Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/news/2020/March/24/02/02.html

Prof Dr Chong Kok Keong elected as ASM Fellow 2019



Prof Chong

Prof Dr Chong Kok Keong from UTAR Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science was elected as the ASM Fellow 2019 by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM). Held at the 2019 Conferment of Fellowship of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, the event took place on 13 December 2019.

In attendance to present the honours was Deputy Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC) YB Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis. Prof Chong was conferred the title of ASM Fellow, in recognition of his contribution to the field of concentrating solar power and dense-array concentrator photovoltaic system.

“This honour shows the collective efforts of my research team and the administrative support received from UTAR’s top management. I would like to dedicate this success to my research team, namely Dr Jessie Siaw Fei Lu, Dr Wong Chee Woon, Dr Yew Tiong Keat, Dr Tan Ming Hui and Dr Tan Woei Chong. For the nomination and various administrative support, I would also like to express my gratitude and appreciation to Ir Academician Emeritus Prof Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik (my first nominator), Ir Prof Dr Ewe Hong Tat (my second nominator), Prof Dr Faidz bin Abd Rahman, Ir Prof Dr Goi Bok Min, Assoc Prof Dr Yong Thian Khok, Assoc Prof Ts Dr Yap Wun She and other supporting staff,” said Prof Chong.

Prof Chong is a pioneer in connecting the non-imaging optics with solar energy materials. He has strong representation by making significant world scientific impact in the field of concentrating solar power and dense-array concentrator photovoltaic system, which is a unique expertise in our country. As a scholar, he has performed exceptionally well in academic publications. He also has a special talent in the practical implementation of solar power technologies to benefit mankind via efficient and cost-effective inventions. Under his leadership, his team has produced various creative and innovative research outputs including cost-effective sun-tracking mechanisms, optical geometries capable of harnessing concentrated sunlight, novel solar cell materials and new computational method for concentrating solar power system.

ASM honours the contribution of Malaysian research scientists to the nation’s economic growth via generation and dissemination of knowledge, wealth and productive pursuit of scientific excellence for the benefit of humanity. Hence, the election of new Fellows is crucial to ensure the sustainability of ASM. ASM taps the expertise, knowledge, wisdom and network of its Fellows to provide Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) inputs to the government and stakeholders.

Only 50 individuals are appointed from among the country’s eminent scientists, engineers and technologists as Foundation Fellows. Their expertise is harnessed for policy inputs, tapping of international support and collaborations, enriching excellence and engagement activities of ASM.


Prof Chong (back row, second from right) with YB Isnaraissah Munirah (front row, fourth from right) and other ASM Fellows


From left: Prof Chong with UTAR President Prof Ewe

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/April/09/01.html

Third runner-up in Huawei ICT Competition Malaysia 2019-2020


From left: Dr Madhavan, Looi, Chooi and Leong; and Liu Bibo from Huawei Technologies at the awards presentation ceremony

A team of three students from UTAR Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) was ranked the third runner-up in the Huawei ICT Competition Malaysia 2019-2020 held on 5 March 2020 at Kuala Lumpur.

The team, comprised of Software Engineering students Chooi Kar Jian and Benjamin Leong E-Jenn; and Computer Networking student Looi Zhi Hao walked away with an AEON voucher worth RM500 and a Honor Magic Watch 2 each.

The Huawei ICT Competition is a recognised platform for students to demonstrate and showcase their skills and abilities in the area of information and communications technology. As part of the Huawei ICT Academy initiative, the competition aimed to address the skills gap between the requirements of the industry by partnering with local universities to nurture and produce well-rounded individuals who will be industry-ready, especially in this age of digitalisation. The various categories in the competition were designed to challenge students' ability to apply cutting-edge technologies, such as big data and AI in real-world situations.

The students were first required to attend the Huawei Certified ICT Associate (HCIA) training conducted by certified HCIA trainers at UTAR. The training was headed by LKC FES Head of Programme for MEng (Electronic Systems) and MEng (Electrical) Dr Shee Yu Gang and Head of Department for Internet Engineering and Computer Science Ts Dr Madhavan Balan Nair at Sungai Long Campus while in Kampar the training was headed by Faculty of Information and Communication Technology lecturer Dr Aun Yichiet.

Approximately 70 students participated in this training and went for the entrance online exam. The top three students with the highest score were shortlisted for the competition. The three students shortlisted were, Chooi, Leong and Looi. The selected students were further required to sit for at least 10 hours of online course through the Huawei ICT programme to be eligible for a free voucher worth USD200, which was used to sit for the HCIA Routing and Switching professional exam. This carried extra points for the competition.

One of the participants, Chooi enthused, “I joined the Huawei ICT Competition to discover new useful knowledge and gain experiences for future use. I also joined the competition because there were extravagant prizes for the winners and I wanted to make my CV look more promising.”

Another winner Leong said, “In hopes of applying my knowledge in the field of networking and gaining more valuable experiences, I participated in this competition. By participating in this competition, I was also able to contribute back to the University.”

Last but not least, Looi added, “The competition served as a platform for me to expose myself to international competitions and know my real potential, in hope to further strengthen my skills.”

The team’s mentor, Dr Madhavan said, “At LKC FES, we have always encouraged our students to participate in international competitions. The Huawei ICT Competition opened a doorway for students to challenge their ability and bring the best out of them. In this competition, students were given many opportunities and goodies that they could not refuse. Good opportunities are rare, but when it comes, we should grab hold of it or someone else will take it.”

A total of seven teams from public and private universities in Malaysia participated in this competition. The participating universities were Taylor’s University, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) and UTAR.

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/April/03/01.html

UTAR LKC FES receives research grant from ASEAN IVO

UTAR Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) lecturer Ir Dr Tham Mau Luen's research project, titled “Context-Aware Disaster Mitigation using Mobile Edge Computing and Wireless Mesh Network” was selected for ICT Virtual Organization of ASEAN Institutes and NICT (ASEAN IVO) in 2020.

ASEAN IVO is a global alliance of ICT R&D institutes and universities in the ASEAN region and Japan. The mission of ASEAN IVO is to seek and identify strategic ICT research areas in the ASEAN region and promote collaborative projects with them.

A total of USD80,000 was awarded for the entire research project. The funding will be allocated yearly, with USD40,000 for the first year and another USD40,000 for the following year. The amount is subject to change based on National Institute of Information and Communications Technology’s (NICT) fiscal year budget situation and the duration of the grant awarded will take effect from April 2020 to March 2022.

Among the other co-researchers of this research project are UTAR LKC FES lecturers, namely Assoc Prof Ir Dr Chang Yoong Choon, Assoc Prof Ts Dr Ezra Morris Abraham Gnanamuthu, and Dr Lee Ying Loong.

Besides UTAR, the other participatory members of this research project are NICT, Japan; BHN Association (NGO)/Japanese Telemedicine and Telecare Association (JTTA), Japan; MIMOS, Malaysia; Geographical Information System, University of Computer Studies, Yangon, Myanmar; and Faculty of Science and Technology, Pathumwan Institute of Technology, Thailand.

When asked about what inspired him to conduct this research, Dr Tham explained, “The research proposal is a response to one of the themes proposed in the ASEAN-IVO 2020’s - ‘ICT for Environment Protection and Disaster Prevention’. This research project aims to develop a context-aware disaster mitigation system (CAMS) that utilises mobile edge computing (MEC) and wireless mesh network powered by NerveNet. Armed with MEC, each node executes AI detection tasks locally and such critical information is stored in the distributed database of NerveNet. Meanwhile, by using wireless mesh networking, data can be disseminated to the emergency response unit (ERU) for rescue planning.”

He added, “Natural and man-made disasters occur frequently around the world. Internet of Things (IoT) sensors can detect such cataclysmic events. In existing IoT framework, data is transmitted to the remote cloud via wired connection for further analysis. Several issues remain to be addressed, including massive deployment effort, unavailability of vicinity communication infrastructure, data transfer over limited bandwidth and high latency in communication networks.”

Dr Tham enthused, “One of the main criteria to obtain the grant is the members of the proposed research project must be from at least two institutions and two countries of the ASEAN region. In addition to that, ASEAN IVO also focuses on research projects that provide real-world R&D solutions in the field of ICT and the research impacts must be broad and huge.”


Dr Tham at ASEAN IVO 2017 meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/March/30/01/01.html

Tong Hui Min wins second place in Emerald Malaysia National Online Quiz 2019

International Business student Tong Hui Min from UTAR Faculty of Accountancy and Management (FAM) won second place at "Emerald Malaysia National Online Quiz 2019". The quiz was held from 8 November 2019 to 8 December 2019 at the official website of Emerald Group Publishing.

The "Emerald Malaysia National Online Quiz 2019" was organised by Emerald Group Publishing, a global publisher founded in 1967 to advocate novel ideas that would advance the research and practice of business and management, health and social care, education, as well as engineering. Today, Emerald Group Publishing manages a portfolio of over 300 journals, 2,500 books and over 1,500 teaching cases. The quiz aimed to increase the exposure of Emerald Publishing to students and personnel in relevant institutions, as well as to encourage the use of Emerald Publishing database which offers a wide variety of journals and articles.

The quiz consisted of eight questions and the answers to the questions were stored in the Emerald Insight database found in the library of the contestants’ respective institutions. There were a total of 10 prizes for the quiz. The winners were drawn randomly from contestants who answered all questions correctly.

Tong received a Samsung Galaxy A30 smartphone for winning the second place. Tong managed to answer all questions correctly, hence got the chance to enter the lucky draw and win the second spot.

Tong said, “I wasn't aware of the quiz at first, but after I saw the prize for the first place, which was a Nintendo Switch, I decided to give it a try. Most of the questions required general knowledge with a little bit of geographical knowledge as well.” Tong also said that she took about five to seven minutes to answer the questions. Tong also advised, “Try to gain more knowledge about the world and always keep an eye out for UTAR portal, you may stumble upon another similar quiz in the future like me.”


Tong (right) receiving her prize from Library Senior Assistant Library Manager Suraya binti Mohd Yusof

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/news/2020/April/24/01/01.html



The Gains (and Pains) of e-Learning for UTAR Lecturers

Today we “commemorate” our fifth week of staying home amidst MCO since 18 March. This unprecedented pandemic has certainly made waves all over the world, impacting our work, family life and daily routine, transforming the way we communicate, teach and reach out to our students – all from a distance, from home.

The day before 18 March 2020, I bid farewell to my fellow colleagues, “Do take care in the coming two weeks, soon we will meet again.” But not as soon as we all wished, or anticipated. It went on for two weeks, another two weeks, another two weeks, and another. Will there be more?

We are lecturers, with many or some students under our charge. Professionally, we pride ourselves with the power of knowledge and our (self-proclaimed) lifelong learning skills. So in no time, we scrambled to self-learn some new skills every now and then, or when in desperation we harassed our tech-savvy colleagues with phone calls and WhatsApp to bail us out from technical difficulties, so that our students can complete this trimester with minimal interruption.

The steep learning curve began. We set up remote classes, pre-record our online lecture, insert voice-overs to our existing lecture materials. We learn how to announce Microsoft Teams meeting ID, link, code and password to students before the online classes. We now multitask on our computer, talking and looking out to check the chat boxes to see whether students are asking questions and whether we should attend to the question now, or later. Video conferencing tool (VCT) is our most timely “teacher” prompting us to learn about technological devices with instant learning outcomes – the once unknown practices and unfamiliar 21st century skillsets suddenly become our new reality since we started using VCT in our WFH routine.

Yes, before the MCO, admittedly we were all caught somewhat unprepared for this online venture. We were not used to doing a monologue without having students physically interacting with us. We were not used to talking to our own device or staring at our own image in the computer when delivering our lecture. Despite mastering some online tricks to conduct virtual classes, we felt we were no longer in control in some or most situations. We have lost the “personal touch” with our students – their attentiveness, their group activities and even their distractions (smartphone, non-stop talking, doing own work) in a traditional classroom. We cannot reach out to students in time with our advice, care or personal charisma; nor can we exert any form of influence or control from afar.

As a matter of fact, in the first place we did not even plan to have online classes either “synchronously” (live, at real time) or “asynchronously” (offline, delayed mode). This online teaching is a “quick, ad hoc, low-fidelity mitigation strategy” (Grajek’s viewpoint, quoted in Craig, 2020) for WFH lecturers as a temporary solution to comply with the government’s requirement for social distancing and of course, for our own safety and wellbeing.

Reflecting on the online learning episodes, the burden falls first on lecturers to create and deliver the online materials, lessons, and activities as planned. Lecturers have never been busier. As preparation before class, lecturers plan and design the appropriate interactive activities, prepare the PowerPoint materials and preferably do a recording or voice-over of lectures to be uploaded in the Web-Based Learning Environment (WBLE).

Prior to the online class, lecturers must first set up a meeting ID for students to join. Attendance is taken “creatively” via chat function and participation in quiz. We might recap what was taught last week, get updates on any pending coursework progress; engage students via quizzes, YouTube video, TedTalk, online chat and sharing of useful links, resources and materials. After class, for students who did not attend the class synchronously, we endeavour to upload the recording of the entire online lecture or to contact the students one-by-one via email to know the students’ whereabouts and wellbeing.

Keeping students connected and stay focused during home-based learning using digital tools is never an easy task for the lecture. Remote classes require more attention and engagement as students may get their “device” to attend classes, and not their mind and body. So another challenge for us is to know how students are responding to our ongoing lecture, especially when they choose to stay silent and do not unmute their microphone to talk to us remotely.

Lecturers are getting used to own monologue without any response from students, be it verbal or non-verbal. Hence, in a remote lecture, we are happy to notice how the usually “quiet” students can be responsive via the chat function, e.g. texting questions, responding to a poll and giving feedback. The texting mode seems attractive to students who prefer not to be vocal in class, hence it allows us to connect with students via messages and responses that can be conducive for their learning. The quality of submitted work is still encouraging despite remote learning, which proves that learning outcomes can be achieved if our students remain engaged and interested in the topics we bring virtually.

As we uphold the principles of student engagement and teacher empowerment, our future instructional design shall focus on conducive constructive alignment consisting of course learning outcome(s), learning activities and assessments. We shall plan to conduct future lessons with stimulated interactive class discussion, guiding them towards completion of group or individual assignment to demonstrate intended course learning outcomes.

We have gone through a steep learning curve that is stressful for everyone – lecturers, students, the supporting staff, the faculty and the University at large. The incidents are preparing us for future virtual classes that are well-designed, durable and self-paced towards a more personalised and flexible education. The good news is, we are one step closer to conducting Massive Open Online Learning (MOOC) targeted at learners from all over the world, all walks of life and instructional design considerations are primarily for the convenience of students, instructors, and institutions, without compromising the learning outcomes.

Some hypothetical questions for us to ponder. If the MCO prolongs, are the current learning outcomes still attainable in a remote setting? Are we more resilient towards the uncertainties and changes by now? Are we truly comfortable with the use of digital devices and platforms? Are we more prepared for intensive e-learning online classroom, willingly or reluctantly? Reflecting on the way we are coping with the technological changes, have we truly empowered ourselves with technologies, or idled by them, i.e. without which we cannot teach?

Virtual classroom and remote learning are now a new reality for educators. Looking forward, e-learning is very timely and beneficial to students to develop their digital credentials, to prepare them for future normalcy, i.e. the remote work life and less structured workplace experience that requires better task management and time management skills. As we are now traveling a path less frequented and venturing into an unknown future world, let’s not forget our leadership role to support others emotionally and spiritually, by showcasing our resilience and patience to our loved ones – physically and remotely.

By: Dr Ngeow Yeok Meng
Deputy Head, the Curriculum Development and Innovation (CCDI)

Source:
Craig, R. (2020). What students are doing is remote learning, not online learning. There is a difference. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-04-02-wha...-s-a-difference

This post has been edited by cnvery: May 2 2020, 07:12 PM

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/news/2020/April/27/01/01.html

COVID-19 outbreak: Sharing experience from Leishenshan Hospital



Approximately 50 TCM experts attended the conference

The Chinese Medicine Task Force of Malaysia (COVID-19), which was initiated by UTAR Head of Department of Chinese Medicine-cum-Chairperson of Centre for Research in Traditional Chinese Medicine Assoc Prof Dr Te Kian Keong and his team, collaborated with Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine of Dalian Medical University to organise “China-Malaysia International Conference on COVID-19: Prevention and Treatment of Integrative Medicine” on 19 April 2020.

The international conference aimed to summarise the experience of COVID-19 prevention in different countries and regions, to explain the superiority of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in aiding the treatment of COVID-19, and to further strengthen cooperation and exchanges. The three-hour conference was conducted via Tencent Meeting. It was jointly chaired by Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine Deputy Dean Prof Zhang Guixin and Education Association between Malaysia and China President Jiang Zhongqi. It involved the participation of approximately 50 TCM experts from China as well as members of the task force.

During the conference, Vice President of the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University Prof Shang Dong, who is also the Deputy Dean of Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital shared his working experience at Leishenshan Hospital. He provided a detailed explanation on the characteristics, clinical manifestations and pathogenesis of Coronavirus infection, as well as treatments for patients from mild to severe cases and many more relevant information and research findings. He also explained the development of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine. Finally, he hoped that more collaboration and exchanges can be done to tackle this major health threat.

Moreover, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Malaysia Alumni Association (BUCMMAA) President Dr Teo Chiah Shean and Dr Te, respectively, explained the current situation of the pandemic and western medicine treatment for COVID-19, as well as the role and the progress made by the Chinese Medicine Task Force of Malaysia (COVID-19) in the fight against the pandemic.


Prof Shang sharing his frontline experience at Leishenshan Hospital while fighting the pandemic


From the top right: Dr Te, Dr Teo, Prof Shang and Jiang during the conference

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/news/2020/April/28/01/01.html

Senior medical experts share experiences of applying TCM to fight against COVID-19


The conference saw the participation of TCM practitioners, association and institutions
(Photo source: Consular Office of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Malaysia)

A virtual conference titled “China-Malaysia TCM join hands to fight against COVID-19” (中马中医共同抗击新冠肺炎) was conducted via ZOOM on 22 April 2020.

The two-hour conference involved a sharing session from members of the Anti-COVID-19 Medical Consultant Expect Team from China to Malaysia, as well as a discussion session with local traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners, association and institutions. It aimed to share TCM knowledge on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 from China, as well as sharing TCM prescriptions and answering related questions raised by the participants.

The conference was chaired by Chinese Medicine Task Force of Malaysia (COVID-19) Initiator Assoc Prof Dr Te Kian Keong and presented by the members of Anti-COVID-19 Medical Consultant Expect Team which included Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Vice President Dr Li Jun, Guandong Provincial People’s Hospital Infection Department Chief Physician Dr Luo Xiaodan, and Senior Psychologist Dr Liu Xiangxin.


From left: Dr Li, Dr Luo and Dr Liu during the conference

Speaking at the session, Dr Li who is also Head of Anti-COVID-19 Medical Consultant Expect Team shared China's experiences in applying TCM to fight against COVID-19, including the prevention and the complementary treatment for the novel coronavirus. He also introduced non-pharmacological treatments such as acupuncture, scraping and acupressure, and presented a video explaining how to perform Baduanjin (八段锦) exercises for patients to enhance their immunity and promote recovery.


A video on Baduanjin was presented at the conference
(Photo source: Consular Office of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Malaysia)

Dr Luo, on the other hand, shared the issues of hygiene and health care of patients during the observation period at home after their recovery, while Dr Liu explained the mental health issues that may occur among infected patients and their families. Dr Liu also suggested ways to handle the issues.


Liu giving her speech at the virtual conference

Also invited to give a speech at the conference was Consular Counsellor of Embassy of China to Malaysia Liu Dongyuan. In her speech, Liu shared the development of TCM in Malaysia and expressed her fervent hope for a fruitful discussion that could benefit all the participants of the conference.

The Anti-COVID-19 Medical Consultant Expect Team is made of eight members. It was formed by China's National Health Commission and selected by the health commission of Guangdong Province. They arrived in Malaysia on 18 April 2020 for the purpose to share China's experiences in fighting against the pandemic. As for Chinese Medicine Task Force of Malaysia (COVID-19), it was initiated by Dr Te who is UTAR’s Head of Department of Chinese Medicine and Chairperson of Centre for Research in Traditional Chinese Medicine and his team on 22 March 2020. The task force has organised a series of objective-driven activities to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/news/2020/April/29/02/02.html

Managing mental health through online talks

With the aim to improve the mental wellness of students and staff during Movement Control Order (MCO), UTAR Department of Student Affairs (DSA) of Kampar Campus organised online talk series titled “Let’s Talk with Counsellor” from 13 to 28 April 2020 via Microsoft Teams.

The online talks aimed to provide informal consultations as well as a discussion platform for UTAR students and staff. The talk series attracted more than 120 participants in total. It covered a total of 12 talks, focusing on different topics. The topics include emotional intelligence, self-care, social well-being, mental health during MCO and daily strategies to boost mind. Six talks were delivered in English while the others were conducted in Chinese.

The talk series was conducted by registered counsellors from DSA Kampar Campus. Among the talks presented were “MCO期间，你是自由，自律还是自责呢?” and “适应力: 未来的工作与生活型态” by Chong Chee Wai; “Boosting Your Emotional Intelligence during COVID-19 Pandemic” and “是你选择了忧郁” by “Angus Ng Foo Yek”; “Rediscovering Self-Care in Light of MCO” and “The Day After Tomorrow: What Lies Ahead for Us” by Leong Pyh Shin; “Improve Your Mental Health During MCO” and “大学生的谈情说爱: 心动就要在一起吗？” by Chloe Ng Kai Yean; “做自己的主人” and “病毒无情, 人间有爱” by Ng Jo Anne; “MCO: A Chance to Reevaluate Life Priorities” by Karen Ong Sweet Ling, and “Daily Strategies to Boost Your Mind” by Gursheena Kaur.

DSA Kampar Manager Ng Foo Yek explained, “As the COVID-19 infection spreads, many individuals are likely to suffer depression or anxiety due to the movement restriction order. Moreover, some may also experience fear and stress due to the infection of COVID-19 virus. The movement restriction makes it impossible to conduct a face-to-face counselling session. Therefore, the DSA counselling team made use of the digital platform instead.”

He added, “The talk series kick-started on 6 April 2020. However, it was not provided with any specific topic for the first week. From 13 April 2020 onward we implemented a new way by giving a different topic every day to attract a diverse group of audience. We believe it is a critical moment for all of us during the MCO period. We hope through these talks we can provide support and enhance the mental health, EQ and self-care of UTAR students and staff during this difficult period.”

Moreover, the online counselling session has helped the students to interact with each other during MCO. Ch'ng Yee Kheim, a Year Three student from Faculty of Arts and Social Science said, "As an extrovert person, I have always craved for interaction. Hence, the MCO was a difficult period for me. Having these counselling sessions were indeed great. I feel different after every session; the counsellors provided warmth and companionship to us. I also learnt some skills to take care of myself during MCO. The one-hour sharing was indeed more than enough to brighten my day."


Choe Kai Yean explaining the four stages of relationship that every couple goes through


Participants were encouraged to vote for their opinions

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/June/01/01/01.html

Alibaba GET Global Challenge top 40 teams for semi-final



From left: Goh, Kum and Ng selling Kleenso products at their booth

A team, namely Muze Kyo Trading from Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) was shortlisted as one of the top 40 teams to compete in the semi-final round of Alibaba GET Global Challenge (Malaysia) 2020. The team members consisted of Bachelor of Science (Hons) Actuarial Science students Ng Jing Hong, Kum Mei Yu and Goh Kai Ni.

The Alibaba GET Global Challenge is an international youth digital solution competition that is organised by Alibaba GET Channel Partner – ITS Management Sdn Bhd and hosted by Global eCommerce Talent (GET) Network of Alibaba Group.

With more than 10 countries participating, the competition aimed to encourage young entrepreneurs to exhibit their creativeness and talents in developing unique digital solutions for businesses, individuals, and institutions affected by the pandemic. It is also hoped that the competition will inspire more young entrepreneurs to get involved and create an influential impact for the entire communities of Malaysia and even globally.

For Muze Kyo Trading, the team’s impactful project for the competition advocated for the usage of biodegradable and eco-friendly products in consumers’ daily lives to preserve nature. The team collaborated with Kleenso Resources Sdn Bhd to help them sell their products and expand their brand exposure and customer base.

“We decided to collaborate with Kleenso because there is a high demand for household cleaning products, and we are optimistic about the functionality of their products. Not to mention, it is also a local brand that manufactures, markets and distributes biodegradable household detergents, D.I.Y Pest Repellent Products, and Biodegradable Disposable Ware. The company also promotes no harmful chemical, use safe ingredients, preservation and non-poison to produce and preserve our product quality. Most Kleenso products are highly biodegradable and environmentally friendly,” explained team leader Ng.

The team also met Kleenso founder Lee Teck Meng, at a pitching session. It provided them with the opportunity to interact with the founder and to better understand the business idea of the company. Having able to set up a booth at UTAR Sungai Long Campus to sell Kleenso products to the public also enabled them to identify further on their business concepts, targeted customer base, products, and financing details.

“I believe the significant root is our business idea that has greater prospects since we are promoting multifunctional and environmentally friendly products. All people prefer doing more in lesser time, especially for household chores. Thus, multipurpose products are on the trend now. As environmental awareness among people gets higher, conscientious and environmentally friendly products and brands thrive into the sight of people. We believe that our idea has the potential to succeed in the future. Thus, this is why I think our group can be shortlisted,” enthused Ng. The team also thanked UTAR and their mentors, namely Head of Master of Information Systems programme Dr Wong Whee Yen, Ts Dr Yong Yoke Leng, and Beh Hooi Ching.

Apart from Muze Kyo Trading, other teams, namely CATRY and Jeunesse from Faculty of Creative Industries, and i-Farm and MEDIC from Faculty of Accountancy and Management were also shortlisted as the top 40 teams competing in the semi-final round.

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/June/04/01/01.html

LKC FES alumna won Best Engineering Student Award 2019


The award won by Tay

UTAR Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Material and Manufacturing Engineering alumna Tay Yu Jun beamed with joy when she won an award at the IEEE Electronics Packaging Society (EPS) Malaysia Chapter. Tay walked away with the Best Engineering Student Award (BESA) for 2019 Undergraduate Winners. Her award-winning final year project was titled “Thermomigration in Sn-Ag-Cu-Pt Solder Joints”.

Tay received RM3,000; a part of it was used to sign up for IEEE main and IEEE EPS membership and to purchase a book valued at approximately RM300 by IEEE EPS Malaysia Chapter. The book will be donated to the UTAR library under her name and IEEE EPS Malaysia Chapter.

Tay expressed her gratitude to the IEEE Electronics Packaging Society (EPS) Malaysia Chapter for the BESA 2019 award. She also expressed her appreciation to her FYP supervisor Ts Dr Wong Mee Chu for providing guidance in participating in the competition. Tay also shared her winning tips to her juniors, “A good presentation of work, be it a poster or video, is very important. At the beginning of your presentation, you have to find a way to make the topic simpler and interesting. This is to avoid boring your audience while at the same time attracting their attention. Gradually add more details and in-depth explanation along the way and lastly, come up with a strong conclusion, leaving the audience feeling enlightened.”

Her research was mainly on the thermomigration ™ phenomenon in Sn-Ag-Cu-Pt (SAC-Pt) solder joints. The reliability of solder joints is often compromised due to thermomigration caused by large thermal gradient generated from high current density and joule heating across the interconnection. In the research, a patented (Malaysia & International patents) SAC-Pt alloy was used to compare against the commercial SAC solder to study the microstructural evolution behaviour under TM stressing for up to 600 hours. Signs of TM were pronounced in unreinforced SAC solder joints throughout 600 hours of TM stressing due to the high growth rate of the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer on the cold side and progressive decrease of IMC layer thickness on the hot side. This observation is noticeably subdued in SAC-Pt samples due to the formation of (Cu, Pt) 6Sn5 compound on the IMC layer which slows down the interfacial diffusion process.



Microstructure of Unreinforced SAC305 Solder Joints at the hot and cold side at 600h of TM Stressing



Microstructure of SAC305 – 0.20Pt Solder Joint at the Hot and Cold Side at 600h of TM Stressing

IEEE EPS Malaysia Chapter regularly presents the “Best Engineering Student Award (BESA)” to final year undergraduates and the year 2019 was the third year of its rollout to reward and encourage technical excellence among the next generation of engineers in Malaysia. The competition also aimed to support the growth of the smart manufacturing industry, enhance the level of technical skills at vocational college and improve the quality of education and teaching of intelligent building-related professionals.

The competition was open to full-time and part-time undergraduates who were studying in areas broadly related to electrical and electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science and engineering, applied physics and chemistry, and other related disciplines. Also, their final year project has to cover topics of electronic packaging. Three finalists selected for the said award submitted their final year projects to IEEE EPS Secretariat for the selection of BESA 2019 winner.

The IEEE Electronics Packaging Society (EPS) (https://eps.ieee.org) is positioned as the leading international forum for scientists and engineers engaged in the research, design and development of revolutionary advances in microsystems packaging and manufacturing. Its objectives are scientific, literary, and educational in character. The Society strives for the advancement of the theory and practice of electrical and electronics engineering and of the allied arts and sciences. The EPS Society promotes close cooperation and exchange of technical information among its members and others through technical conferences and workshops, peer-reviewed publications, and collaboration with other organisations.

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/June/03/01/01.html

UTAR duo emerged as Malaysia champion of Schneider Go Green 2020

UTAR Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) and Faculty of Accountancy and Management (FAM) students emerged as Malaysia’s Champion in the Schneider Electric Go Green: A Global Student Competition held at Petaling Jaya on 4 March 2020.

Organised by Schneider Electric to lead the digital transformation of energy management and automation, the competition aimed to look out for bold ideas that can shape the future of Schneider Electric’s industry and its company.

Mentored by Chemical Engineering lecturer Ts Dr Shuit Siew Hoong, the UTAR team was comprised of LKC FES final year Chemical Engineering student Chai Yi Jun and FAM final year Global Economics student Chin Yee Xin. Throughout the competition, the duo proved their spirit in an oral presentation which saw them demonstrating their maturity and understanding of their proposal, further impressing the judges with their precision in answering the judges’ questions in the subsequent session.

Chai and Chin grinned ear to ear when they were announced as the champion. “This is actually our first time participating in this competition. I’m very grateful to my teammate for a great job done,” said Chai who hails from Pahang. On the other note, Chin extended her appreciation to advisor Dr Shuit for the guidance and opportunity for such enriching exposure.

The competition was divided into four categories, namely Sustainability and Access to Energy, Buildings of the Future, Plants of the Future, and Grids of the Future. The students were required to prepare a proposal related to the category they took part in. The UTAR’s duo joined the category of Sustainability and Access to Energy with the team’s name as “Amazingly, it works”.

The proposal title for the competition was “Fonergy, Solution to Your Food Waste Energy”. The idea of team “Amazingly, it works” was about the utilisation of food waste to generate energy in the form of electricity and fertiliser that could eventually have great contribution to the society and the environment.

In the proposal, they raised the issue of serious global food waste which was about 1.3 billion tonnes annually. These food wastes can be served as the food source for the microorganism to undergo anaerobic digestion in microbial fuel cell to generate electricity. The leftover sludge can be further processed into organic fertilisers. The idea proposed by team “Amazingly, it works” realised the concept of “waste to wealth”.

This earned them a ticket to the Asian Pacific Final on 16 April 2020.

The duo walked away with a trophy and a certificate of participation each. The students also had the chance to have lunch with the top management of the company and also a job interview at Schneider Electric.


Proud winners, Chai (sixth from right) and Chin (fifth from left) posing with their trophy

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/June/11/01/01.html

LKC FES receives NFIS grant from the British Council



UTAR Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) Centre for Power Systems and Electricity Chairperson Ir Prof Dr Lim Yun Seng was granted The Newton Fund Impact Scheme (NFIS) for his research project titled “Development of IoT controlled virtual energy storage for maximum demand reductions under intermittency of photovoltaic systems”. The NFIS was granted by the British Council.

A total of £137,000 was awarded for the entire research project with the grant duration of a minimum of 12 months to a maximum of 18 months. The co-researchers of the research project were UTAR LKC FES lecturer Ir Dr Wong Jianhui and Faculty of Business and Finance lecturer Prof Dr Eng Yoke Kee. They were led by Prof Lim.




The research is titled “Development of IoT controlled virtual energy storage for maximum demand reductions under intermittency of photovoltaic systems”

Delivered by the British Council in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on behalf of all Newton Fund delivery partners, the NFIS provides funding for current and previously funded Newton Fund grantees to maximise the impact of Newton Fund activities. It is designed to be flexible and responsive to in-country needs and intended to empower applicants to bring in relevant private and third sector partners, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), technology transfer offices, and other not-for-profit organisations.

The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with 17 partner countries to support their economic development and social welfare, and to develop their research and innovation capacity for long term sustainable growth. It has a total UK Government investment of £735million up until 2021, with matching resources from partner countries. The Newton Fund is managed by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and delivered through seven UK delivery partners, which includes UK Research and Innovation, the UK Academies, the British Council and the Met Office. For further information visit the Newton Fund website (www.newtonfund.ac.uk) and follow via Twitter: @NewtonFund. Tackling global challenges, accessing affordable health care, food and energy security, and meeting the social and economic needs of a growing population require an integrated research and innovative approach, bringing together communities from different disciplines, sectors and countries in high-quality collaborations.

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/June/24/01/01.html

LKC FES Tan Jun-Yan won special prize at 3rd Tan Sri Ir Yusoff Best Engineering Final Year Project 2019


Second row, most right: Tan Jun-Yan with judges and other award-winning recipients

The former student of UTAR Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) Tan Jun-Yan won the Special Prize at the 3rd Tan Sri Ir Yusoff Best Engineering Final Year Project 2019 competition.

The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Mechanical Engineering student walked away with a cheque worth RM400 and a certificate of achievement. His award-winning project was titled “Study of the Combined Effect of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Phase Change Material (PCM) in Solar Desalination”. Tan is currently pursuing Masters of (Mechanical) Engineering at UTAR.

His research was mainly on solar still, a device that performs solar desalination of water. This device needs an upgrade to improve water security in water-scarce areas. CSP in the form of a Fresnel lens, as well as paraffin wax (a type of PCM), is one of the most popular ways to improve solar still performance. The project aimed to identify the changes in desalination performance when CSP and PCM are incorporated into the setup.

Four sets of experiments were done to evaluate the individual and combined effects of CSP and PCM. In the experiments, solar flux readings and temperatures of water and glass were taken periodically. The distilled water produced at the end of the experiment was then compared with the amount of solar energy received to evaluate the performance of a particular setup.

The results clearly showed that desalination performance is at the maximum when both CSP and PCM are used together with the solar still, provided that the PCM was fully immersed and in contact with the saline water. When PCM was not fully immersed, the presence of PCM had a negative influence on desalination performance.

However, fully immersing the PCM requires a large volume of water, which is detrimental to performance. Therefore, it is advisable to optimise the encapsulation of PCM materials to allow better performance in the future. In conclusion, the combination of CSP and PCM has a positive impact on desalination performance in a solar still.


Tan’s award-wining FYP was titled “Study of the combined effect of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Phase Change Material (PCM) in solar desalination”

The Tan Sri Ir Yusoff Best Engineering Final Year Project Award was initiated by the IEM Education Fund and was jointly organised by the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). The “Tan Sri Ir Yusoff Best Engineering Final Year Project” award is presented to final year undergraduates by IEM and IET regularly and the year 2019 was the third year of its rollout to encourage engineering undergraduates to produce better quality Final Year Project.

The competition was open to all universities with accredited engineering programmes. It saw the submission of 45 projects from different universities and faculties such as faculties of Computing, Electronic Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Mechatronic, Materials & Manufacturing, Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering and Biomedical and Chemical Engineering.

The projects were evaluated based on the aim, research objective, research questions, knowledge gap and major findings of their research. All the submitted projects were evaluated by two independent reviewers in Round One and 10 shortlisted finalists were invited to the Round Two presentation. The judges involved in Round Two presentation were Assoc Prof Dr Amran Ayob and Ir Dr Wang Hong Kok representing IEM as well as Assoc Prof Dr Lai Weng Kin and Indiran Nadarajan representing IET.

Tan also expressed his gratitude to his final year project supervisor Dr Rubina Bahar from the Department of Mechanical and Material Engineering for providing guidance and support in participating in the competition and also UTAR for providing the resources required for the project.


Second row: Tan Jun-Yan (eighth) and his FYP supervisor Dr Rubina Bahar (thirteenth) with award-winning recipients, supervisors and judges
Front row, from left: Dr Amran Ayob, Dr Wang, Dr Lai and Indiran


Certificate of achievement by Tan

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/July/17/01/01.html

Chairman of UTAR International Advisory Council receives the Distinguished 2020 Tang Prize in Sinology




On 20 June 2020, it was announced by the Tang Foundation that Professor Emeritus Dato’ Wang Gungwu, a renowned historian, won the highly distinguished 2020 Tang Prize in Sinology. This was in recognition of his pioneering and trailblazing work on China World Order, Chinese overseas and the Chinese migratory experience.

The Tang Foundation noted that Prof Wang, who is a graduate from the School of Oriental and African Studies at University of London, is an expert in the interpretation of how China views the world. In a statement released by the Tang Foundation, Prof Wang was lauded for his unique approach in understanding China by scrutinising its long and complex relationship with its southern neighbours.

It also mentioned that his work had modern implications, in which it showed that it is an “integration of a variety of histories, including the history of Chinese overseas, of China’s relation with the outside world, of South-East Asia, and of commerce and maritime history.”

Born in Surabaya in 1930, Prof Wang grew up and received education in Malaya (now Malaysia), and later pursued advanced studies in London where he graduated with a PhD degree from the University of London in 1957. His subsequent academic appointments brought him to Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia and the United States. He was president of the University of Hong Kong from 1986 to 1995, a visiting fellow at Oxford's All Souls College, a Rockefeller visiting fellow at the University of London and a recipient of the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1991. Currently, he is a university professor at the National University of Singapore. Prof Wang is also currently the Chairman of the UTAR International Advisory Council, a post he has held for many years. He has been giving insightful advice and suggestions for the further development of the University. In addition, he has also actively participated in various Universities activities.

In July 2010, at the International Conference on Malaysia-China Relations organized by UTAR and Xiamen University, Prof Wang was the first keynote speaker at the conference. Then in August 2013, Prof Wang chaired the first two keynote lectures at the 8th International Society for the Studies of Chinese Overseas (ISSCO) Conference hosted by the UTAR Institute of Chinese Studies.

At UTAR’s 18th Convocation ceremony held at UTAR Kampar Campus in March 2014, Prof Wang was the Guest of Honour for Session One of the convocation. He gave invaluable advice and shared his experiences in his speech to the graduates. These are some of his main academic contributions and involvement with the University, among many others.

UTAR is indeed proud of Prof Wang’s accomplishments and congratulates Prof Wang on winning the prestigious 2020 Tang Prize in Sinology.



About Tang Prize

Established by Taiwanese entrepreneur Dr Samuel Yin, the biannual Tang Prize consists of four categories, namely Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology and Rule of Law. It aims to promote the interaction and cooperation between cultural and technological research so as to find a 21st century path to the sustainable development of the world. For more information, please visit the prize's official website at https://www.tang-prize.org/en/first.php

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/July/20/01/01.html / https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2020/07...s-teach/1886266 / https://varnam.my/news/2020/26036/malaysian...aching-contest/ / https://www.therakyatpost.com/2020/07/21/th...aching-contest/

UTAR lecturer wins first prize in international teaching contest



UTAR lecturer Dr Sharon Jacqueline Albert Wilson from the Faculty of Creative Industries won the first place in the International Communication Division (ICD) Teaching Contest 2020. Initiated in the year 2016, the ICD teaching contest aimed to promote teaching excellence and recognise innovative and effective approaches to teaching international communication.

Dr Sharon was the first winner in Malaysia and also the first winner from outside North America to win the award. Besides featuring her winning submission on the ICD website and social media, she will also be recognised at this year’s ICD Business Meeting during the 2020 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Annual Conference in San Franscisco.

The title of her winning entry was “Cross cultural teaching and learning on virtual platforms: A case study for continuous collaborative learning”. It was a collaborative, cross-cultural course held for students enrolled in UTAR and University of Delaware United States (UDEL). The course, conducted via videoconference, was facilitated by Dr Sharon and Prof Dr Patricia Sloane-White respectively.

The course was structured to engage the two groups of students in a shared cultural exploration concerning contemporary culture and social values. The course provided an opportunity for the students to examine the nature and meanings of each culture’s consumer and popular culture; discuss everyday issues affecting their community and lives and share ideas and trends about global cultural influences and the role and persistence and transformation of culture, beliefs, ethics, tradition, and identity in both settings.

Dr Sharon said, “I joined the contest, not thinking that I would win, let alone win the first place. I just wanted to share my project idea with everyone because this was something extremely meaningful and exciting for the students and also for Patricia and me as academics.”

“Students taught each other about their lives, values and experiences. They also explored and exchanged cultures as they grew up in two very different lifestyles and landscapes. Even though the semester has ended and many of the students have graduated, they are still connected by Whatsapp and continue to have meaningful conversations about the world that they live in and the effect of events on them. This goes beyond traditional classroom education to continuous engagement, interaction, and holistic learning,” she added.

The first place was won by Dr Sharon, followed by Dr Rachel Mourão from the Michigan State University, USA in the second place and Lamia Zia (PhD student) from Texas Tech University in the third place. Each submission was evaluated by three reviewers based on the following criteria: Innovation; contribution to international communication; connection with learning objectives; impact and learning outcomes. The winners were calculated based on the final scores of the review outcome.

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/July/21/01/01.html

UTAR academic receives ICRA grant from EASTS Japan

UTAR academic-cum-researcher Assoc Prof Ir Dr Khoo Hooi Ling from Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) was selected to be the recipient of the International Cooperative Research Activity (ICRA) Grant.

The grant, worth JP¥1,000,000, was allocated for two years (2020-2022) for the research topic titled “Shared Space Design and Modeling: Case Studies in Asian Cities”. It was funded by the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS-Japan) c/o Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute.

In the year 2018, Dr Khoo established an international research group on “Shared Space Design and Modeling”. The research group was led by Dr Khoo with two other members, namely Dr Raymond Ong Ghim Ping from the National University of Singapore and Dr Hsu Yu-Ting from the National Taiwan University. All of them shared the same research interest in road design for non-motorized road users.

Dr Khoo said, “Shared space is an area or zone that has no traditional traffic management systems such as traffic light, road marking or shared spaces, thereby forcing vehicles, alternate transport modes and/or pedestrians to share the same road or sidewalk space. Although the concept is not new, its implementation has faced various issues and challenges.”

Dr Khoo’s research mainly aims to identify issues and challenges in shared space implementation; understand the design principles for shared space; review successful case studies on shared space design implementation; model drivers’/commuters’/cyclists’ behaviours with roadway facilities and understand the impact of shared space.

“Researchers have to be sensitive to the recent issues and challenges in their research discipline and must be able to venture into some new concepts for future development. In addition, working together with peers who share the same research interest will make the research life more interesting. No one is expected to work in a silo,” Dr Khoo advised.

EASTS (Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies) is an umbrella organisation for science transportation societies in Eastern Asia. It was founded in November 1994, following the meeting with transport experts from 13 economies/regions. The society has members from 19 economies/regions such as Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Cambodia, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Philippines, China, Taiwan, and others which are majorly from the Asia Pacific region. The society now has about 1,800 members. The primary objective of EASTS is to foster and support excellence in transportation research and practice as well as to stimulate professional exchange in all aspects and modes of transportation.



Assoc Prof Ir Dr Khoo Hooi Ling

This post has been edited by cnvery: Jul 22 2020, 07:07 PM

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/Aug/03/01/01.html


Architecture student wins Miss Grand Selangor 2020



K Lishalliny

Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) Architecture student K. Lishalliny won the Miss Grand Selangor 2020. She was crowned at the coronation night which was held at MATIC Mini Auditorium Hall on 25 July 2020. Aside from the Miss Grand Selangor 2020 title, Lishalliny also won the subsidiary title of Miss Body Beautiful.

Lishalliny said, “Pageant has always been my passion and dream. I was bullied back then for being chubby, however, that made me even stronger to fight for my passion. I had been a runner-up several times before winning the Miss Grand Selangor.” She expressed her joy when her name was announced as the winner, “When the camera flashes started flickering, that’s when I realised that I had really won and I put on the biggest smile. I feel so honoured and thankful to be chosen as Miss Grand Selangor 2020.”

As Lishalliny speaks about her advocacy in stopping period poverty, she said, “It's really jaw-dropping to hear that youngsters routinely missed school because they couldn't afford sanitary pads. Period poverty is a global problem that affects the health, education and productivity of young girls and women. There are many reasons for this stigma but both girls and boys need to end this poverty.”

Lishalliny believes that beauty comes from within. She said, “Through this beauty pageant, I’ve learnt to discover my hidden talents and be more confident about myself. I also practised a healthy lifestyle and self-discipline which impacted me physically and mentally in a healthier way. It also helped me to think wisely in areas concerning my life as well as my studies.”

“In five years from now, I would want to see myself settled with my passion until the internationals and also create a strong path for my career in architecture,” said Lishalliny.

Lishalliny’s next step would be advancing to the National Level which is Miss Grand Malaysia 2020.

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/Aug/04/01/01.html

FAM lecturer appointed as research advisor for IKM


IKM Centre for Research and Consulting Director Dr Yusman bin Yaacob (second from left) and Dr Cham (second from right) with IKM staff during SPSS Data Analysis Workshop

Faculty of Accountancy and Management (FAM) Head of Programme for (PhD and MPhil) Dr Cham Tat Huei has been appointed as a research advisor for Institut Koperasi Malaysia (IKM). Dr Cham will be involved as an advisor for the research projects by IKM and conduct research training for IKM staff.

Part of the collaboration will include Dr Cham as an advisor for the research projects at IKM whereby he will be giving inputs on the planning and execution of research projects, determining strategic and operational challenges faced by research members of IKM as well as coaching and developing members of the research team at IKM.

Following his duties at IKM, Dr Cham has recently conducted a workshop on SPSS Data Analysis (Intermediate Level) which saw the participation of more than 60 participants. The workshop took place on 29 June 2020 at IKM, Selangor. It was also hosted through Google Meet platform for IKM members to join from other zones in Malaysia.

At the workshop, participants were exposed to the introduction of research methodology, basic statistics using SPSS, explored data analysis, parametric and non-parametric tests, factor analysis, mediating and moderating.



Dr Cham conducting his workshop

Source: https://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2020/Aug/04/02/02.html

UTAR wins prizes at Taylor & Francis Online Quiz 2020

With the recent Covid-19 pandemic plaguing the world, fake news has become much more prevalent; with people spreading false information about the virus, giving others a flawed perspective towards it. Thus, Taylor and Francis Asia Pacific organised the Taylor & Francis ‘Fake News’ Online Quiz from 4 May to 30 June 2020.

A total of 260 UTAR students and staff took part in the quiz. The quiz centred around the issues of fake news, with its aim to educate people on the detriments of fake news in their lives, especially in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The grand prize was two AEON vouchers worth RM200 each; the second prize offered two AEON vouchers worth RM120 each and the third prize was four AEON vouchers worth RM70 each. The fourth prize was 12 AEON vouchers worth RM30. Fourteen UTAR students and one staff emerged as winners out of the 260 UTAR participants.


One of the grand prize winners Cheong Sue Yin

“Honestly, winning the quiz was never my intention. I just thought it was fun and submitted a few sentences regarding the topic. However, receiving the grand prize was a surprise and genuinely made me happy. I like how Taylor & Francis and UTAR try to spread awareness about fake news while also making it fun and enjoyable. Props to them!” said one of the two grand prize winners, Business and Finance student Cheong Sue Yin.


One of the third prize winners Mosharrof Hosen

“To be able to participate in the prestigious Taylor & Francis Online Quiz 2020 competition was a fantastic experience for me. I was also very honoured and happy when I received the email from the Taylor & Francis Group representative, informing me that I was one of the winners,” said Business and Finance student Mosharrof Hosen, one of the third prize winners. He added, “We should participate in various competitions because it can help us develop our confidence. Once our confidence is set in place, we would be brave enough to tackle any challenges in our lives.”

Another third prize winner, Computer Science student Liaw Mun Kin said, “Participating in the quiz was overall a new experience for me, as I was very interested in sharing my opinion on the recent widespread of fake news, especially those concerning Covid-19. I was actually quite shocked when I found out that I won the third prize. I do hope quizzes like this would keep coming.”


One of the fourth prize winners Sivarajan

Foundation student K. Sivarajan, one of the fourth prize winners said, “First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all who were responsible for organising this quiz with the intent of raising awareness on the negative impact fake news has on society. It was a true honour to be able to participate in this quiz and I am even more honoured to be one of the winners. I hope more efforts like this will continue to be taken and more students will engage themselves in positive activities such as this quiz to ensure they do not divert their minds towards something that can negatively impact their lives.”