Participants of the FAS Carnival 2024, organised by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FAS) at UTAR Kampar Campus on 30 April 2024 thoroughly enjoyed immersing themselves in the dynamic campus atmosphere at UTAR.

Themed Welcome to Adulthood, the carnival aimed to enable school students to experience the learning environment at tertiary level and acquaint them with real-world experiences through a range of activities arranged by different FAS departments, including the Department of Advertising, the Department of Public Relations, the Department of Journalism, the Department of Languages and Linguistics, and the Department of Psychology and Counselling. The organising committee hoped that the knowledge and skills gained at the carnival would be useful to the participants when they embark on their tertiary education journey.

At the opening ceremony, FAS Dean Dr Lee Lai Meng said, “I believe this carnival will be a good medium to expose school students to university life. It is a celebration of learning, growth, and exploration. At the heart of this carnival, we aimed to provide secondary school students with the exposure and awareness they need to navigate the complexity of the learning environment in a university and the challenges of the real world. I hope you will gain insights and practical skills in various disciplines.”

Likewise, Puan Sarimah binti Mabee, the Language School Improvement Specialist Coaches (SISC+) also encouraged the school students to make use of their time here while exploring and learning about the various disciplines offered at UTAR. She also advised participants to get involved in the activities prepared as a means to gain experience.

Also present at the opening ceremony were Organising Chairperson Dr Siti Ummaizah binti Meor Musa, TVET SISC+ Mr Jaisya bin Mokhtar, school teachers, FAS academics, UTAR students, and participants.

The participants consisted of school students of SMK Toh Indera Wangsa Ahmad; SMK Sultan Yussuf, Batu Gajah; SMK Malim Nawar; SMK Methodist (ACS) Kampar; SMK Sentosa; SMK Idris Shah, Gopeng; SMJK Pei Yuan Kampar; SMK Kampar; SMJK Yuk Kwan; SMK Seri Teja; SMK Dato’ Bendahara CM Yusuf; SMK Tronoh; SMK Seri Kampar; and SMK St Bernadette’s Convent.

They were treated to fun, interactive and insightful activities at various booths, namely Writing Booth, English Station Games, Social Media and Personal Branding, Team Building and Photography Workshop, Personality Test, and Fake News Exhibition.

Siti Nur Ain binti Md Rony of SMK Dato Bendahara CM Yusuf mentioned that she wanted to add this event as a new experience for her last year of high school. She said she learnt the importance of furthering one’s studies for a brighter future, and she found the Kampar Campus to be exciting with beautiful sceneries.  

Armandip Singh from SMK Methodist (ACS) Kampar mentioned that the carnival provided some information on career choices, while Wong Zhi Yang from SMK Malim Nawar said that the carnival helped him to adapt to new surroundings, acquire new skills, and socialise more with new friends. Wong also said that he enjoyed the time at the news reporting booth, which helped boost his confidence.