A diverse community

24 Festive Drums Showcase

The UTAR community is a second home to approximately 26,000 students across both Kampar and Sungai Long Campuses. While operating primarily as an academic institution to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills for their future, it also provides unseen opportunities for students to express their interests and talents in various fields. It provides not only a holistic study experience, but also one infused with memories many would hold dear for years to come.

The university life is a critical transition period for every student as they acquire knowledge, adjust to independence and explore their talents before they walk into the real world. The University environment inadvertently creates a community made of academics, students, staff and a blend of various individuals, a closed simulation almost equivalent to the real world. To this extent, UTAR encourages students to form their own clubs and societies, elect their Student Representative Council, host events, support various community initiatives and even participate in research efforts.

Feel the Beat- Dance competition

The workings of this inner circle come under the care of Student Development and Alumni Relations with the goal to preserve this community, for students to get initiated, learn its curves, take a fall if necessary, and achieve their potential— much like a window into the world beyond, but secured within the moderation and security of the University environment.

What may be of surprise is the fact that the students have organised initiatives that have hard hitting impacts with some events running budgets in the tens of thousands, participation in the thousands, and outreach into the various communities beyond them, putting them on par with the professional world. Though conducted within the support of a controlled environment, the results are real and have the potential to change lives of both the student hosts and participants of various programmes.

Wushu club- Reunion of Martial Arts Night

The process begins with Orientation programme, after which students are given options to participate in student activities and clubs, run for positions and vote in their organisations, elect their representatives, and contribute to their student community. It is crucial to ensure these experiences are self-made choices guided by the principles of the University to uphold independent thought while celebrating and laying claim to successes, conversely learning and recovering losses from failures; all within the realm of their own decision making.

Many of these experiences are once in a lifetime memories that will be preserved but more importantly, lessons about the world they are about to explore. Students must learn to live and socialise with individuals of every kind. They must also acquire practical living skills like communication, documentation, accounts to events management as they serve in their organisations, voting the right representatives to the management, maintaining active and constructive feedback channels and finally supporting the effort to preserve this learning environment for the future with the injection of alumni expertise – all this in hope they would contribute well to the community, economy and development of the nation.

Feel free to explore our various initiatives in support of the student community:

Clubs & Societies, Student Representative Council - Department of Student Affairs
UTAR USSDC Recognition Programme - Department of Soft Skills Competency
UTAR Alumni Association - Department of Alumni Relations and Placement