FCU students in UTAR New Village Community Project

University staff and participants at the opening ceremony

UTAR Department of Soft Skills Competency (Klang Valley) organised the UTAR New Village Community (NVC) Project with Feng Chia University (FCU) from 16-22 August 2014. This NVC-FCU project aimed to engage FCU students in community work at the new villages and to foster better understanding of the local traditions and cultural practices that shaped the villagers’ lives.

There was an opening ceremony, held on 16 August 2014 at the Petaling Jaya Campus to mark the NVC-FCU Project which represented the progression of UTAR-FCU relationship which started as early as 2005.

Present at the ceremony were the Director of UTAR Division of Community and International Networking Dr Tan Sin Leng, Director of FCU Leadership Development and Service Learning Center Chien Hsin Nan, Principal of Kuen Cheng High School Gooi Swee Gaik and the Head of UTAR Department of Soft Skills Competency (Klang Valley) Fook Oi Yee. The participants included FCU students, teachers and students of Kuen Cheng High School, as well as staff and students of UTAR.

The highlight of opening ceremony was the one hour-and-a-half musical performance by FCU students which depicted a meaningful sketch of love and filial piety through dancing and singing. There were also musical and dance performances by students from the UTAR Dance Club and Music Club.

The FCU students visited Kampung Lendu, Malacca from 17-18 August and Kampung Titi, Negri Sembilan from 19-21 August, 2014. Over the span of 5 days, the students participated in activities that included mural paintings at the respective primary schools, friendly basketball matches, meeting the local community heads and touring certain part of the villages.

The students also had the golden opportunity of ‘culinary adventures’ through hands-on learning of the art of making local Hakka delicacies from the village chefs, observing cooking method of stirring and tasting the sweet delicacies. In addition, the FCU students interacted with the primary school students and community leaders/members through games and staging musical performances at the community halls.

There was a closing ceremony held in the UTAR Petaling Jaya Campus on 22 August. Dr Teh Chee Seng, UTAR Vice-President of Student Development & Alumni Relations presented the certificate of participation to the FCU students and a souvenir to Lao An-Ju, a lecturer from the office of Physical Education and Sports Affairs at FCU.

Performance by the UTAR Music Club

A sketch by FCU students

FCU students’ musical performances

Dr Teh (left) presenting a souvenir to Lao

A cooking demo in Kampung Titi

Tasting local delicacy in Kampung Titi

Mural painting in Kampung Lendu

Playing a game in SJK (C) Chun Ying, Kampung Titi