Extra courses a boon for UCSI

New Straits Times
03-05-2004
Extra courses a boon for UCSI
Edition: 2*

WHAT makes Malaysia different from other developing countries is the education system it has and the enthusiasm of the people in the industry in providing quality educations.

What makes University College Sedaya International (UCSI) different from others is the "extra" courses available at the university - music is one of them.
"We offer a course according to industries requirement and music is just one of them," said president and vice-chancellor Datuk Peter T.S Ng.

"Not many higher learning institutions in the country offer a degree in music like we do."

If we can market the product and technology of our entertainment industry internationally, demand for professionals in the sector will increase...we are not only talking about musicians but other jobs within the industry," he said.

Apart from music, another course which is in high demand is pharmacy, logistic management and biotechnology.

At UCSI, the bachelor of science in pharmacy is awarded by University Sains Malaysia (USM) and Curtin University of Australia. There are only 130 seats available for both USM (100) and Curtin University (30) bachelor of science in pharmacy.

The limited seats for the pharmacy programme is due to the size of the laboratory at UCSI.

As for the logistic management and biotechnology which includes food technology, Ng said the seats are limited too.

To make UCSI students marketable, all of them will soon be required to attend at least a two-month practical training in companies, according to their field of studies.

"The programme will start this year," Ng said, adding that UCSI has already have tie-up with major manufacturing and information technology- based (IT) companies in the country.

UCSI also offer courses namely electrical and electronics, english, mass communication, psychology, business administration, business information systems, computing, engineering, applied science and management, making it one of the local private higher learning institutions in Malaysia that offers almost all courses.

On top of that, the university also offers a pre-university studies and A-Level programmes.

With a motto "UCSI take on the world", the university college has made it presence felt in New Zealand with the establishment of Sedaya Lifeway International College (SLIC).

SLIC is a joint-venture between UCSI and Lifeway Ministries Trust of New Zealand. Located near the Snells Beach and a one hour drive from Auckland,the campus consists of some 25 buildings set in a park like environment.

Among courses offered here include certificate, diploma and bachelor in business administration, and diploma and bachelor in business information systems.

It also offer certificate in television and production, and diploma in three-D animation.

To further complete its mission, the university college has also made it presence felt in Bangladesh by setting-up Perdana College of Malaysia. It also have representative office in Beijing, China.

It has collaborations with major universities from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Canada and America. It also have franchises in Indonesia, Pakistan, Mauritius, Singapore, Oman and Maldives.

To complement its tertiary education section, UCSI has set-up primary and secondary school known as Sri Sedaya, located in Subang Jayam Selangor. The classrooms are equipped with internet-access capabilities and students are taugt in an environment of self- access independent learning that will prepare them fully for the university-level.

Meanwhile, UCSI was established in 1986 by Ng. It was then known as the Canadian Institute of Computer Science and it campus was located in Petaling Jaya. In 1990, the name was changed to Sedaya College.

After 17 years of establishment, USCI will soon be moving to its very own campus in Taman Connaught Cheras, less than 10 minutes drive from its current location in Taman Segar, Cheras.

Located on a 14 acres land, it will consists of classooms, laboratories, library, student affairs office and residential hall which can accomodate about 300 students among others.

Ng said the new campus will help realise UCSI's aim of having 10,000 students by 2007.

"The intake has increased by 20 per cent since we obtained the university college status," he noted. UCSI currently has 3,500 students and of the total 800 are foreign students from 40 countries.

(Copyright 2004)