postgraduate - 18 november 2014

8/10/2019 PostGraduate - 18 November 2014

1/12

THE STARTuesday 18 November 2014

Collaboration and innovation > 7 Experiential learning > 11

StarSpecial

The rise of massive online collaboration.

Strength in numbers


2/12

2POSTGRADUATEStarSpecial, Tuesday 18 November 2014

Its not rocket scienceBY TINA CARMILLIA

WHEN Bernard Kealeycame up with the ideaof the rotational Twitter

ccount@realscientists

featuringeal science, he intended it for theTwitter community to get a feel forwhat scientists are actually doingnside or outside the laboratoriesnd enable people to check outll the things one can do with acience degree.

The Twitter account rotatesurators who are scientists,cience writers and policymakers

who share information and storiesbout their lives and their work.

Its real science on Twitter not so sinister or secretive now,ays Kealey.

The practice of citizen sciencemay seem like a new phenomenonbut historically, science was oftenpursued by amateurs and self-unded enthusiasts, including Isaac

Newton and Charles Darwin.Only by the mid-20th

entury was science dominatedby researchers employed bycademic institutions and researchaboratories.

Even so, research efforts oftenend to involve teams of scientistsollaborating across multiple

nations and continents.But accessibility to science has

rown tremendously thanks to thenternet and, in particular, social

media.More and more people are

cquainted with citizen science

the practice of participation andcollaboration in scientific researchto increase science knowledge.

The only thing that is newabout public participation inscientific research is the termcitizen science itself.

Gone are the days whenscientific studies are left tothe scientists. Through citizenscience, anyone can contributeto and share data collection andmonitoring.

By crowd-sourcing science,scientists collaborate withamateur scientists to filter throughlarge banks of data that would

otherwise take years to do.One of the most common fields

where amateurs contribute toscience is astronomy.

Amateur astronomers can build

their own equipment to observea variety of celestial objects thatcommonly include the Moon,meteor showers and comets.

While scanning the starry

skies for cosmic phenomenais done mainly as a passionatehobby, sometimes, these amateurastronomers chance upondiscoveries.

For example, Anthony Wesley,an amateur stargazer fromAustralia, noticed an anomalyin the southern hemisphere ofJupiter.

The scar could be causedby a comet or meteoroidbut astronomers lauded thediscovery as one of the bestaccomplishments by an amateur.

The scientific community istaking more efforts to consolidatenon-specialists participants in theprocess of scientific discoveries.Several online projects in differentscience fields, including space,ecology and health, have sprouted.

The pioneering project wasSETI@Home, which harnessesthe idle computing times of itsparticipants in search for extra-terrestrial life.

Similarly, Galaxy Zoo byZooniverse was launched in 2007by a team of UK astronomers andis now the largest, most popularand most successful citizenscience project with 230,000volunteers worldwide.

Unlike SETI@Home, GalaxyZoo volunteers have a more activerole. They are tasked to pore over

an online database of images andhelp classify galaxies.

As a matter of fact, severalvolunteers identified a number ofunusual galaxies that were called

Green Peas because of their small,bright green feature.While there are about one

million galaxies in the projectsimage bank, only 250 Green Peashave been found. The Green Peasgalaxies are said to be the mostextremely active star-forminggalaxies that the project has everfound.

Other crowd-sourcedscience projects include NOVACybersecurity Lab that exploresthe world of coding, cyberscams and online safety, as wellas Wildlife Tracker that helpsstudy the impact of habitatfragmentation on wild animalsby tagging photos taken frommotion-detecting cameras.

The concept of opening allaspects of scientific researchto allow everyone to follow theprocess and contribute makesscience not just more interesting,transparent and accessible,but will alter the trajectory oftechnological advancement.

There are more open peerreview, open data and open accessjournals that are in line with thistrend.

The Internet certainly is a boonto the future of open science.Perhaps, the future will mean thateveryone is a scientist in their ownway.

Accessibility toscience has growntremendouslythanks to theInternet and, inparticular, socialmedia.


3/12

StarSpecial, Tuesday 18 November 2014 POSTGRADUATE3

Strengthening Quranic and Sunnah studiesT

HE Faculty of Quranic andSunnah Studies at UniversitiSains Islam Malaysia (USIM)

was set up in 2000 with theBachelor of Quranic and Sunnah

programme.Learning the Quran andunnah is vital in Islam because its central to the life of a Muslim.

The faculty was set up to ignitehe appreciation of the Quran andunnah in the rapidly changingves of many people with thedvances in technology and

modernisation.To return to the development

f a strong civilisation, theevelopment of human capital

with good character is theountry's most important priority.

In an effort to elevate the studyf the Quran and Sunnah to be

mainstream topics in the nationalducation system, the faculty hasaken the initiative to offer several

new innovative programmes

are purposeful in accordance withthe requirements of the country.

At the beginning of the2005/2006 academic session, twonew programmes were offered the Bachelor of Quranic Studieswith Multimedia (Hons) andBachelor of Sunnah Studies withInformation Management (Hons).

Both programmes areimplemented in cooperation withUSIM's Faculty of Science andTechnology.

These programmes providereligious students in Malaysiawith an added value to broadentheir learning opportunities tomore than Quranic and Sunnahstudies.

In the 2009/2010 academicsession, USIM offered anotherone-of-a-kind programme theBachelor of Quranic and SunnahStudies USIM at Darul QuranJAKIM, an institute of higherlearning for Tahfiz Al-Quran.

Programmes like these serveas ideal platforms for USIM tostrengthen its relationships withvarious external parties. Otherprogrammes that are plannedwith external parties include theBachelor of Quranic and SunnahStudies at Kolej Islam SultanAhmad Shah in Pahang.

It is hoped that this facultywill serve as an avenue to producegraduates who are professional,

knowledgeable and skilled in thefield of Quran and Sunnah.

In addition, the faculty alsohopes to expand Islam by openingits doors for researchers andeducators to study, researchand disseminate knowledgeand wisdom contained in thescriptures of the Quran and theSunnah to society, says AssocProf Dr Adnan Mohamed Yusoff,dean of the Faculty of Quran andSunnah.

The faculty wasset up to ignite theappreciation of theQuran and Sunnahin the rapidlychanging lives ofmany people withthe advances intechnology andmodernisation.

that integrate the study of theQuran and the Sunnah in thetraditional form with fields that

The Faculty of

Quranic and Sunnah

Studies at UniversitiSains Islam Malaysia

was set up in 2000.

The faculty aims toelevate the study of the

Quran and Sunnah.

Assoc Prof

Dr AdnanMohamed

Yusoff, dean of

the Faculty of

Quranicand

Sunnah

Studies.


4/12

www.nie.edu.sg

OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES & PROFESSIONAL LEARNINGLearning Differently, Leading Change

Visit www.nie.edu.sg/aug2015or scan the QR code formore information.

www.facebook.com/NIEGPL

LearningChangeLeadingDifferently

August 2015 Intake

Includes the new Master of Arts in Professional Education(Training and Development) programme

Higher DegreeProgrammes OPEN TO

ALL

Visit us at

Facon EducationFair 2014Kuala Lumpur Convention CentreBooth no. 6037, Hall 629 - 30 November, 12PM - 6PM

VC COLUMN

By PROFCHRISTINEENNEW


Developing talent for the economy

focus our attention on scienceand engineering when thinkingabout talent development andthe knowledge economy. But Iwould also recognise that thereis a genuine need to increase thenumbers of students studyingSTEMM subjects.

Hays, a leading globalrecruitment firm, publishes whatit describes as the Global SkillsIndexon an annual basis.

This index is used tosummarise the state of thelabour market in 31 countriesworldwide based on a range ofindicators such as labour marketmismatches, wage pressure andeducational flexibility.

Its work highlights continuinglabour market pressures anda shortage of skilled workersparticularly in the STEMMsubjects.

In Malaysia, Pemandu chiefexecutive officer Datuk Seri IdrisJala recently highlighted theneed for increased numbers ofhighly skilled workers in Malaysiaand the area of life sciences/biosciences is often identified as

an area where there is a significant

and growing demand.For anyone thinking abouttheir future study plans, theSTEMM subjects are an areawhere employment prospects lookparticularly good.

Government and businessesneed more staff in these areas,universities will need morelecturers and researchers andschools will need more teachers.

So if prospects look so goodin these areas, why is it thatwomen are still significantlyunrepresented in the STEMMsubjects?

Why is a significant componentof the population apparentlyignoring the opportunitiespresented by this sector ofthe labour market? This is aworldwide phenomenon notone that is unique to Malaysia andit means that employers seekingSTEMM graduates may be missingout on the opportunity to take onhighly talented women.

The reasons why women areunder-represented in STEMMsubjects are varied and complex.Early experiences at home andschool can easily set expectationsabout future choice of career forexample, girls may be influencedto think that engineering is notsuitable for them.

Later on in their lives, women

may be subject to discrimination

at university or in the workplace.Increasingly, directdiscrimination is rare butindirect discrimination is muchmore common with implicitassumptions being made aboutthe suitability of women forcertain roles or patterns of workbehaviour, which disadvantagewomen in a working environmentthat is not female friendly.

The lack of positive role modelsin senior positions can reinforcethe image that STEMM mightnot be a good career option for awoman.

The risk for all of us is arounda missed opportunity throughthe loss of female talent and toaddress this risk will take timeand effort.

We can make a start byrecognising and celebrating thesuccesses of women in the STEMMareas, thinking carefully abouthow children are encouraged tosee different subjects at schooland working with students andearly career scientists, engineersand technologists to ensure thatthey are supported and enabled toreach their true potential.

nProf Christine Ennew is thechief executive officer and provostof The University of NottinghamMalaysia Campus.

T

HERE is always a danger

that terms such as theknowledge economy andknowledge workers becomelichd, having been taken upnd used by politicians, businesseaders and the media as essentialontent for any discussion aboutur economic and social future.

Nevertheless, such phrases doontain an important message that increasingly successfulconomies will rely less on their

natural resources and more on thengenuity and expertise of their

human resource.That in turn reinforces the

mportance of the educationystem, which plays a central

role in the development of an

economys human resource.In higher education, we seegovernments developing targetsbased on participation rates andnumbers and type of graduates.

Subjects in the areas of science,technology, engineering, medicineand mathematics the STEMMsubjects have been particularlytargeted for growth because theyare seen as fundamental buildingblocks for a knowledge economy.

As someone whose academicbackground is social science, Ifeel duty-bound to stress thatarts, humanities and the socialsciences do have an importantrole to play and we must not just

An insightful experienceTHE flexible nature and high quality ofAsia e Universitys MBA programme arewhat Tuan Mohamed Anif Sallay foundmost attractive.

Tuan Mohamed is the chief executiveofficer of a reputable finance company in SriLanka and is a currently pursuing an MBAwith AeU.

From the many MBA programmesoffered in Sri Lanka, the AeU MBAprogramme was my first choice. AeU aimsto focus on Asian businesses in a globalcontext.

I find the curriculum that incorporates

eastern and western perspectives witha special attention to Asian businessperspectives highly relevant to my goal ofbecoming a knowledgeable and competentAsian business leader, says TuanMohamed.

He adds that the learning experiencecauses minimal disruption to his family andprofessional commitments.

There is also a healthy mix of academicand experiential learning. Some of themultidisciplinary modules are verycomprehensive and enlightening such asthe macroeconomics topic that is taught bya professor who has more than 30 years ofexperience in the Asian region.

The interactions between the studentsand professors bring out different culturalperspectives and create innovative

solutions. The focus on emerging marketsis also valuable in the current economicscenario, says Tuan Mohamed.

With students from more than 30countries and a diverse academic teamwith in-depth industry experience, TuanMohamed believes that students can expectan intellectual, stimulating and insightfulexperience in the MBA programme.

He adds that the AeU MBA has elevatedhim both professionally and personallyand it has enabled him to broaden his

knowledge in all aspects of the corporatesector.

The subjects offered are extremelyeffective and useful in developing myknowledge and ability in leading othersin my organisation. The AeU MBA hassurpassed my expectations and lifted myconfidence in managing a company moreeffectively. It has also given me an edge

over others in the same industry, TuanMohamed adds.One of the best moments I have

experienced is the online interactions withdiverse classmates from all over the world.This helped in my networking with peoplefrom a multitude of cultural backgroundsand credentials.

Working with them in different teamsand across various projects has enhancedmy capability of cooperating or leading adiverse group, he says.

Tuan Mohamed Anif Sallay is an MBA student atAsia e University.

here is a need to increase the number of students studying science, technology,ngineering, medicine and mathematics subjects.


5/12

StarSpecial 5uesday 18 November 2014


6/12

MBA Previews,Join Nottingham's MBAStudy at a global top-rankedbusiness school in Malaysia*

Come along to find out more04 November 2014 , 10 December 2014

and 7 January 2015

7-8.30pm

Kuala Lumpur Teaching Centre, 2nd Floor, Chulan Tower,3 Jalan Conlay, 50450 Kuala Lumpurt: +603 8924 8283e: [email protected]: www.nottingham.edu.my/business

KPT/JPT/DFT/US/B19

Global top 100 MBA business school*

Global top 100 university**

February 2015 intake full-time and part-time

programmes:

MBAKPT/JPS(F3-K079)6/14 MBA Corporate Social Responsibility KPT/JPS/(F3-K081)6/14 MBA EntrepreneurshipKPT/JPS(F3-K082)6/14 MBA FinanceKPT/JPS(N301)3/15

* The Economist's 2014 Top 100 MBA Ranking.* QS World University Rankings by Subject 2013/14 for Accounting & Finance, Economics & Econometrics, and Statistics & Operational Research.** QS World University Rankings 2014/15.


ByPROF DATUK

WIRA DRMOHAMEDMUSTAFAISHAK

VC COLUMN

The age of cross-cultural communicationT

HE current trend ofglobalisation dictates thatworking with the globalised

ommunity is no more anption, but a necessity. Hence,ollaboration is the key to successn the future.

Being a campus that hostslmost 3,000 internationaltudents from 50 countries,

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)provides an excellent atmospherewith a strong internationalflavour in which students live andnteract.

The presence of internationaltudents in almost every class at

UUM is a phenomenon that hasbeen growing since 2010.

This has provided immensepportunities for students to

nteract in a cross-cultural setting,both in the formal learning

nvironment of the classroom,s well as in the more informalampus environment of theiro-curricular and sports activities.

International diversity is notnly reflected in the student

demographics but also in that ofhe teaching staff.

With more than 120 full-timenternational faculty membersnd visiting professors from0 countries, similar dynamicsre also at play among faculty

members.Currently, our academics are

ctively involved in numerousollaborative academic

undertakings at the internationallevel.

Our international partners

have increased from around40 universities in 2010 to morethan 60 institutions this year.UUMs membership in a numberof international networks hasfostered wider networking withmore than 200 universitiesworldwide.

International academiccooperation has been centredon running short-term studentand staff exchange programmes,hosting joint conferences, andundertaking collaborativeresearch ventures.

The student exchangeprogramme has been gainingpopularity in recent years with asignificant increase in the numberof students participating in it.This year saw the participationof 300 students in total. Apartfrom the benefits derived fromthe programme in terms ofthe knowledge and experiencegained, an important advantagefor the students who participatein the programme is that theyare granted credit transfer for asemester.

Apart from the regular short-term programmes (rangingfrom two weeks to six months)for students and staff with ourinternational partners, UUMrecently launched collaborationsin the development and

implementation of short-term executive developmentprogrammes or professionaldevelopment programmes.

For example, through a jointeffort with the Kellogg School ofManagement, UUM will offer anexecutive training programme.Training involving the firstmodule will be conducted at UUMwhile the second module will behosted by the Kellogg School ofManagement.

With regard to staff exchange,cooperation among universitiesin Asean member countries,particularly among those inIndonesia and Thailand, is anon-going effort. The hosting ofjoint conferences, in particular, ismainly organised at the faculty ordepartment level.

In terms of researchcollaboration, UUM is currentlyinvolved in a number of researchactivities with internationalpartner universities. Among thesources of the external fundingrecently obtained by UUM facultymembers include the CanterburyChrist Church University (UK),the Islamic Research and Training

Institute (Saudi Arabia), IEEE JapanCouncil Women In Engineering,the Institute For Global

Environmental Strategies, and theUnion Bank Bhavan (India).Sustained relationships

and engagement among theacademics of partner universitiesis a practical mechanism forgreater collaboration. Withthis in view, we are working ondoubling efforts towards greatersustainability of collaborativelinkages.

We are also aware that withinternationalisation comescultural challenges, which isthe reason we ensure that ourstudents and staff are well-prepared and trained for cross-cultural communication.

For instance, during theregistration week, newinternational students are givenexposure to Malaysian andinternational culture, both withinand without the campus.

Follow-up programmesare organised regularly by theStudent Affairs Department, incollaboration with the Centrefor International Affairs andCooperation (CIAC).

The InternationalStudents Society also plays acomplementary role. The CIACactively engages with studentleaders from the internationalcommunities on campus toensure an open and free flow of

communication with regard totheir concerns and expectations.

A high expectation of the

facilities, mainly in relation to ITand accommodation, is among theother major concerns raised by thestudents. Over the past few years,UUM has improved its facilitiesto meet the expectations of thestudents.

Some of the concerns of theinternational students also overlapwith that of our local studentssuch as the demand for higherbandwidth speed.

As a university that strives to doits best for its campus community,I am pleased to say that UUM hasinitiated a process to upgrade ourInternet speed to 2.5Gbps, whichwill make it the highest speed inthe country.

Our efforts at improving ouroverall internationalisationagenda and meeting the needsof the globalised communityat UUM is to ensure that wesustain a vigorous, harmonious,and contented microcosm of theworld on campus, with which ourstudents and staff can interactand by which they can be inspiredto continually have a globaloutlook in preparation for a moredemanding and globalised future.

nProf Datuk Wira Dr MohamedMustafa Ishak is thevice-chancellor ofUniversiti Utara Malaysia.


7/12


Collaboration and innovationTHE University of Malaya (UM)is always looking to innovate.True to its motto of being a

eader in research and innovation,UMs Dual PhD programmes just an example of how the

university takes higher educationnnovations to the next level.

UM has seen five candidatesraduate in the last two yearsn partnership with University

f Sydney, a member of theprestigious Group of eightuniversities in Australia andiverpool John Moores UniversityLJMU), an up-and-coming

university in the UK.The collaboration benefits both

UM and the partner universitiesn many ways. Among them ishe shared IP as well as joint

publications.

In the long term, thecollaboration hopes to expandto other areas as well as otherresearchers. The collaboration

does not stop when the candidateobtains his PhD.The candidates and supervisors

from both institutions act as aconduit for collaborative projectsbeyond the duration of theprogramme.

Currently, UM has establishedthis programme with 12 partneruniversities from all over theworld:

Each of the collaborationis unique as it is tailor-madeaccording to the requirements ofeach institution and researcher.With this programme, candidateswill spend half the time overseasand the other half in UM.

The supervisors too have theopportunity to conduct researchvisits to each others university.

To date, 17 candidates havebenefited from this programme.Currently there are 12 activecandidates who are pursuing theDual PhD studies in the variouspartner universities.

The following are what some ofthe candidates have to say:

lDr Sharifah FatmadianaWan Muhammad Hatta

I have learnt that time

management and effective projectplanning are crucial. I had tomanage my time well and fullyutilise the different researchfacilities made available at eachuniversity and to be critical inconstructing the rationale ininterlinking the different scopes ofstudy carried out at the differentuniversities.

It is my personal conclusionthat a dual PhD study providesgreater challenges compared toa regular PhD. I am grateful thatI was given the opportunity totake on this challenge and theexperience I gained was definitelyworth it.

lLeong Chin NengMy PhD study focuses on

modelling of the left ventricle in

hoping to solve clinical questionsregarding left ventricularinfarction using computationalmodels.

With the opportunity ofthe Dual PhD programmeoffered by UM in collaborationwith University of New SouthWales, Im benefiting from bothinstitutions. I can further mystudies with the complementaryapproaches to research questions,techniques, equipment andresources available at bothuniversities.

lNurhafiza ZainalMy Dual PhD study is to

investigate the potential roleof autoimmunity in dengue.Understanding the associationbetween autoimmunity anddengue will help to shed lightin explaining pathogenesis ofdengue, especially the severe formof the disease.

Dengue is a critical threatto society due to the lack ofapproved vaccine and specifictreatments available. One of theoutcomes of my study includesthe development of auto-antibodybiomarker that could be used forvery early detection of dengue orsevere dengue development inindividuals.

The discovery of the biomarkerpanel will result in significantreductions of mortality in dengueby targeting treatment to thosewho are likely to respond badly.

Dual PhD programme candidates Dr Che Hang Seng (third from left) and Dr LimChee Shen (fourth from left) at their convocation last year. With them are (from left)Prof Datin Dr Norhanom Abdul Wahab, dean of the Institute of Graduate Studies;Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon, former vice-chancellor of UM; and Jeffery Soong, formerLiverpool John Moore Universitys regional director (South-East Asia).

PARTNER UNIVERSITIES FIELD OF RESEARCH

University of Sydney, Australia

University of Tehran, Iran Engineering

Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran Engineering

University of Paris-Sud, France Chemistry

University of Liverpool, United Kingdom Medicine

University of Antwerp, Belgium Linguistics

University of New South Wales, Australia Engineering

University of Nottingham,United Kingdom

Biomedical imaging

Rehabilitation medicine,sports science

Ecole Polytechnique in Palaiseau, France Chemistry

The National Polytechnique de Toulouse,France

Chemical engineering

National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Medical microbiology

Liverpool John Moores University(LJMU), United Kingdom

Engineering, sports science


8/12

POST GRADUATE STUDIES :

GRADUATE SCHOOL OFMANAGEMENT (GSM) :

. Master inBusiness Administration

(MBA)KPT/ JPS (KA3614) 11/14

Through innovativeteaching approaches,MSUpreparesyou

tobe future leaders

Specialization in :

. Finance

. Islamic Banking and Finance

. Global Marketing

. Project Management

we are an MSCstatus universityABEST 21

. Rated twice as an Excellent University by Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia.

. The 1st non Japanese University to be accredited by ABEST 21, Japan.

. Accredited by Accreditation Services for International Colleges (ASIC), UK.

Like us on : Follow us on :

.: www.msu.edu.my .:university of choice

5A TIEREXCELLENTSTATUSUNIVERSITY

msum a n a g e m en t & science university

A wide ranging industry relevant programme with local and

international recognitions will enhance your career possibilities.

Simply a great learning experience at MSU - your University of

Choice.

Graduate School of Management (GSM),Management & Science University,Level 4, Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur, 50470 Kuala Lumpur

(sms code : INFOMSU)sms code name emailsend to019-341 9152 / 016-356 8251 / 012-249 6551

SUBMIT YOUR DETAILS TO :www.msu.edu.myor please contact :03-2273 6410email : [email protected]*


Premier MBA on offerI

N these challenging economic times,earning a prestigious Master of BusinessAdministration (MBA) is one of the

best tools an aspiring manager can haveo advance career prospects. Sunway

Universitys Dual Award MBA retainsts premier status due to its unique 3Geaching frameworks global recognition,lobal faculty and global networking.

These frameworks ensure the MBA,delivered by Sunway University inollaboration with the top ranked Lancaster

University Management School, meetworld-class standards. It focuses onransforming high achievers into strategiceaders with the confidence, skills and

practical expertise to work effectively withthers and to lead change at all levels oflobal industrial sectors.

The convenient two-year, part-timemodular format allows students to maintainheir jobs while studying. MBA students areble to relate their learning into the work

place and improve their career prospects.Sunway University is a renowned

provider of business education in Malaysiand was awarded the SETARA 5 (Excellent)

The state-of-the-art Graduate

Centre at Sunway Universityprovides an atmosphere that isconducive to MBA learning.

Staying ahead of the packTHE only constant is change and suchis the nature of the global businessclimate. While different regions andnations hold similarities in terms of thebusiness environment, an ever-expandinginternational community points to the needfor masters graduates to be equipped withskill sets that enable them to embrace and

adapt to changing practices and situations.A Master in Business Administrationis meant to prepare you to undertake aleadership position in an ever-changingglobal business environment, says Prof IainDensten (pic), director of MBA Internationalat the School of Business at MonashUniversity Malaysia.

The MBA in Monash was established inAustralia for more than 40 years. My roleas director is to take this well-established,internationally recognised MBA and forgeit in Malaysia for locals as well as studentsfrom around this region.

Monash Universitys MBA is accreditedby the Association of MBA. Thisinternational authority focuses primarilyon MBAs throughout the world andindicates that the MBA has met their well-established, international high standards.

Such accreditation makes this MBAone out of only a handful of the 65 locally-available MBA programmes in Malaysiato have such quality recognition andalso provides another quality assurancemechanism, in terms of enabling Monashto benchmark it against other leadinginternational MBA programmes throughoutthe world.

Prof Densten says that another keyaspect of the Monash University MBA isthe diversity it offers within the classroom.He believes that a high-quality MBAprogramme that distinguishes itself fromothers is one that can provide studentsthe richness of different experiences fromdifferent industries.

The MBA was originally developed fornon-business graduates who needed toknow the aspects of management. So ourtarget market is not just business people, itsalso people outside the business industry,says Prof Densten.

He says the Malaysian mix of studentswill be younger and more diverse than theirAustralian counterparts, thus reinforcingthe depths of experiences students willstand to enjoy.

Prof Densten, whose research hasfocused on leadership and managerialexpertise, has taught for more than 20years in leading international researchuniversities in the United Kingdomand Australia, where he has held threeprofessorships.

He adds that the study of effectiveleadership is so closely related to the abilityto embrace and move with changes of theday.

Change is never going to slow down,in fact its always moving ahead.

The Monash MBA in Malaysiaprogramme commences in January.

nFor more information, visitwww.buseco.monash.edu.my/mba

rating by the Ministry of Education.Lancaster University is ranked in the top 1%of universities globally. The Lancaster MBAprogrammes are accredited and globallyrecognised by the Association to AdvanceCollegiate Schools of Business, EuropeanQuality Improvement System and theAssociation of MBAs.

The design and delivery of thisprogramme involves a faculty of amongthe best management consultants,educators and research scholars in theworld. Prof Mark Shackleton, associatedean of postgraduate studies at LancasterUniversity and Dr David Mackay, visitinglecturer at the Centre for StrategicManagement of Lancaster University, aretwo of many distinguished lecturers whobring a world-class learning experience toSunway.

There will be an MBA preview session onDec 13 at 12.30pm at the Sunway UniversityGraduate Centre.

nFor more information,call 03-7491 8701 or visitwww.sunway.edu.my/university/MBA


9/12


he Strathclyde MBA is designed for ambitious, talented and well-qualifiedndividuals.

WITH a presence inMalaysia since 1988,University of Strathclyde

Business School has a long andtable track record of runningts global executive MBA inhe country with about 1,200raduates.

The programme is run byCDC Management DevelopmentM) Sdn Bhd, its dedicatedocal partner since 1999.

The programme also has an

nternational network of branchentres in Oman, Bahrain, the

United Arab Emirates, Greece,witzerland, Hong Kong andingapore.

The school will welcome2 new graduates in a granderemony that will be heldt Eastin Hotel, Petaling Jayaomorrow.

Helyn Gould, vice-deancademic and global academic

director of Strathclyde Businesschool from Glasgow, Dr Marie-

Aime Tourres, resident South-East Asia academic director

nd Soon Thiam Lam, chiefxecutive officer of CDC, arexpected to grace the ceremony

with their presence. Nineraduates from the Malaysianentre will be awarded with

distinctions.Among the few business

chools in the world toeceive accreditation fromhe Association of MBAs,he Association to Advance

Collegiate Schools of Businessnd the European Qualitymprovement System,

University of StrathclydeBusiness School (SBS) is ranked

3rd by the Financial Times 2014lobal MBA ranking from 87thast year.

The Strathclyde MBA isparticularly favoured by

managers and the industry forts corporate strategy strengths.t ranks 4th by the Financial

Times 2014on this selectedategory, just behind Harvard

Business School, StanfordGraduate School of Business andUniversity of Michigan Ross.

The MBA strategyomponent helps the

participants to reflect and learno be adaptive to internal and

external ambiguity, complexityand uncertainty around us.With a strong emphasis oncollaborative learning, theStrathclyde MBA nurtures andaims to develop open thinkingand critical approaches tomanagement decisions viascenario planning, strategyanalysis and evaluation, andstrategic consulting.

Equipped with thesehigh-demand strategy skills,

Strathclyde MBA graduatesare ready to join the globalmanagerial workforce withconfidence, to contribute toMalaysias continuous economicand financial developmentand influence their respectivecompanies.

The Strathclyde MBA is a180-credit programme that isoffered on a part-time basiswith two intakes per yearin April and October. Mostclasses are conducted duringthe weekends at CDC in PhileoDamansara.

The programme is designedfor ambitious, talented andwell-qualified individuals with

solid business experience.Currently, there are about250 students enrolled in theprogramme.

In most cases, the flexibilityof the Strathclyde MBAprogramme allows executivesto study while maintainingtheir duties at work.

An increasing number ofnon-Malaysians have joined theStrathclyde MBA programmewhile being posted in thecountry. This years intakehas more than nine differentnationalities.

Graduation is also thecommencement of a post-studylife in establishing oneself in

the working world, in climbingthe management ladder andcontributing to make the worlda better place.

CDC and University ofStrathclyde Business Schoolwish its MBA 2014 graduatessuccess.

nLook out for theadvertisement in thisStarSpecial.

A globalworkforce


10/12


Quest for knowledgeTO reach out to different countriesand cultures for education can bea challenging task. However, Open

University Malaysia (OUM) has taken uphis challenge and has reached out to

more than 10 countries. The universityffers academic, consultancy and capacity-

building programmes that cater mainly toworking adults, professionals and industry

mployees.OUM began its affiliation with the

University of Science and Technology inYemen in 2005. This was followed with anffiliation with the Arab Open University in

Bahrain. OUM now works with institutionsf higher learning in Somalia, Hungary,

Bahrain, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Ghana,Zambia, China, Laos and Indonesia.

These institutions offer a wide rangef programmes ranging from bachelorso PhDs in business administration,nformation technology and management.

There have also been instances wherecademicians have come from far and nearo learn of the culture of open and distanceearning at OUM.

Spurred by our motto - University forll - we seek to bring higher education andontinuing professional development to

different categories of learners, including

including rural and urban areas and fromvarious socio-economic backgrounds.Our target base is wide as we believe thatcrossing borders would prove educationaleven for us.

The event saw key officials fromembassies, high commissions andconsulates come together. The purposeof the event was for OUM to express itsappreciation for the support extended by itsforeign partners over the years.

We are honoured with your presencetoday and hope that through yourcontinuous support, OUM will experiencefurther growth in your countries, saidAnuwar.

OUM vice president Prof Dr MansorFadzil provided statistics from OUMspartners across the world. Currently, thereare more than 6,000 students studyingacross all the international institutions.

Villa College in the Maldives is themost active member with more than2,500 students currently studying OUMsprogrammes. Maldivian deputy highcommissioner Mohamed Fahmy Hassansaid he was impressed with his fellow

citizens back home and how they werehandling OUMs programmes.

Students at OUM need to only attend a

(From left, seated) Stanley Arua, second secretary, Papua New Guinea; Dayangku Hajah JabaidahPengiran Haji Sulaiman, attache (Education & Cultural) Brunei Darussalam; Mohamed Fahmy Hassan,deputy high commissioner, Republic of Maldives; Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Anuwar Ali; Olivia K. Gablah, firstsecretary/head chancery, Republic of Ghana; and Dhananjoy Kumar Das, first secretary (commercial),Republic of Bangladesh with other attendees at the event.

civil servants, white-collar and blue-collaremployees, entrepreneurs, housewives,retirees and those with special needs,said Tan Sri Anuwar Ali president/vice-chancellor of OUM during an evening ofnetworking and internationalising withforeign delegates that was held recently.

They come from all over Malaysia,

few hours per class per semester thanks tothe universitys blended learning approach.This aspect had also allowed OUM to assistthe Malaysian government in ensuringthat in-service teachers possess at least a

bachelors degree.OUMs programmes are designed insuch a way that classes are conducted onlytwice a month on weekends. This has beenmade possible through the deploymentof ICT, which has not only facilitatedprogramme delivery but also improved staffproductivity, said Anuwar.

It is not just about empoweringindividuals with knowledge anymore. Ona larger scale, it is about helping countriesbecome more competitive in the globalknowledge economy by educating theirworkforce.

Malaysia has the resources, manpowerand the technology. Why not use it to helpthe development of other countries?

OUMs most sought-after course isits MBA programme. Many local andinternational students have taken up thecourse over the years. Stanley Arua, secondsecretary of the Papua New Guinea highcommission, who was looking to set up anopen university with a similar approach tolearning, was present to learn from OUMand possibly create ties with the university.

The MSU-MBA trains students to becomesuccessful leaders and think like entrepreneurs.

Meeting current needsTHE Management & Science University(MSU) is one of the best teaching andlearning universities in Malaysia. As auniversity of choice, MSUs focus is inthe critical areas of medicine, pharmacy,health and life sciences, nursing, business,management, accounting, hospitality,information sciences and engineering.

The MSU-MBA offers studentsexperiential learning in cross-cultural

communications, the opportunity to build aglobal network and the possibility to createfuture international career opportunities.

In addition, students will have theopportunity to develop managementskills and techniques, to obtain strategicorientation and implement the formulatedstrategies. The MSU-MBA helpsstudent to develop skills in leadership,entrepreneurship, strategic management

and decision-making. The programme alsotrains them to become successful leadersand think like entrepreneurs.

The MSU-MBA aims to build on thefoundation of work experience and byproviding new skills and knowledge,enables students to make the transition tohigher levels in the corporate world.

The MSU-MBA provides sufficientknowledge to students to understand the

various facets of an organisation enablingthem to formulate successful strategies.It also instils a sense of confidence in thestudents.

Active learning exercises act as a basis forverbal analysis and discussion, allowing fora rich learning environment by integratingreal-world scenarios into the classroomenvironment. This broadens the studentsunderstanding of issues as they are requiredto think beyond the text material.

The Graduate School of Management atMSU, which offers the MBA programme,has established collaborative educationallinks with a number of top overseasuniversities, including those in the UnitedKingdom, United States, Australia, NewZealand, South Korea, Japan, Germany,Russia and China.

The Global Mobility Programme is ameans to provide international exposureto postgraduate students. Through thisprogramme, students will have theopportunity to develop an awareness andappreciation of other cultures, politicaland economic environments and learn thevarious approaches of doing business.

nFor more information, call 03-2273 6410,e-mail [email protected] or visitwww.msu.edu.my

OUMs international affiliates are: Villa College, Maldives Accra Institute of Technology, Ghana Eszterhazy Karoly College, Hungary Graduate School of Management,

Sri Lanka IDM Group of Companies, Sri Lanka Ho Chi Minh City University of

Technology, Vietnam Mogadishu University, Somalia Simad University, Somalia

NIEC School of Management Trust,Zambia


11/12

StarSpecial, Tuesday 18 November 2014 POSTGRADUATE 11

Dr Muhammad Nazir at hisonvocation ceremony.

Experiential learningFOR working professionalswho are contemplating amove into a management

position or consultants lookingo add to their credentials,eturning to school to obtain an

MBA qualification could be thenswer.

According to a studyby Accountemps, a globalemporary staffing service

or accounting and financeprofessionals, 80% of executivesaid that a graduate degree in

business is still important toeach senior management ranks

within most companies.There is also growing

vidence that having an MBAnot only gives professionalsmore leverage in dictatingnew job titles and salaries but

lso gives them leverage inchieving a better work-life

balance.While many traditional MBA

programmes consist of a setf unlinked single-disciplinelasses, Taylors recognises thathe job of an executive involves

making decisions across a rangef functions and experiential

earning through networkingwith top minds in the business

rena.Taylors MBA modules are

designed together with topndustry leaders.

The learning experience

provides a dynamic interactionbetween curriculum taughtby highly qualified academicexperts and leading business

practitioners with input frominstitutions such as IBM, BankNegara Malaysia and theMinistry of Finance.

The case studies used in theclassrooms are related to theexperience of these companiesin the areas identified.

This makes the learningexperience unique as it allowsstudents to work on actualcases presented by the industrypartners.

These real-life cases willallow students to learn how toapply a number of techniquesto their work. This is beneficialfor students as they learn fromexperience.

All students are requiredto have two years of workingexperience to contribute tothe critical analysis of the casestudies.

Students also have anopportunity to participatein Taylors Business Circlegatherings where industry

Using toys to teachDR MUHAMMAD Nazir Amir, aPhD graduate from the Nationalnstitute of Education (NIE),ecently received the Presidents

Award for Teachers 2014 for

using creative and innovativemethods to teach science anddesign.

The Greenview Secondarychool, Singapore teacher of 11

years inspires and captivateshis students in the normalechnical (NT) stream by usingcientific toys to teach science.

What led you to pursue aPhD in NIE? In what disciplinedid you receive your PhD?

I teach science and designnd technology (D&T) totudents who are placed in the

NT stream at the Greenviewecondary School, Singapore.

These students are often

viewed as those who are lessnclined academically becausehey have not done well inheir Primary School Leaving

Examinations.When I first started teaching,

noticed that several steppedhrough experiments in science

did not necessarily motivatemy NT students intrinsically,despite offering them a hands-

n approach in learning.A number of these

xperiments also provided littlepportunity for my NT studentso put their imaginative and

inventive skills to good use.This is when I initiated

my PhD research study withNIE to explore and developinstructional approaches

that will work well for my NTstudents in the teaching andlearning of science and D&T. Ieventually received my PhD inScience Education (Design &Technology Education).

What can you say aboutyour course for the doctoralprogramme at NIE?

I had an enriching learningjourney going through thedoctoral programme in NIE.Completing my PhD researchstudies has allowed me torealise how I can be a goodteacher by doing classroomresearch.

Can you give an example ofteaching science with toys andhow this instils confidenceand self-esteem in yourstudents?

One way I present sciencecontent and foster inventivenessamong my NT students is bygetting them engaged in design-based science activities suchas designing and fabricatingscience-based toys.

An example of a design-based science activity thatI have developed is the toystory-telling project, which hasconsciously been developedto be value-driven and is usedas a Community Involvement

Project for my secondary twoNT students.

The project requires thestudents to design and producescience-based toys that have towork on physics principles andare suitable to be used as story-telling aids for younger childrenwho are less fortunate.

nAdapted from ExquisiteMagazine, November 2014 issue.

and corporate leaders share theirthoughts and experiences with thestudents in a collaborative manner.

This session is designed toallow face-to-face interaction and

exchange of ideas between guestspeakers who are top industryplayers in various disciplines andthe students.

In addition, there will be study

trips to renowned business schoolsoverseas for cultural exchanges andnetworking sessions.

Next year, Taylors is embarking

on a Taylors Oxford entrepreneurialleadership programme at MansfieldCollege in the University of Oxford.

The Taylors MBA is conductedby the Taylors Business School, oneof the largest and most reputablebusiness schools in private highereducation in Malaysia.

The Taylors MBA is offered on afull-time basis for a duration of oneyear or on a part-time basis for aminimum duration of two years anda maximum duration of five years.Financial aid of up to 50% on tuitionfees is also available.

nFor more information,call 03-5629 5000, [email protected] or logon to www.taylors.edu.my/mba

Unlike other MBA programmes, the Taylors MBA provides students with industry-driven experience and experiential learning.


12/12

Tuesday 18 November 20142 StarSpecial

postgraduate - 18 november 2014

Documents