As part of the Orientation programme for January 2020 intake, UTAR Department of Student Affairs (DSA) and UTAR Kampar Campus Registration, Campus Tour and Mass Call (RCM) Committee successfully organised a mass call at both Sungai Long and Kampar Campuses on 7 and 8 January 2020 respectively. The mass call was conducted for new students to meet the University President, the senior officials as well as the deans and deputy deans.

Attended by more than 500 new students from both campuses, the mass call was graced by UTAR President Ir Prof Dr Ewe Hong Tat.

In his welcome speech at the mass call, Prof Ewe warmly welcomed all the freshmen and introduced UTAR as a place full of opportunities which will not only enrich their lives as undergraduates but also provide them with valuable life experiences. In conjunction with the mass call ceremony, Prof Ewe also delivered a talk titled “Your Academic Journey in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era”.

In his talk, Prof Ewe introduced the freshers to the vision and mission of UTAR. He explained that UTAR, guided by its vision to be a global university of educational excellence, is highly reputed as one of the fastest-growing private higher education institutions in the country. Apart from vision and mission, Prof Ewe also urged the new students to embrace the six UTAR philosophical values of Virtue and Morality, Knowledge and Intellect, Physical and Mental Health, Sociality and Humanitarianism, Aesthetics and Harmony, and Creativity and Innovation. He advised the new students to be ethical, professional, sociable, active in building their human network, creative, be involved in sports and innovative in order to gain a complete university experience.

In addition to that, Prof Ewe also touched on the importance of human networking and extracurricular activities. He said, “Besides performing academically, students should also participate in extracurricular activities organised by student clubs and societies in order to lead a balanced academic life and also to become an all-rounder. Do take the opportunity to build networks with your seniors, lecturers and students from other faculties, states and even other countries. Hard work, determination, full concentration and self-discipline are the key secrets to earn a successful university experience.”

Furthermore, Prof Ewe’s speech also focused on the aspects of the technology revolution and its roles in future education. He said as we embarked on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technology plays a central role in nearly all aspects of people’s lives. Therefore, in order to prepare the talent needed for the digital economy, education must adapt fast as the demand for digital skills is growing and evolving.

Prof Ewe also emphasised on the importance of higher-order thinking skills, multiple intelligences and creativity among university students to further improve and equip themselves with the 21st-century skills. He said the key to staying competitive in this new era of innovation is the convergence of technologies like artificial intelligence, internet of things, robotics, big data analytics, brain connectome, quantum computing, 5G and etcetera. He also stressed that the Fourth Industrial Revolution needs knowledge workers with a growth mindset and empathy.

Additionally, Prof Ewe also presented the freshers with knowledge economy and how it has brought changes to the way we work and live. He explained, “Knowledge economy is an economy in which the production of products and services is based mainly upon knowledge-intensive activities.” He added, “In a knowledge economy, a large portion of economic growth and employment is a result of knowledge-intensive activities and the knowledge-intensive activity involves the collection, analysis and synthesis of information. In order to attain success in a knowledge economy, it requires a commitment of both workers and firms to continually learn and to increase their skills and expertise, which will foster innovation.” The talk also touched on the innovation ecosystems and the pace of innovation substitution.

Student Representative Council (SRC) Kampar Campus 2019/2020 Chairperson Lam Jeen Yee welcomed the new students and shared three valuable advices, “Prioritise your body health. It is important to keep a balanced and positive lifestyle. Eating healthy and exercising are great ways to lower your stress and keep your body and mind in top shape. Apart from physical health, prioritise your mental health too while thriving in your academic journey. Secondly, be neutral with the use of social media. Do not overuse and do not become too vulnerable by over-exposing your personal information on social media. The overuse of social networking sites will affect your lives as students. Be wise with the use of social media to have a composed life. Last but not least, make friends as many as possible. Try to expand your social network and do not be shy to make new friends. Do not underestimate the power of communication and social skills. Good communication skills and social skills can make studying easier, build your confidence and impact your future.”

Student Representative Council (SRC) Sungai Long Campus 2019/2020 Chairperson Leo Cheong Zhe encouraged students to join communities different than their own, as well as to understand and respect other cultures. He said, “We are all UTARians, Malaysians and humans. No separation based on skin colours. In UTAR, we are always one for all and all for one. Even the weak become strong when they are united.” Besides, he talked about the Industrial revolution 4.0, and said, “The world is changing at a fast pace. Now every one of us needs to compete with artificial intelligence. We have to talk about the things that data cannot tell. AI can work better than us because they can work 24 hours without asking for a salary. However, they cannot communicate well and think out of the box.” He also explained the role of SRC and highlighted the importance of mastering soft skills. He also advised, “I believe all of you are young adults. We should know our responsibility towards our country. Read more news and take concern about what is happening in our country.”

Also present at the mass call were UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, Dean of Faculty of Information and Communication Technology Assoc Prof Ts Dr Liew Soung Yue, Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Science Dr Lee Lai Meng, Dean of Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science Prof Ir Dr Goi Bok Min, Dean of Faculty of Creative Industries Dr David Tneh Cheng Eng, Deputy Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology Dr Tan Kok Tat, Deputy Dean of Faculty of Business and Finance Dr Choong Yuen Onn, Deputy Dean of Institute of Chinese Studies Dr Ling Liong Ngo, Deputy Dean of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Prof Dr Alan Ong Han Kiat, Deputy Dean of Faculty of Accountancy and Management Dr Hen Kai Wah, Director of Centre for Foundation Studies of Sungai Long Campus Melissa Stefanie Netto, Deputy Director of Centre for Foundation Studies (Kampar Campus) Phang Ying Ning, Kampar Campus Mass Call Manager Vernon Chean Lynn Chii and Sungai Long Campus Mass Call Manager Toon Jing Wen.