Educational Innovation and Entrepreneurship Seminar

VIPs with the participants

UTAR, Sayling Wen Cultural and Educational Foundation, iSee Taiwan Foundation, and Center for Creativity and Innovation Studies of National Chengchi University jointly organised a seminar on Educational Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Sungai Long Campus on 5 April 2018. The seminar aimed to share educational innovation experience as well as to promote dialogue and exchanges among the teacher community from different regions.

Present at the seminar were UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, Vice President for Internationalisation and Academic Development Prof Ir Dr Ewe Hong Tat, GHFhub Creative Director Prof Dr Sehwa Wu, GHFhub Head of Global Network Prof Dr Lucia S. Lin, 2017 GHF Innovative Education Fellow-cum-Taiwan Plurkers on Education and Technology (TPET) Co-founder Xu Liang Hung, 2017 GHF Innovative Education Fellow Chin Yi Hung, Sayling Wen Cultural and Educational Foundation Assoc Project Manager Alen Weng, and UTAR Institute of Chinese Studies Dean Assoc Prof Dr Chong Siou Wei.

Prof Chuah

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prof Chuah said, “The arrival of the industrial revolution had a great influence on the educators. We must constantly innovate to grow, creatively think and guide our students in the timeliest manner, regardless of being a principal or a teacher.” He emphasised on the importance of thinking right and said, “Our degree can bring us a bronze medal; our experience can bring us a silver medal; our human networking can bring us a gold medal, but only the right thinking can bring us a royal medal.”

Prof Wu

On the other hand, Prof Wu expressed his pleasure at having the opportunity to collaborate with UTAR. During the seminar, he pointed out that the ever-changing science and technology have led to many unavoidable trends of “inevitability” such as Industry 4.0, which is of concern to all countries in the world. Such an inevitable trend, however, could strengthen the transformation of future talent cultivation paradigms. He further pointed out that “education” is the common language of the world and believed that education can only affect the future human civilisation in the long run if it is continuously shared and exchanged.

From left: Prof Ewe, Dr Chong, Prof Lin and Prof Wu

The seminar was led by Prof Wu with the theme “Educational Entrepreneur”. Prof Ewe and Prof Lin gave their talk, themed “Educational innovation under Industry 4.0” during the educational conference. Xu Liang Hung and Chin Yi Hung, the two recipients of 2017 GHF Educational Fellowship also shared their stories of educational innovation at the seminar.

From left: Xu Liang Hung and Chin Yi Hung

During his session, Xu Liang Hung introduced the teachers’ online social network—TPET to the audience in an interesting and joyful way, and he expressed his hope to engage more overseas educators in this platform, in order to promote more ideologies, technology, and resources in the education circle; while Chin Yi Hung explained how his “Starry Sky STAR Teaching Method” can be helpful in increasing the effectiveness of teaching mathematics as well as integrating it into the lives of children.

The seminar was also attended by teachers and students from various schools and institutions such as United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong), Malaysian Secondary School Chinese Language Teachers Association, New Era University College, Multimedia University, SJK (C) On Pong, Confucian Private Secondary School, and Sekolah Menengah Universal Hua Xia.

Prof Chuah (centre) presenting a token of appreciation to Prof Wu (right), while Prof Ewe looks on

Prof Chuah receiving a token of appreciation from Prof Wu

Prof Chuah presenting a token of appreciation to Prof Lin

Prof Chuah presenting a token of appreciation to Xu Liang Hung

Prof Chuah presenting a token of appreciation to Chin Yi Hung