah, Tanjung
Tualang, also had their eyes checked.

18

拉大 视 野19

首届海鸥青年文学奖由马来西亚华文作家协会（作协）主办、海鸥基金会赞助的第一届海鸥青年文学奖颁奖典礼于2016年10月15日假马大文学院举
行。海鸥青年文学奖的前身是海鸥文学奖，旨在为马华文坛栽培更多新秀和接班人。拉曼大学中文系讲师黄丽丽博士、校友郑羽伦、陈奕进、王修捷和李宣春更获得了亮眼的成绩。
黄丽丽博士
拉曼大学中文系讲师新诗组评审奖
得奖作品：《在一个叫阿兹默海的地方》
作品简介：婆婆与她的老人痴呆症。
获奖感言：写诗的过程就像儿时的跳房子游戏。写诗而得奖，也许就像游戏中石子击中某个格子而获得“房子”，让人雀跃。感谢诗歌，除了给我慰藉，还让我有额外的收获。拉曼大学校园的创作风气不算兴盛，却也并不低迷，因为还是有一些学生在默默耕耘。譬如中文系的学生，在多年前就开始自费筹办校园创作的刊物，
在学生之间流传，《漫延》、《稻草人》、《文创森林》等刊物便是其中成果。中文研究学会计划于明年办
文学周以及大专文学奖，希望届时获得热烈反应。
黄丽丽（左二）从海鸥集团创办人陈凯希手中接过奖座。

王修捷中文系毕业生i.小说组评审奖ii.散文组评审奖得奖作品：i.《远行》 ii.《安魂曲》
作品简介：i.麻疯病患的故事，为他们即将消失的历史试图留点痕迹。
ii.少年至青年所遇过的人事兼写音乐与摇滚乐。
获奖感言：这次第二次参与海鸥文学奖（以前还未改制时曾
参与一次），那时参与的是诗奖。这回重心在小说、散文组，算是完成三组的参与了。许多文友已不是第一次见面，
得知八字辈旧人仍在耕耘而新人辈出，自然感到高兴。我自中学开始写歌写小说，我大二开始参赛，从第一届拉曼大学
文学奖到全国大专文学奖，再到星云文学奖、南大文学奖、海鸥文学奖，整个求学过程从本科到硕士都在参赛。拉曼师
生极为鼓励创作，创立乐塔音乐工作坊时黄文青老师曾鼎力
相助，文学上也得到许文荣老师及张依萍老师的鼓励，算是蛮幸运的。对于热衷于创作的学弟妹们，不妨多读多看以及
用心生活，多观察生活，对创作绝对会有帮助。

拉郑羽伦
生物科技系毕业生
新诗组首奖
得奖作品：《嘛嘛克》
作品简介：创作于台湾成功大学实习期间。起初对台湾的一切
都感到很新奇，也着迷于当地的人文环境。但久而久之就开始怀念起以往的生活习惯，台湾所没有的mamak档，以及大学三年的人事物。同时也描述了从学生生活转向工作生活的心态转变。
获奖感言：非常开心能夺得首奖。诗在我的生活中渐渐的重要
起来，尤其是踏入社会之后。忙碌的生活打乱了我的生活节
奏，唯有诗能让我安静下来，感觉世界的美好。在拉曼求学的
三年是我人生中最为快乐与自由的三年。在这里，我得到了一
生中难以取代的友情、爱情，以及那自由自在的安逸生活。科
学与文学，两大看似平行线的学科缠绕着我的生活。两者都是我所热爱的，而我把这两者都种在了拉曼大学的土地上，并深深扎根。承载了自己整个大学回忆的诗作结集《如果时间尚未磨损》也将在12月出版，在此特别感谢指导老师郑忠祥博士为
这本诗集所写的序诗。文学的路上其实不一定孤单，大家一起
写，自然热闹起来。很多人觉得中文系学生才懂得或擅长创作，但创作不分科系，我毕业于生物科技系，我做到了，你们
一定也可以。

陈奕进
中文系毕业生新诗组评审奖
得奖作品：《弑时史诗》
作品简介：这是一首把爱情放入文学世界中去保鲜的诗作。当腐朽四处肆虐，甚至威胁我们的生活之际，我们该如何保护自
己所爱的人？这样的思考让诗里头爱恨交错，组织成类似史诗
一般的想象。当自己爱上某个人、事或物，心已深深憎恨著一
些什么，如爱上一个人，必会恨所有的情敌，所有能把他从自
己身边抢走的任何因素，而这里的假象敌是时间。
获奖感言：很多时候参赛就像一个自愿求医的过程，得奖则像
意外获得的一支强心针，注射了心脏继续跳动能接下去创作。
每次参赛我都给自己一个思考的主题，就比如这一次我企图理
清文学—爱情—时间这三者之间的纠葛与关系。我相信这次的得奖作品至少回答了我一部分的疑惑，能够让我继续探索得更远、更多。在此想特别感谢努力提拔新人和新写手的老师——
杜忠全老师，他的鼓励是不可缺少的推动力。对于热衷于文学创作的学弟妹们，不妨在心中为自己准备一片荒凉的沙漠，当你的热情冷却时躲进去，再展开一段全新的创作旅程，循环往复直至寻得一处乌托邦式的绿洲为归宿。

曼大学中华研究院于2016年11月26日及27日
假拉曼大学双溪龙校区首办了“2016年金门学国际学术研讨会”，并获得了来自台湾、厦门、香港、越南、新加坡和马来西亚本地的著名学者和金门学专家前来一同参与其盛。
这也是金门学研讨会首度移师到东南亚举办。
拉曼大学副校长尤芳达教
授在开幕仪式上表示拉曼大学
自2011便开启了和成功大学、金门大学及厦门大学共同合作
的闽南文化研究计划，并且持
续推动跨校、跨国的闽南文化研究。他强调，这类国际性的研讨会为本国的研究者提供了
一个与世界交流的机会，甚至为学生提供新的知识及体验，
让他们能够思考祖先们所历经的困苦，谨记故乡的文化与移
民精神，让中华文化继续在世
界各地飘扬。
金门大学校长黄奇致词时
表示，通过和拉曼大学联办这
项研讨会，让他见识到各方对金门学的重视。他也寄望有志
者一同继续探索金门的文化、
价值观、社会变迁并将研究放大到更多的国家，深入了解金
门学的普遍性。他补充，这样

李宣春
中文系毕业生
散文组评审奖
得奖作品：《慢速行驶》
作品简介：和父亲的故事。写父亲怎样面对生命的尽头、自己当
初怎样处理父亲病逝的哀伤，以及父亲过世后怎样回到生活的正常轨道上。
获奖感言：这个奖要纪念父亲。参赛得奖是一种虚荣，参赛也是让更多人可以看见这篇作品的机会。我希望读者如果从这篇作品
中读到雷同的经历或心情，能感到安慰。在念中文系那个阶段开
始投入写作、阅读和钻研文学，所以我一直很感谢系上老师对当时年少无知的我的疼惜和纵容，也不断的给我很多的鼓励和启发。求学那几年的经历是形成我往后对待人生的态度和观念的重要基础，也丰富了我的创作。对于热衷于文学创作的学弟妹们，一个好的创作者要有丰富深厚的底蕴，想要建立丰厚的底蕴就得
敬虔地阅读、敏感细察身边人事物、谦卑待人；一部分的作品会
引起读者与之对话的欲望，好的作品不只会反映我们身处的环境或时代氛围，也记录着现世的光辉和辱败。不是每个人都一定得
写作，但如果你已决意走在写作的路上，我衷心的祝福你。

首办金门学国际学术研讨会“2016年金门学国际学术研讨会”获得了来自台湾、厦门、香港、越南、新加坡和马来西亚本地的著名学者和金门学专家的鼎力支持。

的交流平台不止促进同行学者
的认识，也建立了良好的研究
网络，进而提升国际合作机会。
成功大学特聘教授兼人文社会科学中心副主任陈益源教
授表示，金门先贤早年下南洋，移居马来西亚的尤其多，
再加上马来西亚中华文化及金门文化传统皆保存良好且史料
丰富，因此把金门学学术研讨

会移师到马来西亚举行，能吸
引更多来自本地及东南亚国家的学者一同前来探讨金门学及相关课题。
该研讨会共发表了十四篇
与金门学主题相关的学术论文，另外也进行了与金门学及闽南文化研究相关的主题演
讲、纪录片放映会以及座谈
会。雪兰莪金门会馆也在研讨
会后安排与会者到访巴生吉胆岛，实地考察了岛上金门人的移民历史与生活现况。
出席嘉宾包括台湾电影中
心前董事长陈永丰、金门县红十字会会长王水彰、成功大学
人文社会科学研究中心主任戴华、新加坡国立大学中文系主任丁荷生及雪兰莪金门会馆主
席吕清便。

20

Sudut Utarian
Pelajar UTAR giat dalam acara sukan

Pasukan badminton

Pemain-pemain futsal

Sejajar dengan falsafah pendidikan UTAR, universiti ini juga
memberi penekanan yang tinggi dalam penglibatan para pelajar
dalam aktiviti sukan rekreasi. Sebagai salah satu usaha berhubung
dengan falsafah tersebut, sekumpulan atlet UTAR telah mengambil
bahagian dan beraksi dalam beberapa acara sukan yang diadakanbersempena aktiviti “UTAR Sports Exchange Trip” pada 23 hingga 28
September 2016 bertempat di Politeknik Kota Bharu, Universiti Sains
Malaysia (USM) Kelantan dan Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP).
Aktiviti “UTAR Sports Exchange Trip” ini bermatlamat untuk
memupuk semangat kesukanan dalam diri para pelajar dan padamasa yang sama juga bertindak sebagai sebuah platform untuk
mereka beraksi dan mengasah potensi serta bakat masing-masingdalam bidang sukan. Aktiviti sukan tersebut juga memberi peluang
kepada pelajar-pelajar UTAR untuk saling bersuai kenal dengan atletatlet dari universiti yang lain.
Aktiviti sukan yang dipertandingkan dalam acara tersebut ialahacara badminton, futsal, bola keranjang dan ping pong.
Kesemua atlet yang mengambil bahagian dalam acara
badminton berjaya merangkul pingat kejuaraan dalam semua
kategori yang dipertandingkan. UTAR juga berjaya meraih dua pingat
kejuaraan dalam acara futsal; satu pingat kejuaraan dalam acara
bola keranjang, selain berjaya menewaskan pihak lawan dalamsemua acara ping pong.

“Pemain-pemain badminton UTAR memang berkemahiran dan
mereka juga mempunyai pengalaman yang luas berbanding dengan
pihak lawan. Oleh yang demikian, para atlet badminton UTAR berjaya
menumpaskan pihak lawannya secara mudah,” kata K. Ganavenoth,penolong pengurus dari Jabatan Hal Ehwal Pelajar UTAR Kampus
Sungai Long.
“Aktiviti ini merupakan sebuah aktiviti yang bermanfaat bagi
pelajar-pelajar UTAR. Acara kesukanan seperti ini sedikit sebanyak
membantu para pelajar membentuk gaya hidup yang sihat dan juga
membentuk generasi pelajar yang seimbang dari segi kegiatan
kokurikulum dan kecemerlangan pendidikan.
Antara pelajar yang mengambil bahagian dalam acara
kesukanan ini ialah Tan Vee Soon, Tan Yee Ming, Koh Boon Chuen,
Teng Ren Shen, Cheang Siew Hang, Lim Siew Chien, Teng Jie Ning,
Robin Woo Ruey-Pin, Lim Jun Hong, Arunkumarren Bhaskaran,
Rubendren S Marippa Pillay, Puven Santhirasegaran, Mohamad
Syafiq Aiman bin Mohd Raflee, Pritheeb Sivachandran, Hujayshen
Nair Balachanthren, Ng Jing Hang, Lim Der Yuit, Ong Men Kien,
Cheng Yi Xiang, Lim Zhenxun, Lim Chee Shen, Ng Voon Sing, Lam
Kum Yee, Low Choon Pei, Chun Bing Han, Puan Sheng Wei, Wong
Jenn Jye, Lew Chia Yee, Lim Yi Yin, Choong Poh Yee, Lim Xin Rui
and Ching Ming Siew.

Pasukan bola keranjang

Kontinjen ping pong

UTAR CAMPUSES
Sungai Long Campus

Kampar Campus

Jalan Sungai Long
Bandar Sg. Long
Cheras, 43000 Kajang

Jalan Universiti
Bandar Barat
31900 Kampar

DU012-02(B)Publisher : Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
Jalan Sungai Long, Bandar Sg. Long, Cheras, 43000 Kajang

DU012-03(A)Printer : Success Printing & Packaging Sdn Bhd
34, Jalan Mewah 3/4, Hata Industrial Park, Pandan Mewah, 68000 Ampang,
Selangor, Malaysia.