SEGi secures quality IT links in partnership with Abertay Dundee

SEGi University College has further strengthened the worth and international recognition of its homegrown programmes through an academic arrangement with the University of Abertay Dundee (UAD), one of United Kingdom's leading universities.
Under the arrangement, students graduating from SEGi University College Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) programme will also receive a separate degree parchment issued by UAD, apart from their SEGi degree parchment.
UAD has a long history as one of Scotland's leading universities. Being among Scotland's top three institutions for research funding, UAD has an entrenched reputation for professionalism in offering career-driven higher education. It received top ranking by UK's Quality Assurance Agency when 79 per cent of graduates gave the "thumbs up" for the university's teaching methodologies and learning approaches.
All of the university's researchers are also involved in teaching and developing courses, giving students the chance to learn from world leaders every day.
Combine this with the fact that the university has an average of one lecturer for every 17 students and you have one of the best dedicated universities in Scotland.
In addition, the degree was recently boosted with IT Security components of the Certified Ethical Hacker programme through a collaboration with the EC-Council Academy.
"Cyber attacks are frequent and efficient. There are financial frauds, data breaches, cyber threats and attack news reported daily. Cyber attacks towards organisations increases steadily over the years, even with increased IT infrastructure investment every year.
"Organisations today are taking note on the importance of well- trained IT Security professionals on maintaining and securing the business and reputation of an organisation.
"The industry is in urgent need for cyber warriors to deal with cyber attacks that may occur anytime," said EC-Council Asia Pacific managing director Wilson Wong.
The Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) programme is a three-year programme which is ideal for students who wish to explore a journey in latest technological developments, techniques, and tools while developing knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to the ICT industry and profession.
The programme develops students' entrepreneurial and cognitive skills beyond basic knowledge and understanding, placing the focus on also increasing their competency of analysis, synthesis, creativity and evaluation whilst developing other transferable skills such as problem-solving, communication and interaction.
Graduates of the SEGi Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) will be well prepared with a range of practical, business and personal skills allowing for a smooth transition into a variety of specialist roles within the ICT and business sectors.
During the course of the programme students will learn how to use relevant information systems, undertake investigations, analyse the data and information gathered and put principles learned into practice.
This programme offers three specialisations for students to choose from Software Engineering, Business Systems Design and Computer Networks.

OUM Making Waves in India

A keynote address by OUM President and Vice-Chancellor Tan Sri Anuwar Ali has made it to the front page of The Hindu.

OUM President and Vice-Chancellor Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Anuwar Ali has urged developing countries to promote higher education through open and distance learning (ODL) to ensure that their people have equitable access to education and can thus better contribute to national economic development and enhanced social status.

In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, the English language daily with the second largest circulation in India, Tan Sri Anuwar said higher education is particularly relevant for Asian countries and should not be considered "elitist and restrictive".

"The growth of ODL in countries like India, China and Malaysia has been highly encouraging but the real challenge is ensuring it remains relevant and responsive to changing trends," said Tan Sri Anuwar, who attended the international workshop together with Prof Dr Shaari Abd Hamid, Deputy Vice President of the Institute for Teaching and Learning Advancement. The workshop was held at the Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University (VMOU) in Kota, Rajasthan, recently.

In his keynote address entitled "Challenges before ODL: Global Perspective", Tan Sri Anuwar said ODL plays a significant role in transforming higher education from an elite privilege to a "democratised opportunity" in Asian countries.

Institutions offering distance education has made it possible for people from varied backgrounds, including those from marginalised groups, senior citizens, working adults and the physically disadvantaged, to partake in higher education and obtain degrees.

Tan Sri Anuwar also said that OUM is willing to collaborate with VMOU to improve the quality of education and make higher education more accessible. "Although student exchange may not be feasible at this stage, both institutions can work together in the area of educational technology."

Acknowledging that India has one of the best established ODL networks in Asia, he said ODL has much to gain from innovations such as the use of web applications, social networking, mobile technologies and open educational resources.

However, issues such as the digital divide and cultural identities could impede the true potential of ODL growth delivery in the less developed regions. The use of ubiquitous technology and its impact on cultural identities remain issues yet to be resolved, while the problem of digital divide still pervades poor countries.

Tan Sri Anuwar emphasised that universities in Asian countries must create the means for their populace, regardless of gender, creed or socio-economic background, to obtain higher education. "ODL institutions must combine flexibility, quality, affordability and accessibility to attract people for further study."

He cited the example of the Commonwealth of Learning for having successfully brought together open universities in the Commonwealth to develop and share ODL knowledge, resources and technology with a focus on helping poor countries over the past two decades.

Masterskill holds healthcare campaign

KUCHING: Masterskill University College of Health Sciences (MUCH) recently conducted a healthcare screening campaign and education exhibition at SMK St Teresa.
The event — held together with associate institution Masterskill College Kuching Metro Campus — aimed to create awareness among school staff and students on the importance of regular health check-ups.
It was jointly organised by the school’s cooperative and Malaysian Red Crescent.
SMK St Teresa teacher Marjoyln Michael said in a press statement that it was the first time such an event was organised in the school.
She explained that SMK St Teresa selected Masterskill to be part of the event as the college specialises in teaching and promoting health sciences.
“I am sure with Masterskill’s expertise and as a leader in this field, our students will benefit from such an educational event. It also provides an opportunity to give exposure to our Form 5 students on the next step of higher education after their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM),” she said.
Kuching Metro Campus clinical instructor Diana Hui pointed out that many teenagers consume too much fast-food, high-calorie beverages and have a sedentary lifestyle, which could lead to obesity and chronic illnesses later in life.
“Therefore, healthcare screening like this will educate the secondary school students on the importance of prevention rather than cure. Today’s youngsters now are different from those times where students enjoyed outdoor activities and required more intense physical movements,” she said.
Students were fascinated by the nasogastric tube demonstration and anatomy explanation.
“To add in to the excitement of health sciences demonstration, a life-sized human mannequin was brought along by lecturers and clinical instructions from the college.
Other teaching aids including anatomical teaching model, plastic human arm muscle model, were being displayed.
“A large group of students gathered around the mannequin where a clinical instructor (CI) from Masterskill conducted demonstrations on nasogastric tube artificial feeding procedure. CI explained the usage of nasogastric tube for patients who cannot eat orally via the mouth and had to be fed through the tube,” said a statement.
In addition, Masterskill’s physiotherapy students shared their knowledge on the anatomy of the arm using an artificial human arm model, showing tendons, nerves, blood vessels and humerus; while medical lab technology students conducted health screenings.
The event also provided the college an avenue to promote health sciences programmes offered such as medical lab technology (MLT), environmental health, physiotherapy, healthcare (management) and pharmacy.
On top of that, the college has an Employment Placement Unit (EPU) to assist graduates and graduating students to secure employment locally and abroad.
“Studying at Masterskill can be advantageous. In addition to the well-rounded co-curricular exposures, the university college with six branches nationwide also has more than 450 local and international clinical placement sites to provide students a good platform to hone their practical skills,” said a statement.
Masterskill College Kuching Metro Campus is now open for the July 2011 intake registration.
The institution will hold a walk-in interview today (July 7) at the Dalat District Office and Kota Samarahan Civic Centre, tomorrow (July 8) at Kingwood Hotel, Mukah and Serian Dewan Masyarakat, Saturday (July 9) at Boulevard Shopping Mall in Kuching, Sunday (July 10) at Meligai Hotel in Kapit and e-Mart Supermarket in Matang, Tuesday (July 12) at RH Hotel in Sibu and Hoover Hotel in Sri Aman and Wednesday (July 13) at Ming Kiong Hotel in Bintangor and Wawasan Inn in Sarikei.

Producing qualified graduates with first class facilities

Providing a world class education has always been the prime objective of the Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University College (KLMUC). This can be measured by its almost 100% student employment rate upon graduation.

At KLMU, students are not only exposed to theories but are trained to balance practical aspects with relevant experiences based on a real work environment. To ensure that all students understand the subject they study, each classroom setting is focused on developing a clear and comprehensible presentation of the subject matter. Furthermore, students are assessed through a continual evaluation process that is based on learning outcomes.

The lecturers play a vital role in the student’s learning processes via the mentor-mentee programme that fosters a positive influence during the course. Classes are intentionally small to ensure all students receive adequate guidance while their confidence is being nurtured.

KLMU has invested millions on various modern facilities, including an auditorium, a computer laboratory with broadband connection, art studio, cyberzones, conferences, gymnasium, cafeteria, student activity lounge, hospital simulation ward, health science laboratory, and a fully equipped hospitality facility.

Additionally, KLMU has installed CCTVs within its premises for added security.

KLMU will showcase its programme courses at the MAPCU Higher Education Fair 2011 at booths 1068 through 1083.

KLIUC Improves Internet User Experiences with SANGFOR

Kuala Lumpur Infrastructure University College (KLIUC), the well-known Malaysia tertiary education institution, has improved the Internet accessing experiences for campus users by deploying SANGFOR's IAM solution. IAM's bandwidth management feature based on application guarantees smooth web accessing speed and provide an enjoyable Internet environment for students and staffs.

KLIUC which was established in 1998, is the focus of Kumpulan Ikram's tertiary education activities. Guided by motto of "For Knowledge, For Humanity", KLIUC aim to produce graduates with outstanding technological and management skills, possess high moral values to meet the challenges of Vision 2020 and the K-economy.

Enhanced with up-to-date academic facilities, highly qualified lecturers among whom are industry practitioners, KLIUC strives to ensure high quality education in areas of Engineering, Business and Information Technology. 3 years into the business of education, KLIUC is already recognized for its quality management system achieved through ISO 9001 :2000 certification in December 2000.

By deploying SANGFOR Internet Access Management solution, KLIUC is able to audit the the Internet flow situation through detailed reports. It is identified large amount of P2P download and on-line video stream occupying bandwidth and causing slow Internet accessing speed. Therefore, IAM performs the bandwidth limitation for P2P and on-line media, which make sure enough bandwidth for campus related applications.

MUST pushes for advancement in biotechnology

MALAYSIA University of Science and Technology (MUST) is set to continue its efforts to anchor the development of human capital in biotechnology through innovative courses and ongoing research initiatives.

The courses offered by MUST focused on three main areas – science and technology, entrepreneurship and innovation – related to the field of biotechnology.

Specifically, MUST offers very comprehensive undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in the various fields of biotechnology which include agrobiotechnology, industrial biotechnology, nutraceutical and food biotechnology, as well as health and pharma biotechnology.

Through its research projects, some of the notable inroads achieved by MUST’s biotechnology faculty include structure-function relationship of protein, enzyme and bioactive molecules from natural resources, nanotechnology and nanobiotechnology, as well as pharmaceutical technology (design of drug delivery systems).

Its success is backed by more than RM7 million research grants which it has received over the past eight years from various sources.

From the amount, between 2004 and 2008, the faculty received RM2.5 million in research grants from Intensification of Research in Priority Areas (IRPA), SAGA (Akademi Sains Malaysia), and the Science Fund.

"With the Biosafety Act in place, research and commercialisation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) will be streamlined with an objective to promote modern biotechnology, and at the same time protect human and animal health, and the biodiversity," said MUST associate professor Dr Joseph Selvaraj Samy.

Commenting on the field’s future prospect, Joseph said: "As in any other business investment there are also risks in investing in biotechnology, but with adequate legalities in place and a sound Comprehensive Product Development Plan (CPDP) the necessary mitigation measures can be taken."

He also emphasised on the need to build talented human capital. "MUST have designed its undergraduate and post-graduate programmes to develop graduates with a strong foundation in the principles of modern biotechnology and exposure to contemporary thinking in a variety of specific fields," he said.

MMU eyes future in nanotechnology

SCOUTING for a degree programme after leaving school may be a daunting experience for most school leavers.
There are many considerations that need weighing, including the growth potential of the industry chosen and cost of the programme pursued as decisions made can make or break one's career path in events of economic downturn or business uncertainties.
But there is one industry that is on the rise in Malaysia. It is none other than nanotechnology. School leavers or any candidates considering engineering programme can the nanotechnology alternative.
Although the field is still in its infancy, there is growing interest and expenditure in it.
Multimedia University (MMU) vice-president of academic, Associate Professor Wong Eng Kiong says: "We are seeing a slow but steady increase in enrolment in our nanotechnology programme because of the government's emphasis under the 9th Malaysia Plan."
Under 9MP, RM124.3 million has been allocated for the nanotechnology industry. The inauguration of the Malaysia Nanotechnology Association (MNA), governmental support for nanotechnology is at an all-time high as the technology can revolutionise the entire manufacturing industry.
One way this is achieved is by generating new types of nanomaterials, applicable in the metal, chemical and nanoelectronics industries. Other industries that can benefit are automotive, pharmaceuticals and health sciences, as well as information technology.
Realising the huge potential in store for the industry, MMU recently launched its Bachelor of Engineering Electronics (hons) majoring in nanotechnology. It is among the first of nanotechnology courses to be offered in the country.
"This nanotechnology programme is a true landmark offering," says Wong.
He said previously, those who wished to pursue a career on nanotechnology must go overseas.
"Now, you can join as an undergraduate and be part of a growth industry."
He adds that the career prospect for a nanotechnologist is quite healthy and promising.
He adds that the past few years have seen an increase in mechanical engineering enrolment, due to the manufacturing industry in the country. Telecommunications engineering also remains a popular choice.
MMU is one of the very few institutions in the country offering an undergraduate programme in nanotechnology
Intakes are open this month in the fields of engineering, IT, management and creative multimedia.
For information, call 013-6264 493 (Hamiza), 013-6133144 (Nalini) or 013-6306458 (Tan) or visit www.mmu.edu.my