Experience checked - by International students

A warm greeting from UTAR

UTAR’s Explore the World Programme is a short-term programme that provides global networking opportunities for students to experience student life in a foreign country, pick up a new language, experience new cultures and gain global network. It is also a chance for international students to study at UTAR and experience Malaysian culture.

An interview session with inbound student exchange programme took place on 26 November 2018 at Sungai Long Campus. Among the international students who participated in the interview session were Yushi Okudaira from Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan;  Zafar Nazarzoda from Tajik Technical University, Tajikistan; Armand Gerard Mayele, Abdelhadi Fassi Fihri, Rayane Bensalem, Amaury Percq and Omar Salehddine from IMT Lille Douai, France; Lu Liuying and Zheng Jinxuan from Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, China; Olivia Ng Yee Chian from Tzu Chi University, Taiwan; Chang Jo-Min from National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan and Shao Hai Feng, Tang Cheng, Wu Xichen, Huang Jie and Tian Tian from Yangzhou University, China.

Yushi (right) and Zafar

“I chose UTAR, Malaysia because the cost of living is affordable. Also, due to the variety of languages spoken. UTAR has a lot of events organised by students. An example I can give is a musical event that was carried out during a class project. I was the team leader to organise this event. The whole process was quite fun and I enjoyed it so much. Besides, I also noticed the way Malaysians speak with one another; I felt very comfortable with it. For me, there was no language barrier,” said Yushi who is currently undergoing an internship at the Department of Soft Skills Competency. He is also taking Oral Communication subject at UTAR.

He then continued, “In my opinion, communicating with people is the best way to adapt to cultural differences. I would suggest the international students who are interested to study in UTAR to make more friends. I love people here in UTAR because they are friendly and helpful; especially my colleagues, they make recommendations for sight-seeing and food. They do not hesitate to bring you around to ’hunt’ for good food. Also, when I give some new ideas, my boss will listen to me and help me to work on it. She also gives me advice and suggestions on how I should do my task correctly and deliver it effectively.” Meanwhile, he also expressed his affection towards Malaysian spicy food especially “Laksa” and “Sambal”. He enjoys exploring food in Malaysia.

Zafar, an international student from Tajikistan, who is taking up Master of Environmental Technology programme said that UTAR was a good place to study. “This is my first time joining a student exchange programme.I chose UTAR because my teacher and friends who studied at Malaysian universities suggested me and also because I found a suitable course here. I truly enjoy my time over here. There are a lot of programmes organised in UTAR. It gives me an opportunity to spend my time together with my buddies. I did not face any language barrier. I am happy that I can improve my English Language when communicating with people, here in UTAR; especially in class since our lectures are conducted in English. I love Malaysia especially its spicy food. There are many foods that I enjoy but I find ‘Nasi Lemak’, ‘Rojak Mee’ and ‘Nasi Biryani’ the best. Malaysia is a multiracial country but they respect each other’s religion and most importantly I can easily find a place for my prayers,” said Zafar.

From left: Armand, Rayane, Amaury, Omar and Abdelhadi

“We chose UTAR because our university, IMT Lille Douai, is a partner of UTAR and also because the subject we wanted is offered here. UTAR is larger compared to our university in France. Besides, UTAR offers a lot of courses involving Mechanics and Chinese Medicine. What makes UTAR cool is its specialisation in Telecommunication and Computer Science,” said Armand, Abdelhadi, Rayane, Amaury and Omar who are currently undergoing an internship programme in Computer Science.

They then continued, “We received a warm welcome from the staff and students. They are very welcoming and friendly to foreigners. Hence, why it was easy for us to adapt. We did not find any language barrier since most of them were able to speak the English Language, which made it easier for us to communicate. Besides, we also had the chance to mingle with a lot of people from Asian countries like Malaysia, Japan, China and Taiwan who were also here for the student exchange programme. I would recommend our juniors to study here at Sungai Long Campus because it is very convenient as it is near to the cityof Kuala Lumpur.”

Lu (left) and Zheng

Lu and Zheng, master’s students who are taking up Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) programme said, “We chose UTAR because our President said it is very important for students to get exposure from overseas especially from a country with multiracial background because it is a good chance for us to learn something that is out of the textbooks and gain some good educational experience. Another reason is we can speak Mandarin here instead of only using the English language. As master’s students, we are required to do a lot of research. In UTAR, with the guidance of the lecturers, I have learnt the concept and method of doing research and how to do it in a better and more effective way. To adapt to a new environment, respect is the most important thing. We have to respect people to mingle and get along with them.”

They then continued, “We enjoy living here. We love the way our lecturers teach and guide us in our research. People here in UTAR are very friendly and nice. We’re glad to be given this meaningful experience. We find the students here very hardworking; most of them would stay up late to study in the library. Our advice to other international students who plan to study here; learn to communicate more with the people around and you will get to know more about the world.” 

Olivia Ng

“I am a Malaysian who studied at Tzu Chi University for the past three years and decided to come back to Malaysia and study in UTAR for the last year of my degree programme. I chose UTAR because it is a well-known university in Malaysia,” said Olivia Ng who is currently undergoing Early Childhood Education programme at UTAR.

She then continued, “Food in Taiwan and Malaysia is different. So I would recommend my friends to try Malaysia’s flavorous food like “Nasi Lemak” and “Laksa”, to name a few. I would also like to suggest my friends who wish to study in UTAR to make more friends because the staff and students here are very friendly and helpful. One of the most memorable things that I will remember during my study at UTAR is the willingness of my groupmates to help me with my assignments. The assignments are usually done in Mandarin in Taiwan but over here at UTAR it is done in English. Hence, I had some difficulties with the sudden shift of language. However, my groupmates understood my situation and they were more than willing to help me with my assignments.”

Chang

“This is my first time participating in a student exchange programme. I chose UTAR because it offered a programme that I have always wanted to study which is game design. Also, because UTAR is the Top 2 University in Malaysia. I believe I can learn many things from here,” said Chang, the international student from Taiwan.

She then continued, “I have learnt three things in the game designing class, namely 3D Modelling, Vector Art and the History of game. In 3D modelling class, I’ve not only learnt to build model but also create animation. Before I came to Malaysia, I told myself that I have to get ready to learn and accept the cultural differences. Malaysia is a multicultural country, hence I was aware that not all were able to speak Chinese or English, even if they do their accent could be different. For example, the word ‘水(Shui)’ in Taiwan means pure water but in Malaysia it means beverage. I love the people here; the students are very helpful and they would often give me suggestions and guidance when I am facing problems with my assignments. Most importantly, I learnt to be independent.”

From left: Tang Cheng, Shao, Wu, Huang Jie and Tian Tian

Last but not least, Shao, Tang Cheng, Wu, Huang Jie and Tian Tianwho arecurrentlytaking up Traditional Chinese Medicine programme would like to encourage their juniors who wish to study at UTAR to participate more in the campus activities. “Compared to Yangzhou University, UTAR has a lot of campus activities going on, which is fun and enjoyable. In China, we have in-class activities more, so this would be a good chance for them to enjoy. On top of it, we would also like to suggest them to take fewer courses for a better focus. Fewer courses do not mean that they will learn less in UTAR because there are many lessons to be learnt in each of the courses. The lecturers in UTAR will guide and help you because they pay attention to every student; if one student does not understand they will keep repeating it until you fully understand,” said the international students from Yangzhou University, China.

They then continued, “We like the weather in Malaysia, it is very comfortable. However, the only thing that we have to get used to is the lunch hour. In China, our lunch break starts at 11.00 am, but in UTAR the lunch hour is different (at 1.00 pm). We did have a culture shock when we first came to Malaysia. Malaysia is a multiracial country, which was pretty strange to us, but after communicating with our Malaysian friends, we have come to understand them better. It is no longer a problem for us. In UTAR, the students and lecturers are very helpful and friendly. We are grateful for that. We will not forget the delicious food and beautiful sceneries in Malaysia. Also, the time we travelled to Malacca and the mountaineering experience we had. It was a good experience for all of us.”

For more information on student exchange programme, kindly visit: http://www.utar.edu.my/dcinternet/