Toyohashi University of Technology,
Institute for Global Network Innovation in Technology
Education

News from Penang（Vol.16 2018/3/28）

Reports

Review of life in Malaysia
Fumitake KATO, National Institute of Technology, Ibaraki College
resort, but also an industrial city. This is good place

Introduction
After we 4th GFD members arrived in Malaysia,

for learning and teaching engineering as well.

more than 1 month has passed. Now I literally feel（2018/2/24）"time flies". About one week later, I have to pack mybaggage for the departure to go back to Japan.

Inthis script, let me describe short stories about the lifein Penang.
Convenient life in Penang
Our accommodation is RECSAM which is locatedin Gelugor. In the range of short-walking-distance,
there is a shopping mall (Tesco Gelugor) which has afood court, a super market and a money changer. It isconvenient area.

Photo 2 : Tesco Gelugor

The next day of the arrival, the preparation for thelectures started in TUT Penang. As started, I realized
my external HDD's power cable cannot connect to 240
V outlet. Thanks to the Mr. Fong's guidance, I founda transformer in an electric appliance shop and inGeorgetown. The shop is quite classic and typicalelectric shop which can be seen in streets in Akihabara.
I was so happy and looked around in the shop.
As shown in Photo 4, the lineup of the products are
specialized for the professional buyers. Many people
might think Penang is resort Island. Contrary to the

Photo 3 : Henly trading SDN., BHD

assumption, we can find some technically specialized
shops in Georgetown. Penang Island is not only a

Photo 4: The showcase of the shop.
Photo 1 : RECSAM1

Experience of a lecture in English
Kenji Kashine, National Institute of Technology, Kagoshima College
The third stage of our Global Faculty Development(GFD) program began from January 15th in Penang,
Malaysia. In this stage, our GFD member had to havelectures which are related to own study field for
Malaysian students in English. It was the mostimportant event for me because it would be tested for
my English and teaching skill. It was my first time
experience, so I had been getting nervous before myfirst lecture began.
The first lecture was held at Politeknik Tuanku
Sultanah Bahiyah (PTSB) from January 28th toFig.1 Scene of my lectureFebruary 1st. PTSB is one of the polytechnic inMalaysia and it has students which are age of 18 to 20.

Japanese students. I was so surprised, and I will neverIn this polytechnic, the students can learn about

forget this great experience.

engineering skills which are related to their future

The second lecture was held at Politeknik Seberang

career. There are three semesters in a year, so thePerai (PSP) from February 5th to 9th. PSP is also onestudents have to study many things in a short period ofof the polytechnic in Malaysia as PTSB. PSP hastime. I had a lecture for 3rd semester students in‘Promising Sustainable Progression’ as their slogan.

Electrical Engineering. The title of my lecture wasThis slogan was related to my lecture contents of‘TheConversion‘clean energy’, so the students had interest in myEngineering’. The duration of one lecture was twolecture. I had a lecture for 4th semester students inhours, and I had two lectures for same students.

Mechanical Engineering. The contents of my lecture

Therefore, I had to prepare the large amount of lecture

were changed to previous one, because my lecture

contents for dealing with all of my lecture. In thecontents were made for electrical engineering students.

lecture, I gave some quizzes to student. These quizzes

Therefore, the basic theory of the thermodynamics

were contained the basic physics theories such as

and fluid dynamics were added in my lecture. Andenergy, power, efficiency and so on. And also, thesealso, I added the topics about the latest energy

quizzes were related to the generation of electricity

technologies which the suburban power plants andsuch as hydropower, wind power and solar power, so

factories in Penang have. In the actual lecture, thethey made the students try to solve the problems bystudents were listening carefully with their interest. Ithemselves. In this lecture, some students asked me

think, I could give the motivation for studying to thequestions, and I answered them. Therefore, I could

students by my lecture.

FundamentalsofEnergy

enjoy the conversation with them. After my lecture,

The third lecture was held at Universiti Sains

many students came to me and gave the thanks to me.

Malaysia (USM) Engineering Campus from FebruaryI had never had such kinds of appreciation from my19th to March 2nd. USM is one of the major2university in Malaysia and it has degree, master andpiezoelectric element. Students took on this practical

doctor course. I had a lecture for third year of degree

experiment actively, and they gave me a lot ofstudents which belong to electrical department. Myquestions. I was glad them and I could enjoy thelecture was set into a part of the power electronics

conversation with the students.

subject, so my lecture contents were changed slightly

Through these lecture experiences, I could know

as containing the basic information of the inverter.

that many Malaysian students admire the Japanese

The duration of one lecture was two hours, and I had

latest technology such as maglev train, fuel cell car

two lectures in this subject. In the first lecture, I talked

and so on. If I had spoken English well, I could

about the energy conversion engineering which wasexplain the details of these technology. I thought that I

related to power electronics. In the second lecture, I

need to improve my English skill more, and continue

provided a practical experiment of the energy

to study about the Japanese technology which I have

harvesting to students. In this lecture, students made anever known.

simple circuit for getting the electric energy by using a

Lectures in Malaysia
Tamio Iida, National Institute of Technology, Gifu College
1. Introduction
Almost a month has passed since I came to Penang,
our on-the-job training has only less than half left. In
this faculty development program, I was worried
whether I could conduct two-hour lectures or not
before I went to New York. However, it had beenpossible without my realizing it. I am grateful to thisprogram now.
In this report, I am going to describe on-the-job
training at the two colleges in which I have conductedthe lectures so far.

Lecture scenery at PTSB

2. Lectures in PTSB(Politeknik Tuanku SultanahBahiyah)

My lectures, which were 2 hours per lecture, took

My first lecture was conducted at PTSB. As soon asplace twice for the same students. I started teaching

I arrived at Penang, I had a meeting with PTSB

from the fundamentals contents of electronic circuits.

professors about the contents of my lecture. ThenThe reason was that students from different semester

there were already lectures a week later. Although it

were mixed. As a result, the content was a little easy

was a very tight schedule for me, I was somehow able

for the upper semester students, who had alreadyto be on time with my lectures because they allowed

learned it. However, I felt it was appropriate for theme to conduct lectures about the contents which I had

lower semester students.

already prepared to a certain extent before leaving

About 70 students participated in my lectures whichJapan.

were held in a lecture hall. In the first lecture, most3

doing exercises, I was easily able to understand where
they did not understand and then could properly
explain it to them. According to the questionnaire
result, the students’ comprehension of the content wasgiven a high evaluation. Moreover, a strategy to give
Origami to student who could solve the exercises
worked out perfectly. I think that I was able to givemy lectures in a good atmosphere.
4. Conclusion
Lecture scenery at PSP

Despite a lot of snow in Gifu when I left Japan, I

students who were shy did not answer even if I asked

am in a land of everlasting summer now. It is a strange

questions.

werefeeling to jump over to another season. Malaysian

introduced in my lectures, we were able to shorten thepeople do not talk so much about temperature anddistance between our hearts. Thus, I was able toseason, because Malaysia does not have seasons. In

conduct the second lecture in a friendly atmosphere.

Japan, the beginning of the conversation after a3.

greeting is typically the temperature and weather. AsHowever,assomeexercises

Lectures in PSP(Politeknik Seberang Perai).
Next, I conducted two-hour lectures twice in theMalaysians like eating, their words after a greeting are,same way as at PSP. In a meeting with PSP professors,"Have you had a meal?" It is said that Malaysians

I was planning to discuss the same contents in bothhave a meal five times a day. Even if I have alreadylectures because I heard that different students wouldeaten, I will receive having foods as a hospitality afterparticipate. However, I decided to give the lectures byall.
I really appreciate the kindness and hospitality ofchanging the difficulty level of the exercises due tothe Malaysian people. I would like to spend thedifferent semester students.

remaining of the program with careful attention toAbout 30 people participated in my lectures at PSP.

over eating.

I could easily communicate with the students because
there were a small number of them. When they wereToyohashi University of Technology
Institute for Global Network Innovation in Technology Education
Center for International Education
1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
Tel: +81-532-81-5161
Mail:unireform@office.tut.ac.jp

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