At UTAR, learning is so much more than just books and lectures. In line with that, UTAR Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS) of Kampar Campus organised a field trip to Se Woh Condiments Factory in Kampar on 30 June 2017.
Mooted by the CFS Kampar Campus Director Tan Lee Siew, the trip was aimed at encouraging students to take part in a variety of extracurricular activities and enrichment programmes to ensure the students are not only excelling academically but also receive an all-embracing form of education.
“Here in CFS, we strive to provide the best learning experience for our students. While researching for ways to boost students’ learning experience, we came across numerous studies that demonstrated the positive effects of expansive classrooms,” said Tan.
“Looking for business owners who were willing to open their doors for visitation proved to be a challenging task. We approached a dozen of factory owners but many were not too keen due to some constraints. Fortunately, our persistence paid off when the organiser of the trip, Ho Wai Yew, one of our Biology lecturers, approached Daniel Loo, the business owner of Se Woh Factory in Kampar which specialises in the production of soy sauce and chilli paste. As a person who believes in knowledge sharing, Loo welcomed us to his condiment factory with open arms,” added Tan.
A total of 19 students, who many will go on to pursue an honour’s degree in food science, signed up for the trip. The students got a first-hand experience in condiments making process as the owner demonstrated the process of making soy sauce and chilli sauce using the methods invented by the owner’s grandfather. Loo stressed that the parameters such as salt concentrations and temperature play a crucial role in the production of condiments.
Yeow Jia Wei, a Foundation in Science student who will be majoring in Biotechnology said that he was surprised that the raw materials that go into making the condiments could have such a massive impact on the taste and quality of the final products. “I did not know that the soybeans have to be sourced from as far as Canada in order for the soy sauce to taste well,” he said.
Another Foundation in Science student, Jonathan Lee was amazed that the older generations were able to come out with such ingenious method when they have no formal education. “This trip has definitely made me appreciate the hard work of the older generations and have taught me the value of diligence and hard-work.”
This field trip has given the students a better perspective on their future career. “The field trip has benefitted me in many ways and given me a better insight into the food industries. I can see how the knowledge that we learned in classes are being applied in real life,” said Ong Ka-Kin.
Loo (left) explaining the process of chilli and soy sauce production
All smiles for a group photograph
Tan (right) presenting a token of appreciation to Loo
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