THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

special

Limitation to imitation

THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

2 postgraduate

By IAN JEROME LEONG

EARLIER in the year, the
Association of Accredited
Advertising Agents of Malaysia
revoked two prestigious
Kancil Awards presented to a
notable advertising agency as the
winning entries bore similarities
to works produced by a foreign
designer.
In June, another prominent
advertising agency was accused
of plagiarism by an independent
filmmaker after the final web-film
shared a similar storyline and
setting previously pitched by
the filmmaker who was rejected
during the selection process.
High-profile incidents like these
may be few and far between but
they bring to light issues pertaining
to originality and ethics within the
creative industry, particularly in
the fields related to arts and
design.
Imitation may be the sincerest
form of flattery, but every creative
professional deserves to be
recognised and given credit where
credit is due.

Creative tightrope
One of the biggest challenges for
all artists, designers and other
creative professionals is to create a
product that is truly original, which
can highlight their unique style
and skills.
While it is not wrong to be

Honour in the craft

influenced or find inspiration
from different artists or
recognisable masterpieces, the
large amount of resources readily
available online and through
various publications make it easy
for individuals to copy, adapt and
modify the works of other
designers instead of coming up
with fresh ideas.
Artists and designers who
continuously choose this route will
then be on a dangerous path that
will not only stifle their creativity
but decrease their career
prospects, or worse, lead them to
the more serious act of plagiarism.
Augustine Wong, department
head of art and design at Sunway
Universitys Faculty of Arts, says,
The differentiation between
inspiration and plagiarism is that
one seeks to motivate the creativity
of the designer while the other
seeks to kill off any creative
endeavour.
Speaking about his experience in
the field, Augustine says, I have
encountered a lot of junior
designers who have turned to what
is easy and safe, however, the
outcome is that they would not be
able to produce strong portfolios to
secure bigger accounts.
Bigger clients with good brand

name will require designers who

have original ideas while pitching
for a project, he says.

Fulfilling expectations
Like many other industries, the
level of competition within the
creative fields can become
cutthroat as agencies, artists and
designers strive to outdo one
another to attract high-spending
investors.
Therefore, this fuels the
possibility that agencies and
individuals knowingly risk
outputting plagiarised work as
they hope to cash in on what they
believe is a good idea.
Despite the risks involved, the
possibility of lucrative earnings
and illustrious recognitions may be
too hard to ignore, outweighing the
ramifications that may follow.
The willingness to plagiarise may
be rooted to the expectation and
influence of the clients and
organisation that set unreasonable
and inflexible job briefs that may
include short turnaround time, low
budgets and irrational requests.

Breaking out
So how will this situation

translate to art and design

graduates and aspiring creative
professionals who are struggling to
leave their mark in an established
industry? Wouldnt an impressive
portfolio only allow seasoned
industry professionals to view
and possibly steal ideas for their
respective projects?
Augustine and Asia Pacific
Institute of Information
Technologys School of Media, Arts
and Design academic director
Assoc Prof Wong Bee Suan agree
that the best assets for talented
individuals are intellectual
property and their ideas.
Augustine advises, The key to
success for the designer is to find
inspiration and to be inspired.
Graduates must not be afraid to
show their talents and skills to the
industry.
They must grab the opportunity
to obtain industry recognition,
display confidence in their work
and be willing to share their
ideas to obtain feedback and
comments.
Assoc Prof Wong says, One can
never be able to stop people from
deliberately taking ones work and
claiming it as theirs.
Copyright in a way does offer
some assurance, and at least the

designer is protected under the

law. A copycat may be able to steal
the work, but not the ideas and the
creativity.
Dean of the School of
Information and Communication
Technology at Asia e University
Assoc Prof Dr Roshayu Mohamad
says, The possibility of people
stealing ones idea should not be
the hindering factor that stops
people from being creative.
Producing new ideas is ones
process of learning.
During the learning process,
people become inspired by
different concepts or techniques.
The distinction between
inspiration and plagiarism is
when creative professionals
produce something unique and
better than the original inspiration
in such a way that the new
elements amounts to originality,
she says.
But all things said, creative
graduates need to be aware that
ownership of copyright can
sometimes be difficult to establish
as there has to be sufficient proof
of effort applied to the work and
reduced to material form before it
is eligible for copyright.

> SEE NEXT PAGE

THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

THE phenomenon of globalisation impacts

and challenges all countries, including
Malaysia. The existence of an indirect
challenge of globalisation has spawned an
atmosphere of education and lifelong
learning without limits.
Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) Business
School emphasises this by trying to expand
and strengthen its higher education
programmes not only in the bachelors
degree, but also masters degree and
doctorate programmes (PhD).
UniKL Business Schools dean Prof
Dr Ibrahim Kamal Abdul Rahman
says that since its inception in 2009, the
business school has offered academic
programmes and specialisms that focus on
the needs of the market and the countrys
development.
UniKL Business School started its
operation by offering postgraduate degree
programmes and the programme that was
popular among students was the Master of
Business Administration (MBA), he says.
Our MBA programmes are different
compared to other universities because
it is more focused and specific to certain
fields such as the Master of Business
Administration (Entrepreneurship) and
Master of Business Administration (Halal
Food), which will start in January next year.
In fact, we offer MBA programmes that
are designed based on market demand to

postgraduate 3

Variance in programmes
help improve the knowledge and quality in
senior management.
According to Prof Ibrahim, the Master of
Business Administration (Halal Food) is
offered in collaboration with UniKL
Malaysian Institute of Chemical and
Bioengineering Technology.
He explains that this programme is offered
to produce a professional workforce in the
field of nutrition and provide understanding
about halal issues, safety and quality of food.
According to Prof Ibrahim, most of the
university lecturers have extensive industry
experience and are actively involved with
studies in the related fields or subjects taught
by them.
He explains that to ensure the business
schools excellence in the field of education,
especially in the MBA programmes, the
university has formed cooperative
relationships with international bodies such
as the Grenoble School of Management of
France, University of Technology Sydney and
Asian Institute of Management in Manila.
We also try to get international
accreditation such as from the Alliance on
Business Education and Scholarship for

UniKLs Business
School is constantly
trying to expand
and strengthen its
higher education
programmes not
only in the
bachelors degree,
but also masters
degree and
doctorate
programmes (PhD).

True to ones self

> FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Furthermore, similarities between creative
designs may be unintentional as the same
source of inspiration can greatly influence
the outcome of the final product.

Reshaping the mould

According to Assoc Prof Wong, universities
play a crucial role in shaping creative
students with high ethical conscience.
Creating awareness, stating the
importance of being original and enforcing
ethical issues from the very first day of study
will help in creating students that value
originality. A university should also
implement the code of ethics and make
sure students follow it.
He adds, It is important that the
university takes action against students
who breach the code of ethics to further
emphasise the severity of such behaviour.
This way, students will learn to respect the
works of others and continue to practise
the same ideologies as they enter the
workforce.
Augustine shares the same thought,
saying, Programme heads are responsible
for briefing students on the negative
consequences of plagiarism and this must be
reinforced through inclusion of punitive
actions with regards to plagiarism in all
assessment rubrics and briefs.
In addition to instilling ethical
mindfulness, Augustine believes universities
can go further to help students express
originality in their work by offering creative
or critical thinking modules that will

encourage students to think out of the box.

In the design process, students are
required to start generating ideas via
research, peer discussion, sharing of ideas
and criticising ideas before they start
designing.
Through this process, students will then
understand how to generate their own ideas
and harness their problem-solving skills, he
says.

Master of the art

Augustine continues, The world has
changed and it has seen a new group of
clients who are willing to pay more for
originality as they understand the value of
professionalism.
Big corporate brands will also require
their designers to have original ideas in
project pitches and avoid creative conflicts.
Irrespective of the challenges and
demands of the industry, creative
professionals must stay true to their craft
and, more importantly, to themselves.
It is only then will the industry as a whole
eradicate the practice of plagiarism and
blatant disregard for originality and
creativity.
While there may be individuals in the
industry who resort to taking the easy way
out, graduates of the arts and design must
take it upon themselves to constantly strive
to push the boundaries of their craft as it is
the only pathway to success.
As the first president of Nigeria Nnamdi
Azikiwe said, Originality is the essence of
true scholarship. Creativity is the soul of the
true scholar.

Tomorrow, a 21st century organization

(ABEST21), he adds.
Prof Ibrahim adds that UniKLs business
school students also have the opportunity
to gain studying experience in universities
in Europe, in cooperation with the
International Student Exchange Programs

(ISEM) with Erasmus Mundus. He explains

that through this cooperation, international
students are also given the opportunity to
study for six months in UniKL.

n For more information, e-mail yuzrifa@

unikl.edu.my or visit www.unikl.edu.my.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

4 postgraduate

VC COLUMN

Research culture in Malaysia

IN a university, academic staff
are paid to do three things:
research, teach and deal with
administration.
As universities are largely judged
by the quality of their research,
they need as many of their
academic staff as possible to
contribute to their research output.
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
students also carry out research.
While PhD students scientific
discoveries do not have to have the
same impact as the work of
Einstein or Darwin, a doctoral
dissertation has to report
something that advances
mankinds knowledge.
Once a PhD student has made a
contribution, he is expected to
publish it in a peer-reviewed
scientific literature so that people
know that they are reading exactly
what was originally written.
This is important as it enables
you to read, for example, the work
of Einstein knowing that what is
read is precisely what he wrote.
This is different from websites
such as Wikipedia, which can be
updated by anyone. A Wikipedia
entry that is read today may
change tomorrow. There is no easy
way of knowing that two persons
are reading the same thing, from

By PROF
GRAHAM
KENDALL
one day to the next.
PhD candidates are individuals
undergoing training to carry out
research. As researchers
progressing through their PhD are
on a learning curve, they are not
operating on the same level that is
expected from more experienced
researchers.
Postdoctoral researchers are
researchers who have received
their PhD and have been fully
trained in carrying out research.
Unlike full-time members of
academic staff, postdoctoral
researchers often do not teach or
have an administrative workload.
Their only task is to carry out
research and publish the results in
the scientific literature.
A Times Higher Education article
published last year summarised
how important postdoctoral
researchers are to universities.
It said, Postdoctoral researchers
are critical to universities. With
most principal investigators in
science too busy to carry out

The launch of MyMentor, an initiative that aims to offer those who are less
than five years from the award of their doctorate the opportunity to be
mentored by an experienced researcher.

experiments themselves, they rely

on postdoctoral researchers to
drive research projects and to help
guide PhD students research on a
day-to-day basis.
This is certainly the case in
countries such as the United
Kingdom and the United States
where a substantial amount of
scientific output is produced by
postdoctoral researchers who are
often employed through
government grants.
Malaysia may not have the
strongest postdoctoral culture but
this is changing as the country
continually improves on the

quality and quantity of its

research.
Leading universities in
Malaysia recognise that a strong
postdoctoral community provides
added value to the research
landscape.
In addition, it provides
opportunities for those who have
just been awarded a PhD to carry
out full-time research rather than
embarking on a full-time academic
career and having to cope with
teaching and administration, while
trying to develop an independent
research career.
MyMentor is also helping to

promote a postdoctoral research

culture. It is a collaboration
between the Higher Education
Ministry, 20 public universities and
three foreign branch campuses
(Monash, Nottingham and
Southampton) in Malaysia.
The aim of MyMentor is to offer
those who are less than five years
from the award of their doctorate
the opportunity to be mentored by
an experienced researcher,
develop an independent research
career and carry out full-time
research.
Having good-quality postdoctoral
researchers is important to any
country and Malaysia is moving in
the right direction.
In recent years, we have seen a
gradual shift in the postdoctoral
research culture in Malaysia.
Hopefully, the culture will continue
as this important body of
researchers are often referred to as
the engine room of university
research.
Prof Graham Kendall is the chief
executive officer and provost of
The University of Nottingham
Malaysia Campus.

n For more information, visit

www.nottingham.edu.my.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

postgraduate 5

Asst Prof Dr Ammar Ali Al Talib (right) leads the Faculty of Engineering,
Technology and Built Environments postgraduate studies and research.

Green
solutions

SCIENCE moves at a startling

pace and at UCSI Universitys
Faculty of Engineering,
Technology and Built
Environment, a green revolution
of sorts is approaching its zenith.
If you are an engineering
postgraduate student at UCSI,
you will get to learn from and
work alongside academics who
walk the talk.
Using various photovoltaic
systems, Assoc Prof Dr Rodney
Tan Hean Gay seeks to convert
sunlight into electricity under
partial shading circumstances.
While Malaysias proximity to
the equator sees it receiving
plenty of sunlight throughout the
year, cloud formations also take
shape rapidly and this adversely
affects the conversion of sunlight
to electricity, he explains.
Presently, photovoltaic
systems are prone to breaking
down and the entire circuit fails
whenever they are covered in
shade or by dirt.
Using theoretical modelling
and experimental measurement,
Assoc Prof Tan will focus on
understanding the impact of
shading on different
photovoltaic systems.
As the beneficiary of
Malaysias Fundamental
Research Grant Scheme (FRGS),
Assoc Prof Tan has been given
RM85,200 to spur his research.
He was also awarded the
Mathworks Central Challenge
Coin by Mathworks, a leading
developer of mathematical
computing software for
engineers and scientists.
Asst Prof Ahmad Shamiri
is also making waves for his
efforts to improve wastewater
treatment.
After a decade in the
petrochemical industry, Asst
Prof Ahmad discovered a type
of algae capable of consuming
chemical waste, neutralising
wastewater in the process. If
grown in large numbers, the
algae could pass as an
economical, safe measure to
treat wastewater from factories.
Wastewater is often treated
with chemicals that are
dangerous. Using algae to treat
wastewater reduces the cost of
procuring chemicals and lowers
health risks significantly, says
Asst Prof Ahmad.
His work has not gone

unnoticed in the international

arena. In June, RMIT University
invited Asst Prof Ahmad to
further his work in Melbourne.
Taking up the offer, Asst Prof
Ahmad will leave for Melbourne
in October for a month, before
returning to UCSI to wrap up his
research.
Asst Prof Ammar Ali Al Talib,
the facultys head of
postgraduate and research, is
collaborating with Asst Prof
Mahmood Al-Imam to shorten
the harvesting process of oil
palm.
Instead of harvesting through
manual labour that consumes
energy and time, they use lasers
to detach oil palm clusters to
save time and energy.
Shedding light on the research
culture at UCSI, Asst Prof Ammar
explains that pertinent research
is carried out in each
engineering field and the
university has established the
Process Systems Engineering
Centre (PSEC) to spur the efforts.
He adds that distinguished
academics from Kings College
London of the United Kingdom,
Queens University Belfast of
Northern Ireland, Fraunhofer
Institute for Production Systems
and Design Technology of
Germany, and Polytech Nantes,
Universit de Nantes of France
serve as external advisors and
examiners for the postgraduate
students.
Engineering-related research
at UCSI is bolstered by the
universitys research laboratory
that caters to simulations.
This dynamic setting provides
postgraduate students with
avenues to achieve their
moonshot. By pursuing the
Master of Philosophy in
Engineering and Doctor of
Philosophy in Engineering
programmes, students can focus
on key research areas of their
choice.
UCSIs postgraduate
programmes in engineering
cover these specialisms:
mechanical, mechatronics,
electrical, communications, civil,
petroleum and chemical
engineering.

n For more information,

call 03-9102 4739 or visit
www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my/
onlineenquiry.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

6 postgraduate

UNIVERSITI Tunku Abdul Rahman

(UTAR) is committed to educational
excellence with transformative
societal impact. Its Faculty of
Medicine and Health Sciences was
established in 2009 and aspires
to be the preferred centre of
education and research in medical
and health science.
UTARs Bachelor of Nursing
(Hons) programme is designed to
prepare students for their roles as
registered nurses in multifaceted
healthcare scenarios.
Students are exposed to legal,
ethical and professional issues, in
line with the programmes aim to
equip students with a strong
foundation in the principles,
theories and practices of modern
nursing. Extensive multimedia,
skills laboratories and library
resources are available to support
students in independent study.

For nurses of the future

UTARs
Bachelor of
Nursing
(Hons)
programme
prepares
students for
their roles in
multifaceted
healthcare
scenarios.

UTAR also provides simulation

wards and skills laboratories
equipped with simulation models
such as the Sim Man 3G, Harvey,
SAM II and Guarmard baby prior

to clinical placements. These

empower students to feel more
confident and prepared before
commencing their clinical postings.
Department of Nursing head

Sheela Devi says, Nurses are the

pillar of the healthcare system,
providing care that enables us to
live healthy, long lives. The
knowledge and power to help heal
others is what keeps them going in
challenging times.
The programmes industry
advisors and external examiners
constantly review the nursing
syllabus and examination papers
to ensure that international
standards are met.
Students gain their hands-on
experience of nursing care delivery
in public and private hospitals as
well as community health clinics.
They are supervised by clinical
academicians to facilitate and

monitor learning.
Students are also encouraged to
contribute their services in events
such as Breast Cancer Awareness
Day, Nurses Day and the Colorectal
Cancer Awareness Seminar.
The university stimulates
excellence by providing
scholarships to students with
outstanding academic performance
to pursue their foundation and
undergraduates programmes.

n For more information, call

03-9086 0288/016-2233 559
(Sungai Long campus) or
05-468 8888/016-2233 557 (Kampar
campus), e-mail enquiry@utar.edu.
my or visit www.utar.edu.my.

Perdana
University
students gain
immense
knowledge
from an
international
faculty mix.

Irish-accredited
medical degrees
PERDANA University, in
collaboration with the Royal
College of Surgeons in Ireland
(RCSI), offers a highly regarded
five-year medical programme,
which can be fully completed in
Malaysia at Perdana University.
This programme, which has
received the accreditation and
recognition of the Medical
Council of Ireland, is aimed at
producing young doctors who
prioritise their patients while
addressing the health and social
challenges of the century.
Through the collaboration,
RCSI, with its more than 200
years of experience in teaching
the medical programme, has
given tremendous contribution
and support in ensuring that the
programme offered at Perdana
University meets the quality and
standards required by the
accreditation agencies of
Malaysia and Ireland.
Students benefit from the
international environment at
Perdana Universiy through the
mix of faculty members from
Ireland, Malaysia and other
countries.
Practical exposure is provided
through clinical attachments at
Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Hospital
Tuanku Jaafar, Hospital
Putrajaya, Hospital Bentong and
a number of district clinics in
Selangor.
The programme carries
identical curriculum to that
offered at RCSI in Dublin, where
the first two years are largely
spent learning about the
structure and functions of the

human body.
Early in the course, students
are taught clinical examination
skills in the protected
environment of the wellequipped Clinical Skills Unit.
Students are exposed to early
patient contact in a variety of
settings. In Year 3, students are
introduced to clinical settings at
the mentioned hospitals.
Years 4 and 5 are spent
gaining supervised experience in
major areas of medicine such as
surgery, paediatrics, psychiatry,
medicine, obstetrics and
gynaecology, family medicine,
ENT (ears, nose and throat) and
ophthalmology.
This five-year programme
leads to the Bachelor of
Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
and Bachelor in the Art of
Obstetrics (MB, BCh and BAO)
awarded by the National
University of Ireland.
Graduates will also be
awarded with licentiates of the
Royal College of Physicians in
Ireland and the RCSI (LRCP & SI).
Application for the September
intake is in progress and those
interested in the programme
may submit their application.
For the 2016/17 admission, a
RM300,000 grant is provided to
all registered students.
Those interested are invited to
visit the campus to speak to the
professors and consultants
regarding the programme.

n For more information, visit

www.perdanauniversity.edu.my
or call 03-8941 8646.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

postgraduate 7

Techniques
and
strategies
IN recent times, corporate
managers are challenged with
increasingly difficult business
situations.
Businesses of established
corporations are disrupted by
startup companies that use the
latest technologies and business
models to upset the industrial
order, demand and industrial
capacity as well as market prices.
The typical reaction of
managers is to take the rational
approach, which is to anticipate
possible outcomes based on
probable decisions by key
stakeholders and to collate the
advantages and disadvantages of
each option. However, myriad
issues suggest that there is no
single answer to any problem.
Game theory (GT) has been
applied in an array of economic
phenomena and approaches,
including auctions, bargaining,
mergers and acquisitions,
pricing, fair division, duopolies,
oligopolies, social network and
the coalition formation theory.
This goes across political
economy, experimental
economics and industrial
organisations.
In business, GT has been
applied to predict behaviours of
all players by seeking some form
of balance based on a specific set
of assumptions and attempting
to predict the most probable
scenario.
A well-thought-out GT must
specify the players of the game,
the information and actions
available to each player at each
decision point, and the
consequence for each outcome.
A game theorist uses these
elements along with a solution
concept to deduce a set of
strategies for each player such
that when these strategies are
employed, no player can profit
by unilaterally deviating from
his strategy.
For instance, in the economic
environment of oligopoly, a small
number of producers have
control over the supply of a
commodity and the actions taken
by players would affect the key
metrics such as revenues, prices
and expenses.
These equilibrium strategies
determine a balance to the game
a stable state in which either
one outcome occurs or a set of
outcomes occur with known
probability.
As a result, there will be a
series of snapshots. For
example, a local retailer faces a
new player who is planning to
open a store in the same
neighbourhood.
Depending on assumptions
(value propositions, channels,

cost structures and customer

demand), several scenarios and
strategies may be drawn.
The probable scenario
includes: the retailer to cut
prices to retain the market share, Students of the Victoria University MBA Programme will learn essential tools such as game theory that will be useful in
wait-and-see the actions of the future undertakings.
newcomer and then secure the
greatest value by reacting
accordingly.
However, the argument
against GT is the assumption that
all players will act rationally
when, in reality, humans are
competitive. An additional
scenario to the earlier example is
to allow the newcomer to exist in
a particular niche where the
local retailer is weakest.
For instance, the newcomer is
an e-commerce business and the
older player is a brick-andmortar shop. Due to competition,
the incumbent retailer will likely
shift its strategy from coexisting
to counter-attacking since the
market is increasingly favouring
e-commerce.
Nevertheless, GT provides the
corporate decision-makers with
well-informed support for a
range of behavioural relations: to
decide whether to market a
product immediately and gain a
competitive edge over rivals,
prolong the testing period of the
product to find the ideal way to
manage a bankrupt company, or
restructure an ailing institute of
higher education.
Since these decisions involve
numerous stakeholders, GT
provides the base for rational
decision-making.
There are tools and techniques
to choose a set of inputs detailed
enough to analyse a range of
probable scenarios. More
importantly, managers can
explain clearly the assumptions
that form any single proposed
solution.
Victoria University MBA
Programme (VUMBA) students
are equipped to overcome
volatility, uncertainty, complexity
and ambiguity (VUCA) in
business situations. They develop
an understanding that there are
a number of options to solve a
business problem under
uncertain circumstances.
Any solution is inevitably
sensitive to the initial conditions
presented and assumptions used
in deriving a business answer.
It is more challenging to strike
the right balance between
simplifying a problem to make it
manageable and retaining
enough complexity to make it
relevant.

n For more information,

e-mail Dr Ng at
hendryng@sunway.edu.my.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

8 postgraduate

POSTGRADUATE study is an
educational pathway for those who
want to improve their career
prospects, gain job satisfaction,
pursue long-standing interests or
challenge themselves intellectually.
Management & Science
University (MSU) has designed
considerable flexibility in the
graduate study environment so
that students can work out the
study mode that works best for
them.
The MSUs School of Graduate
Studies (SGS) offers advanced
degrees at MSc (Master of Science)
and PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
levels.
This covers the wide areas of
management, business, computer
science, accounting, finance,
information and communications
technology, food service
technology, biomedicine,
educational management and
leadership, biomedical sciences,
engineering, pharmacy as well as
clinical pharmacy.
The PhD education focuses
on training in original and
independent scholarships, while
the masters education is in either
full research or coursework mode,
which prepares graduate students
for careers in public and private
sectors as well as professional
practice.
The graduate programmes at
MSU put emphasis on a number of
distinctive and desirable features,
such as the high level of

High-level engagement
MSUs 19th
convocation
was held
recently at
the main
campus in
Shah Alam.

engagement between local and

international faculties and
graduates.
This is to have an environment
that fosters a global community of
scholars. All of the programmes
offered are supported and
complemented by a wide range of
interdisciplinary units. This results
in the promotion of intellectual
activities and research across the
university.
The SGS provides support to
graduates throughout their
learning experience at MSU. It also
provides creative and innovative

teaching and delivery, a global

leadership programme and social
facilities.
Working with all faculties, nonacademic departments, relevant
industries and other institutions to
enhance graduate experience, SGS
is committed to delivering quality
service exclusive to its growing
postgraduate community.
The PhD and masters
programmes are research based
and the degrees will be awarded
by MSU on the successful
completion of a thesis.
A viva voce is required for the

PhD programme. The masters

degree is a taught programme and
its assessments are by assignments
and written examinations.
As Malaysias best teaching and
learning university, MSU gives
priority to quality education and
creative teaching methodologies
towards producing quality and
holistic graduates.
Besides incorporating
international exposure in students
learning experience, extensive
industrial training components and
personal enrichment competency
elements are also blended into the

programme of study to ensure the

graduates employability.
The programmes that the
university offers meet the stringent
standards set by local and
international bodies.
MSUs award-winning
homegrown programmes are
among the best in the region. These
programmes are meticulously
crafted to enhance the potential of
graduates.
The university has received
numerous recognitions from
Malaysian and international
accreditation bodies.
Besides the Malaysian
Qualifications Agency (MQA),
MSU is also accredited by the
Accreditation Services for
International Colleges (ASIC) of
United Kingdom and the Alliance
on Business Education and
Scholarship for Tomorrow
(ABEST21) of Japan.
MSU was acknowledged twice as
Excellent Status University by the
Malaysian Higher Education
Ministry through a rating system
on all universities in Malaysia.

n For more information,

call 03-5521 6868, e-mail
enquiry@msu.edu.my or visit
www.msu.edu.my.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

postgraduate 9

Journey
to excellence
ASIA e Universitys (AeU) Doctor of
Philosophy (PhD) programme in information
and communications technology (ICT)
provides the training required for students to
independently conduct high-quality, original
research and become the next generation of
research-qualified professionals.
AeU offers research opportunities ranging
from theoretical to innovative applications.
The university welcomes local and
international students either on a full-time
or distance-learning basis.

Learning perspective
PhD in ICT student Zaid Ali Sabeeh from
Iraq shares his experience studying in AeU:
My research is aimed at studying the
sources of knowledge among physicians in
the healthcare industry and part of this
research effort is to provide a comprehensive
review of literature on the nature,
classification and characteristics of industrial
knowledge management and innovations.
Prior to my PhD journey, I had the
opportunity to apply my information
technology (IT) knowledge and lingual skills
in diverse sectors across several countries.
I lived in the United States after working in
multinational organisations, providing
services related to global news agencies,
humanitarian aids and law enforcement.
The seven years of working and travel
experience evoked my ambitions and
excitement in learning new concepts and
knowledge.
My curiosity fuelled my interest to study
the multiracial cultures in South-East Asia.
I chose to be a full-time student in Malaysia
as it is a beautiful country with great
tropical islands and food from different
cultures.
I moved to Malaysia in 2010 and
completed my masters degree in IT
management at Staffordshire Universitys
partner campus in Malaysia.
I decided to enrol in AeU because of the
quality of research supervision,
administration services and flexibility of the
study mode.

Zaid Ali
Sabeeh, an
AeU PhD (ICT)
student from
Iraq.

Most working adults

prefer to pursue
their education in
part-time mode while
working and AeU
provides this option
as it understands the
demands of working
adults.
Conducting a three-year doctoral research
can be a daunting task. The challenges can
be overwhelming to deal with, especially
with the increasing amount of new
information, concepts and ideas relating to
research topics.
Students need to maintain a healthy
physical and mental lifestyle to deal with the
stress of a lengthy study duration.
Most working adults prefer to pursue their
education in part-time mode while working
and AeU provides this option as it
understands the demands of working adults.
Personally, I prefer the full-time mode as I
can focus on my research to complete study
requirements in a timely manner.
I passed my proposal defence two months
ago and will start the collection of primary
data for my research project, which I hope
to complete within the stipulated time frame
and budget.
I will resume my career in an occupation
that allows me to utilise the work experience
and newly acquired concepts obtained from
my PhD.

n For more information, call 1300 300 238.

About AeU
AeU is a unique collaborative
multinational university established
under the auspices of the 34 Asia
Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)
countries.
All academic programmes are
internationally benchmarked,
approved by the Malaysian Higher
Education Ministry and accredited
by the Malaysian Qualifications
Agency.
AeU has an enrolment of more
than 22,000 students from 65
countries, more than 7,000 graduates
as well as a diverse community of
more than 1,000 fellow doctoral
students from 46 countries who are
making a difference around the
world.
AeU has spread its wings to 17
non-ACD members such as Denmark,
Hong Kong, Iraq, Kenya, Libya,
Maldives, Mauritius, Namibia, New
Zealand, Nigeria, Sweden, Somalia,
Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Yemen,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Registration for postgraduate (by
research) programmes is open
throughout the year. Apply online
now at www.aeu.edu.my.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

10 postgraduate

The Master of
Professional
Counselling
offered at
Monash is
broad-based
to equip
students in
mental health,
organisational
and
relationship
counselling.

Reaching out
with counselling
AS global interactions and performances
grow increasingly efficient, the demands on
society have also risen in recent years.
The need to do more, faster and better has
left more people unable to cope with
expectations and reeling from emotional and
psychological difficulties.
The fabric of society is changing and we
see that a lot of people face difficulties in
their professional and social lives, says
Assoc Prof Shamsul Haque, head of
discipline (psychology) at the Jeffrey Cheah
School of Medicine and Health Sciences,

Monash University Malaysia.

The Master of Professional Counselling
offered at Monash Malaysia is a broad-based
course that equips students to counsel across
various areas such as organisational, mental
health and relationship counselling.
Areas of study include human growth and
lifespan development, mental health issues
surrounding grief, trauma and substance
abuse, counselling children, adolescents,
individuals and couples, cognitive
behavioural therapy, group psychotherapy,
career development counselling and

counselling research design.

One unique feature of this course is that
it also equips students to understand and
conduct research in the field of counselling,
says Dr Tam Cai Lian, course coordinator for
the masters programme.
These skills may be used to pursue further
academic research studies and enable
evidence-based counselling practices.
She adds that the course aims to be
accredited by three different bodies the
Malaysian Board of Counsellors (Lembaga
Kaunselor Malaysia), the Australian
Counselling Association, and the
Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation
of Australia to open up opportunities for
graduates to practise in Malaysia and
Australia.
The course incorporates 504 hours of
clinical placements in government agencies
and private organisations, of which 192
hours will involve direct or face-to-face client
contact.
Dr Tam says the course is open to anyone
with a bachelors degree in any field, either
recent graduates or working professionals
seeking to know more about counselling.
Students need to have a passion and
desire to know more about human beings
and the problems they face and be interested
in helping the people around them, she
says.

A mathematics graduate, Dr Tam pursued

counselling to help the community and
address the various mental illnesses and
family problems she saw around her.
Students will benefit from a diverse team
of highly experienced, accredited academics
and psychologists.
They will have access to world-class
laboratories and facilities, including group
and individual counselling rooms equipped
with two-way mirrors, observation
side-rooms and recording devices.
Assoc Prof Haque adds that counsellors
can promote mental health at the
organisational and community levels.
In an organisation, they can help
improve relationships between co-workers,
contribute to crisis management, manage
work stress, play a major role in reducing
job dissatisfaction and improve
performances.
At the community level, counsellors can
deal with relationship problems through
marriage or couples counselling and
manage personal grief, trauma and various
types of mental health issues. At schools,
they can help with students academic
behaviour and address peer-relation
problems, he says.

n For more information, visit

www.monash.edu.my.

Medical
specialisations
in the US
EVERY year, countless students graduate
from medical schools all around the world in
search of the next step in their postgraduate
studies.
Unfortunately, many find themselves
trapped in a grey zone after they graduate.
In Malaysia, after completing their
housemanship, young medical graduates
often try to work their way to the top of their
field with hard work but do not succeed
because they use the same pathway as their
peers.
Most medical graduates pursue their
postgraduate studies in Australia and the
United Kingdom, forgetting that there is an
alternate pathway to achieve their specialist
career, which is in the United States.
The United States Medical Licensing
Examination (USMLE) is an alternate
pathway that Malaysian medical students
can opt for to achieve their specialist career.
Kaplan Medical is the premier testprepping centre in the US that prepares
medical students worldwide for the USMLE.
Hareen Theivasigamany, programme
coordinator at Kaplan Medical in Malaysia,
provides free seminars and university talks
on the declining number of medical
physicians in the US and the lack of
specialists in Malaysia, urging medical
students to pursue their specialisation.
Last year, the Health Ministry emphasised
the shortage of specialists in Malaysia and
advised medical graduates to venture
alternate pathways to receive specialist
training.
With Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act (ObamaCare) being approved in the
US, millions of American citizens will have

Kaplan Medical in Malaysias programme

coordinator Hareen Theivasigamany encourages
medical students to pursue their specialisation in
the United States.

more accessible medical care and the

declining supply of physicians in the US
presents an opportunity for international
medical graduates to pursue their
specialisation and practise in the US.
Students can sit for the first part of the
USMLE examinations in Malaysia. Upon
completing the USMLE examinations and
residency (paid specialist training in the US),
students can practise in medical fields such
as surgery, cardiology, orthopaedics and
dermatology.
Students can sit for USMLEs first
professional examination while in medical
school, allowing them to become a specialist
by the age of 30.
The structure of the USMLE allows
medical students to use the knowledge from
the USMLE study materials provided by
Kaplan for their own medical degree.
Nugrahan is the national representative of
Kaplan Medical in Malaysia, assisting
medical students in achieving their specialist
career in the US.

n To receive a free one-on-one consultation

about the USMLE and specialist training in
the US, call Hareen at 016-377 2853 or e-mail
hareen.kaplan@gmail.com.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

postgraduate 11

Strathclyde is
one of 67
institutions in
the world to
have triple
accreditations.

Useful learning
THE University of Strathclyde Business
Schools full-time masters in business
administration (MBA) programme was
ranked 63rd in the Financial Times Global
MBA Rankings 2016.
Despite competition from schools globally,
Strathclydes MBA rose 17 places from 80th
to 63rd. This position continues to see
Strathclyde in the top 10 of UK programmes
that made it into the rankings.
Strathclydes MBA was also ranked 5th in
the world for corporate strategy and 7th in
the world under the employment and best
value for money categories.
Executive dean Prof David Hillier says,
We are delighted to have such a good
showing in the Financial Times rankings,
particularly in a year when we celebrate 50
years of the full-time MBA programme and
40 years of our part-time MBA programme.
Our top 20 position in Europe, together
with the fact that we are ranked so high for
value for money, is fantastic news. It
confirms Strathclyde as a university that
has real impact, not only in Scotland but
throughout the world.
Strathclyde is one of 67 institutions in the
world to be accredited by the AMBA

(Association of Master of Business

Administration), EQUIS (European Quality
Improvement System) and AACSB
(Association to Advance Collegiate Schools
of Business).
In the most recent Research Assessment
Exercise, SBS was rated 7th in the UK for its
world-leading or internationally excellent
research.
The Strathclyde MBA programme can be
studied in the UK or via its international
centres in Switzerland, Greece, Abu Dhabi,
Bahrain, Dubai, Oman, Singapore and
Malaysia.
The programme comprises compulsory
modules supported by a selection of optional
in-depth functions, allowing students to
tailor the MBA to their career aspirations.
The teamwork approach at Strathclyde is
an important aspect of the course.
Strathclyde academicians have expertise
in the areas of strategic management,
leadership and scenario planning. The staff
also undertake a broad range of consultancy
activities in the UK and internationally.

n For more information, e-mail

enquiries@cdc.edu.my or call 03-7660 8950.

Funding for
research
CURTIN University, Sarawak Malaysia
(Curtin Sarawak) is offering full
postgraduate scholarships on a competitive
basis to highly qualified candidates to
conduct advanced research at the
universitys Faculty of Engineering and
Science.
The MPhil (Master of Philosophy)
scholarship is offered for an electrical
engineering research project called Nonlinear Optimisation Framework for Deep
Learning Neural Network. The project aims
to develop an efficient learning algorithm
for a deep neural network that will lead to a
leap in the advancement of artificial
intelligence that is applicable to various
human-machine interventions.
To be eligible for the scholarship,
candidates must be Malaysian and hold
bachelors degrees in electrical or electronic
engineering, computer science or applied
mathematics, possess good knowledge of
image processing, engineering mathematics,
probability, neural network and MATLAB
programming, and have a good command of
written and spoken English.
The successful candidate will be
supervised by Dr Garenth Lim King Hann
and may work in collaboration with other
leading researchers at the Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering.
To apply for the scholarship, contact
Dr Lim at 085-443 833 or e-mail
glkhann@curtin.edu.my.
The PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
scholarship in mechanical engineering will
be offered to a candidate to carry out
Thermal and Total Performance
Enhancement of Inclined Solar Chimney

Curtin Sarawak invites qualified individuals to

apply for the PhD and MPhil scholarships.

Power Plant using Underneath Air-vent and

Thermal Storage Medium research project.
The research will lead to developing an
inclined solar chimney power plant with
air-vents underneath to enhance collector
performance and reduce thermal losses
associated with the collector.
Applicants must be Malaysians
and have backgrounds in heat transfer and
fluid mechanics in addition to a good
knowledge of the usage of ANSYS.
For more information, contact
Dr Aja Ogboo Chikere at 085-443 209
or e-mail aja.ogboo@curtin.edu.my.
Another PhD scholarship focusing on
renewable energy is for a research project
entitled Modelling and Design of a Rotary
Vane Expander for Oil Palm Waste-fired
Organic Rankine Cycle Power Plants, which
will look into the possibility of replacing
costly conventional steam power plants to
minimise environmental impact.
For more information, contact
Dr Hyung-Chui Jung at 085-443 830 or
e-mail jung.hc@curtin.edu.my.
All scholarships cover full tuition fees and
monthly stipends. The successful candidates
will be awarded degrees directly by Curtin
University in Australia.

n For more information on Curtin Sarawaks

postgraduate programmes, call 085-443 939,
e-mail raihanah@curtin.edu.my or visit
www.curtin.edu.my.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 16 AUGUST 2016

12 postgraduate

THE Master of Business

Administration (MBA) programme
at Berjaya University College of
Hospitality (Berjaya UCH) is
relevant to working adults,
providing them with solid
management theories and
knowledge in the practical aspects
of business to excel in their
respective fields of work.
The MBA programme
encompasses areas such as
leadership, human resource
management, information
technology, finance, economics,
marketing and business ethics.
Electives in the areas of
international business,
international hospitality and
international tourism are also
offered.
This programme is backed by the
Berjaya group of companies one
of Malaysias largest and most
diverse conglomerates. The
companys executives form part of
the pool of resource talents that
give this programme a unique edge
over other postgraduate courses.
The programme is suitable for
those who are interested to further
their studies and working adults
who wish to enhance their career
opportunities.
Working professionals do not
need to take a couple of years off
work to obtain a postgraduate
degree, as classes are offered in the
evenings and during the weekends
in the city campus.
The MBA curriculum is
meticulously designed with advice

Exceptional experience

(From left) University of Melbournes Melbourne Business School regional

manager (Asia) Jeffery Soong, Berjaya Business School dean Assoc Prof Dr Chin
Sze Kim, Berjaya Higher Education chief executive officer Mae Ho and University
of Melbourne associate dean of international relations Prof Ian Williamson.

from a team of industry experts

who form the Industry Advisory
Panel.
This provides in-depth
experiential learning and a
curriculum that is relevant to the
dynamic local and global business
environments.
For more effective learning,
industry projects, case studies
analysis, case writing and seminars
are value-added activities
embedded in the programme.
The Berjaya UCHs postgraduate
programme specially caters to
students who wish to obtain a
postgraduate qualification in the
field of business and management.

For further enhancement of

course delivery and relevancy, a
series of B-Talks is organised to
allow students to hear firsthand
from industry experts and
synergise with real-life problemsolving exercises.
B-Talks sessions are organised
by Berjaya Business School for
industry professionals to share
experiences and impart some
insights on the constantly evolving
business environment.
Topics relevant to the business
environment are shared and
discussed, such as governance,
risk and compliance, concepts of
logistics and supply chain, business

franchising model, consumerism in

retail insights, and creating positive
customer experiences.
The latest speaker of the B-Talk
series was Prof Ian O. Williamson
from Melbourne Business School,
University of Melbourne, Australia,
who spoke on the subject of
Strategic Value of People
Management to Firm Performance.
Students and industry human
resources practitioners benefited
greatly from this talk.
To learn more about Berjaya

UCH and Berjaya Business School,

there will be an MBA Preview
during the Sureworks Higher
Education Fair in Mid Valley
Exhibition Hall this weekend
(Aug 20 and 21).
Open Days will also be held this
weekend at the campus, located
on the 11th and 14th floors of
Berjaya Times Square, from 10am
to 5pm.

n For more information, visit

www.berjaya.edu.my.

About Berjaya UCH

BERJAYA UCH is Malaysias
premier university college in
the fields of retail and business,
public relations, hospitality,
culinary arts, tourism and
event management situated in
the Golden Triangle of Kuala
Lumpur.
Located on the 11th and 14th
floors of Berjaya Times Square,
it is conceptually designed with
a five-star hotel ambiance
equipped with comprehensive
and advanced facilities that
mirror real-world settings.
Berjaya UCH also offers courses
in business and liberal arts.

Berjaya UCH is working to

make higher education more
accessible, affordable and
attainable for everyone.
The PTPTN (Perbadanan
Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi
Nasional) education financing
scheme is available for
Malaysian students.
The institutions affiliation
with the Berjaya Corporation
Berhad group of companies
allows it to host several bursary
schemes and education
scholarships available to both
local and international
students.