FEGT and LKC FES IAP visit

IAP members with UTAR staff

The Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology (FEGT) and Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) co-organised an Industry Advisory Panel (IAP) meeting on 20 May 2016 at UTAR Kampar Campus.

The IAP members present at the visit were Dialog Group Berhad President & Chief Operating Officer Ir Chan Yew Kai, Techkem Water Sdn Bhd General Manager Chew Chun Ming, O.Y.L R&D Center Sdn Bhd General Manager Dr Chin Wai Meng, Lim Choon Kim representing Osram Opto Semiconductor (M) Sdn Bhd Director Dr David Lacey, Isnell Technologies Sdn Bhd Camera Process Development Engineer Goh Kee Siang, G&P Highways & Transportation Sdn Bhd Managing Director Ir Lee Choy Hin, Unisem Advanced Technologies Sdn Bhd former General Manager Lau Siong Cho, Ng & Ng Consult Kuala Lumpur partner Ir Ng Zee Choong, Motorola Solutions Malaysia Sdn Bhd distinguished member of technical staff D Sim Moh Lim, ISP Project Consultant Sdn Bhd Project Director Ir Shin Chian Cheow, Johnson Controls (M) Sdn Bhd Director Ir Shum Keng Yan, LSS-Academy Sdn Bhd Consultant Dr Sitt Chee Keen, H&T Associates Sdn Bhd/H&T Consulting Engineers Sdn Bhd Director Teh Tzyy Wooi, Kumpulan Abex Sdn Bhd General Manager Tey Kok Leng, Master Jaya Engineering Sdn Bhd Founder and Group Managing Director Ir Woo Ah Keong, and Duriane Consult Sdn Bhd Managing Director Ir Yau Chau Fong. Also present were 59 faculty staffs.

Held twice annually, the visit is part of the University’s initiative to keep the undergraduate programme relevant to the industry with the latest industry requirements. It aims to bring new perspectives and trends from the industries to the faculty management who foresees the importance of implementing enhanced development into UTAR programmes, syllabus, and faculty activities; thus further enhancing the quality of the programme offered.

With positive demands from students on programmes such as the Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Electronic and Communications Engineering, and Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Electronics (Computer Networking), faculty staffs sees the visit as a window of opportunity to help promote these programmes. The visit provided faculty staffs with in-depth understanding on the manpower supply of the industries in relation to the high demand programmes and to be able to constantly review the programmes.

Besides benefiting the students, the feedback from the IAPs also shed light on a new way of teaching, enabling the staff to have better application of real industry examples and scenario in their classes.

To have better understanding on the faculties’ programmes, group discussions were held to highlight the issues faced and advice were sought from IAP members. Among the highlighted advice provided by the IAP member were to implement Mathematic subjects in the related programmes, presentation and business skills in the syllabus that will further hone students’ practical skills; to use personal statements in student CV; and to implement existing environmental issues in the current subjects conducted.

Coming together on the topic of e-learning, the IAP members, too, strongly recommended having e-learning implemented in the current programmes. Sharing his thoughts on e-learning and his experience on conducting an online course titled “Specialisation in Internet of Things (IOT)”, FEGT Dean Dr Yap Vooi Voon commented, “The biggest game changer is the internet and it is affecting the way we do things. In the field of education, online courses are gaining popularity among students. Therefore we should think anew on the way we deliver our courses and to make them more relevant to the needs of the students and industry”.

The IAP members believe the implementation of e-learning will be an attraction point, because students will be able to enrol in virtual classes, rather than conventional physical attendance of students. Currently, e-learning is implemented in LKC FES, and they look forward to have e-learning fully implemented in all the faculty programmes.

The visit ended with a group photo of the IAP members and faculty staff.