VIRTUAL TOUR
2012
2 AprUCSI University enhances ‘University Life' through ideas and innovation
Kuala Lumpur, 2 April, 2012 - Over 500 UCSI University first year students filled up its DeTSAR (Dewan Tan Sri Ahmad Razali) Hall, as they presented their final assessment projects for a community-based subject known as ‘University Life'. Being the third showcase thus far, the course aims to encourage the students to invent and develop a product or service or campaign, with the support of the University's Business Ideation and Innovation Centre (BIIC), which would ultimately benefit the community around them.
Besides that, the course also aims to inculcate community service within these students, as well as enhance co-operation with classmates of different nationalities, while cultivating creativity in their coursework, by learning vital operational skills as part of their initiation into university.
Transcending classroom borders, ‘University Life' aligns with UCSI University's aspirations to provide a unique environment to its students by incorporating theoretical coursework with practical opportunities in availing them a potential learning environment which is more sustainable and ever growing.
Amongst the few projects presented were Tinie Tempa, Recyclanator, iH-Bolt, BuzyBuddy and a nail polish machine, to name a few.
"Many students find it difficult to keep up with their class schedules and activities in campus, thus we decided to develop an easy-to-use application software, we named the ‘BuzyBuddy'. Combining the best of social-networking and time-management, the software is created to be fun and user-friendly!" said Nik Bowie, an International student University hailing from New York City.
Pevy Chow Pei Yi and her team on the other hand, designed the ‘Tinie Tempa' to make things easier for working adults and people on the go. "Our idea originated from the fact that nowadays everyone is so busy to the point that it's difficult to even enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee (or tea) in the morning," she said.
"Thus, we wanted to invent something that would be able to solve this problem in the most innovative and cost-effective way," she added. The ‘Tinie Tempa' is a small machine, the size of a pen that can be clipped onto any mug to help heat up its contents anywhere, anytime, seeing that it is easy to carry and can be plug into the computer or even a car usb port.
According to Associate Professor Dr Alan Keoy Kay Hooi, the Director of the Centre of Excellence for Research, Value Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CERVIE), and head of BIIC, "Every idea usually begins by identifying a problem and the key is to think of a solution for that problem."
UCSI University's Business Ideation and Innovation Centre, was recently launched as a focal point to support our would-be entrepreneurs during the crucial stage of conceptualization of their innovation which we call ideation. BIIC also serves as a platform for an ecosystem filled with resources to assist the entire ideation process. Some of the resources available to budding entrepreneurs are sound advice from a panel of subject matter experts from the industry, blue ocean strategy formulation from our Blue Ocean Strategy Regional Centre (BOSRC), and networking events with venture capital funds, industrial collaborators and investors.
"Some of the ideas and innovations presented here today are very creative and I am glad that the students managed to think out-of-the-box. During the workshop, I did emphasize to these students that the idea is not only about commercialisation but mainly about creative-thinking to invent a product or service that will be beneficial to the community at large," he added.
Reiterating the aim of the workshop, Christine Wong, Senior Manager of the University's Centre for Learning Excellence (CLE) said, "The goal is to instil in them creativity by incorporating the element of entrepreneurship into student learning."
She also emphasized the University's stand in enhancing student experience both in and outside the classroom to give them a well-rounded education. "University Life is not just about academics but also involves being in touch with the surrounding community, as well as the multinational community within". "We want the students to enjoy their time here as part of their life experience and to further practise what they had learnt," she added.
‘University Life', taken by all first year students at UCSI University, was introduced by CLE in January 2010. Presently, students from three faculties, namely, the Faculty of Business & Information Science (FoBIS), the Faculty of Applied Sciences, and the Faculty of Music, Social Sciences and Design, have undertaken the subject which CLE plans to introduce in stages to the other faculties. Modules in the subject are designed to instil students with important values such as respect, tolerance and recognition, and appreciation of each other's differences. The subject also teaches students basic skills they could use for the rest of their lives, such as identifying learning styles, learning effective study techniques, note-taking skills, presentation skills, listening and memory skills, as well as different methods to prepare for examinations.
