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Adrian Tang

UOW Malaysia (Penang)

Sitting behind the screen of a laptop is Adrian Tang, Senior Staff Engineer at the renowned German global leader for optical solutions, amsOSRAM. Here is a little secret, his journey began in UOW Malaysia (Penang Campus) more than 10 years ago.

Adrian graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in 2010. Adrian, a very technical and IT savvy individual proved not only to be book smart, but also street smart and resourceful. He took advantage of the high-end facilities at the campus to ensure that he was always at the forefront of computing technologies, learning new programming languages as the semesters went by.

This young talent knew that the key to success lies with the ability to adapt, evolve, and explore. He knew that in the world of computing technology, one must always learn to run and never stop running. Technology has the knack to catch up and leave the complacent eating dust.

Adrian pushed himself beyond his comfort zone and absorbed as much as he could in terms of new knowledge from his lecturers. He took part in external activities and talks as well in order to pick up essential soft skills in addition to learning the technical aspects of computing. From there on, there was no stopping him. He learnt that one must not only merely graduate from university, but one must emerge as a talent for the industry. While UOW Malaysia provided a springboard, he knew that he was ultimately responsible to take the leap.

UOW Malaysia provides this unique opportunity to all future students to be a talent in the world of computing technology. The University of Wollongong has a proud tradition in producing talents and developing world-class research solutions. After-all, Tim Berners-Lee, known as the Father of the Internet sourced TCP/IP software, an integral element of the World Wide Web, from the University of Wollongong in the early 70s.

Jodene Ooi

UOW Malaysia (Penang)

“To me, UOW Malaysia (Penang Campus) was a great place to study and transition into the working world. As many of the course subjects were project-based, it was such a fun learning process compared with learning merely theoretical knowledge. The lecturers here were very friendly and easily accessible to students.”

“Besides academics, UOW Malaysia (Penang Campus) frequently organises many social activities to keep students’ lives more wholesome. Through participating in these events, I get to meet people from similar backgrounds—the most memorable for me being the IEEE conference in UKM.”

“My time with the institution enabled me to explore various aspects of computing studies. It improved my technical skills, problem-solving skills, and soft skills required to work with others in a team.”

“Also, the internship experience and the factory visits have prepared me for the working environment. I even landed my first job at the Career Fair while I was in my final year.”

“As a software development engineer today, I play a role in contributing to the digitalisation of the manufacturing processes, aligning with the goals of the fourth industrial revolution.”

Jodene now serves as the Software Development Engineer in Intel Technology Malaysia, the Malaysia branch of multinational corporation and technology company and the world’s largest semiconductor chip manufacturer.

Ooi Ming Yeung

UOW Malaysia (Penang)

During my study, I had the opportunity to be on campus and attend physical classes for only a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was certainly a tumultuous period, but the positive attitude of my lecturers and peers powered me through it.

As someone with no prior coding experience, my assimilation into the world of programming was plain sailing thanks to my program. The way the program is structured provided me a solid foundation, teaching me from basics to advanced. One of the classes that stuck with me the most is ‘Introduction to Data Science’, which sparked my interest to work with data.

The discovery naturally set the theme for my data-related final year project. As challenging as it was, I am extremely glad that my supervisor was there to guide and keep me motivated throughout the process. Her constant insights and constructive feedback elevated my project to its fullest potential. When she first proposed to publish my project in an academic journal, I was rather dubious of my own ability to achieve such a daunting feat. But it was her encouragement that helped me persevered until the end. After multiple rejections and painstaking iterations, my work was eventually published in an international academic journal.

Following my profound interest, my involvement in the field of data continues after graduation. I am currently employed as an ETL Developer at Quacquarelli Symonds; perhaps you may have heard of its QS World University Rankings. In a nutshell, my role is to consolidate data from different sources to different destinations, while fulfilling various requirements. With the fundamentals under my belt, navigating in this industry is straightforward, especially when my work is closely related to what I have learned from my program. I believe that statement will still hold true in years to come. I owe my achievements to the university, which enabled me to pursue a career that I love and enjoy.

Carol Loh Yen Li

UOW Malaysia (Penang)

“At UOW Malaysia KDU Penang, I have gained great learning experiences and was exposed to great lecturers who challenged me to think in new ways and perspectives. Even the assignments given were vital and helpful to my growth. I found the whole student experiences here, especially during my final year project, to be very valuable.”

“The two Business Management certifications that I have obtained at UOW Malaysia KDU Penang in partnership with the University of Lincoln helped set the foundation and kick-start my career in one of the Big Four accounting firms in Malaysia. Even though initially I thought the things I have learned from the institution to be irrelevant, but it turns out I was able to apply some of the business management knowledge with PwC. Moreover, I am using this knowledge and the skills I picked up during my UOW Malaysia KDU Penang time to help improve and grow the department (Global Immigration Department).”

“I discovered that it is also a significant part of contributing back to society. We are helping the businesses in Malaysia thrive by assisting with their international workforce management in terms of remaining compliant while hiring, retaining, and laying off the international workforce.”

“Furthermore, these businesses can bring in foreign nationals who fill C-suite top management, middle management, and technical experts that bring value to Malaysia’s development and economy. However, I see my current contribution now as just the beginning. I believe there is great potential and possibilities for us to develop to make bigger and better changes to society.”

Carol now serves as the associate for PwC International Assignment Services Sdn Bhd, considered by many as the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms in Malaysia.

Wong Yoong Wah

UOW Malaysia (Penang)

“I was introduced to this program in 2000 while I was still working in Intel Corporation. My two and a half years’ studies were fully sponsored by Intel, along with few other colleagues. Back then, not many institutions running part-time evening classes, and I’m glad that UOW Malaysia KDU Penang offered it. Completing this UOW Malaysia KDU has brought me another step closer to becoming a qualified engineer at work, where I was soon offered as NPI Engineer in another establishment.”

“The degree program was conducted entirely in English, which helped us enhance our verbal and written competency. Some technical subjects such as VLSI and Embedded System helped us gain better sight and in-depth learning in the Microelectronics field.”

Yoong Wah enrolled at UOW Malaysia KDU as a part-time student while still working full-time for Intel and was pushed to improve his time management skills. “Besides that, being a part-time student required much persistence and determination as we need to plan our time diligently and manage them well between work and studies—this help to improve my time management skill.”

“I always believe E&E Engineers are not only inventors but also design, develop, and supervise the full deployment of the electrical and electronic systems in the industry. I’m glad that generation now is more innovative and creative in bringing more inventions that can improve things in our daily lives. I’m more than delighted to help to coach the next generation of engineers in the industry too!”

Yoong Wah serves as the Manufacturing Manager in ViTrox Technologies, one of the world-leading automated machine vision inspection solution providers with an extensive customer base in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Europe, Brazil, Mexico, the USA and more.

Adrian Teo Wei Hong

UOW Malaysia (Penang)

“Studying in UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College has been one of the greatest chapters in my life. I truly love every moment of my time here. There is a strong culture of inspiration inside the institution, where lecturers and staff constantly and passionately inspire every student to reach greater heights. Overall, being able to meet these amazing people here have given me tremendous strength, knowledge, support, and purpose to achieve my dreams today.”

“With the wide range of facilities, School of Engineering in UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College has equipped me with versatility and adaptability in learning various skill sets required to solve real-world problems. I was given vast opportunities to participate in various competitions, which greatly honed my interpersonal skills while being exposed to practical experiences. And these experiences enabled me to see the world differently. It allowed me to perform well not only in engineering but also socially skilled in establishing working relationships with clients and partners.”

“Again, being able to cross paths with these passionate lecturers of UOW Malaysia KDU has inspired me to be an educator and a maker myself. Today, I continued to do my part in engaging and inspiring the younger generation in science and technology. I hope to pass on what I learned to them, just as what the lecturers have done for me.”

Adrian now serves as the Education and Sales Program Manager of rero EDUteam for Cytron Technologies. He has been leading and supporting the setup of STEM Maker Lab for Malaysia’s Primary and Secondary Schools since 2018. He hopes to narrow the accessibility gap of educational resources for all schools while also supporting the maker movement’s growth in Malaysia.

Jessica Lai

UOW Malaysia (Penang)

“Deciding to pursue my tertiary education at UOW Malaysia KDU University College was definitely a choice well-made. Just like most people, I had no idea what I am going to do after graduating high school, I was introduced to UOW Malaysia KDU by my brother who was studying in the institution back then. It was a time of exploration and discovery for me, both on a personal and intellectual level.”

“The competent lecturers and great systems within campus provided me with a platform for proper guidance. Graduating from UOW Malaysia KDU not only equipped me with knowledge and communication skills to carry forward in both my career and life today, but it also gave me memorable memories with my classmates as we would study, eat, and being mischievous together. I will always remember the UOW Malaysia KDU Cafeteria where we would hang out between classes.”

Jessica has been instrumental to the growth of Aspen Group, Penang-based property development and real estate investment group, where she now serves as the Divisional Director, Group Human Resource & Administration Division.

“The role of Human Resource in planning and driving the strategic growth of an organization is as important as technology or business leadership. In my role, I am required to assist the company in paving the way for strategic growth across decisions and sustain the right conversations with other leaders to carve out an intelligent path for a promising future for co-workers. A HR professional adds value to the business, not only through sourcing and recruiting the best talent, but by supporting co-workers, creating a great co-worker culture, and looking at ways to make a positive difference in the workplace. That is why I love working in HR.”

Benny Chan Beng Lee

UOW Malaysia (Selangor)

I spent 3 years in UOW Malaysia KDU’s Bachelor of Game Development (Hons) program learning and growing as a game designer. It helped enable my curiosity to deconstruct games and recreate new ones with different experiences and mechanics.  I founded my own game company Cellar Vault Games with my course mates, and we used the same principles to tell compelling story games which are then infused with our Malaysian culture and experiences. Since releasing several games including our newest one – 7PM I have still a lot to learn and will be continuing to further my curiosity in game design and games as a career. Cellar Vault Games is a small Indie game dev team base in Malaysia.

Moses Gerard

UOW Malaysia (Penang)

I am working as a nurse in the Medical Ward of one of the NHS Trust Hospitals in London, UK. I graduated from UOW Malaysia KDU in 2012 with a Diploma in Nursing and recently in 2019, I had graduated with a Masters in Nursing from a UK university.

Many changes have happened in the hospital where I work since this pandemic. The ward that I was working in had to be converted to a COVID ward so as to prepare for the influx of COVID-19 patients. My existing team of ward staff quickly worked together to make this new environment where we all had to wear full PPE as comfortable as possible for all of us to work with. There was also a period where my ward was closed for disinfecting and I was then sent to other wards for over a month. It was amazing to see everyone working together although it was a very scary and tense period especially having to hear and read daily the heart breaking news of nursing staff all around UK dying from COVID-19. Throughout this time, I persevered to do my job to the best of my ability, ensuring first that the infected patients were all well taken care of and taking COVID-19 swabs frequently. On top of that I also had to deal with patients on ventilators when I was attached to the Respiratory Ward.

What I found most challenging during this pandemic was not knowing exactly how dangerous this virus is yet having to treat it. Even more troubling and challenging was reading news of medical staff and frontliners dying from being infected while caring for and treating COVID-19 patients. It was depressing to think of all the healthcare workers who were sacrificing their lives for their patients while leaving their loved ones behind, anxious and waiting for them to come home.

One of the most frightening things I experienced during this pandemic was seeing more patients die from breathing issues especially among the elderly and seeing it happen so fast. Seeing that, I knew that I had to be even more vigilant and observant in my nursing skills as I work alongside the team of doctors.

Throughout this pandemic and very challenging time, the one thing I am truly thankful for is the support from my family and girlfriend despite them worrying about my health and safety.

Rachel Leow Jia Syuen

UOW Malaysia (Penang)

I graduated from UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College, School of Nursing and Allied Health (formally known as KDU College (PG) Sdn. Bhd.) in 2016. I am currently working as a registered nurse in a hospital in Singapore and am attached to the Isolation Ward.

As a nurse, I observed a massive influx of admission during the COVID-19 outbreak. The screening as well as the security measures taken by the hospital have also been tightened up. Patients become anxious once they are isolated in the Isolation Ward and keep asking the nurses if they are COVID positive. My job as a nurse is to remain calm, confident and most of all reassuring as I need to give the patients the correct information such as how to practice good hand hygiene and to wear the full PPE. I also assist the doctors in collecting samples from patients for COVID-19 testing. We work as a team and look out for each other in the Isolation Ward.

During this period of COVID-19, what I found most challenging other than work was not being able to go back home to Malaysia to be with my family or even to meet my elder sister who also works in Singapore. Thankfully, we can all still communicate through video chats as a family. I am so very grateful for all the encouragement and support shown to me by my family to help me get through this challenging time especially when the COVID-19 outbreak just started.

Another thing that has helped me to pull through is that I try to maintain a positive attitude. In addition I feel so much happiness whenever I get to discharge a patient who has recovered from COVID-19.  It is at these times that I feel very useful to society and am really proud to be able to so my part to help. Without a doubt, COVID-19 has been a real wake-up call for everyone everywhere. This past few months will indeed be one of my most cherished nursing experiences

Emerald Alyssa Lu Yen Chian

UOW Malaysia (Selangor)

“I was lucky to receive a job offer for Club Med as a bartender while I was doing my internship in Club Med Cherating Kuantan. After graduating from UOM Malaysia KDU, I continued working with Club Med as a contract “GO”-Gentle Organizer, which allowed me to travel to different Club Med properties around the world.”

“This opportunity also widens my knowledge and exposure to many different working cultures. Working in this hospitality industry, one needs to be more outgoing and be adaptable.”

“What makes Club Med so special is the fun working environment, surrounded by friendly colleagues and guests from different nationalities. I also had the opportunity to learn many other foreign languages while working here.”

“In May 2014, I was offered to move to Maldives Kani Club Med, and it has been one of the greatest experiences I ever had on this paradise island. I’m truly grateful to be part of Club Med. If it wasn’t for my internship, I don’t think I would have discovered Club Med. I want to thank my General Manager, Merlin Chelilah, who has been supporting and offered me to work with Club Med.”

Lim Hui Shin

UOW Malaysia (Penang)

Aside from feeling incompetent for the job, I was feeling emotional stress and anxious knowing that we are the frontline workers, which also means we could at anytime be in close contact with a positive COVID-19 patient. Knowing that we are here to take care of the patients, helping them to recover so that they can be united with their loved ones again. This has become a great motivation and drive for me as we worked around the clock in the SHDU.

This is an unprecedented time as many would say, effective communication within the hospital, the information and updates need to be very clear, timely, and accurate. It is mandatory for us as nurses to update the spokespersons daily on the patients’ progress and recovery. We are also here to provide emotional support and be empathetic to the COVID-19 patients. The patients will not see their loved ones physically until they are discharged. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure they are taken care of emotionally as well.

There is a silver lining behind this dark cloud; there are blessings found even during this challenging time of COVID-19. First, I experienced tremendous love and support from my own family while being in the frontline. Second, I have a deeper understanding and appreciate all the frontliners around the world who committed to overcoming this pandemic. I now see being a nurse as a great calling, and I do believe nurses play a cardinal role in the healthcare industry. When it comes to saving lives, nurses do not play second fiddle.

Yes, I believe over the years the role of nursing has been underappreciated. But thankfully, we are seeing a great shift. The public is now a lot more aware on the contribution and the vital role of the nurses. In fact, many news articles today have attributed the nurses to be a pivotal role in the patients’ recovery journey.

I am truly humbled by the growing changed of perspective towards nurses. Even in this COVID-19 pandemic, we are noticing how society and school leavers now are viewing nursing as a very noble and respected profession.