By UOW Malaysia 

Visualise this: a terabyte (1,000 gigabytes) of data roughly equals 100,000 advanced English dictionaries stacked about 5km high (on the basis that each letter equals one byte).

Terabytes of data travel along radio wave frequencies day and night, imperceptible by the five senses of humans until our phones, computers and smart gadgets capture the data and render them into forms we can act on.

It was once marvellous and astounding, but just like the air we breathe, these never-ending digital rivers are now a part of life taken for granted in the digital age.

But while the masses are oblivious to them, computer science engineers wrangle with them every day, making them better, faster, more seamless, and even inserting artificial intelligence into them to make people’s lives more efficient.

And there is one catch– to become one of the builders of this digital world, the process of learning science and technology is a process of unfolding insights that can take a number of years.

It takes time, an undying curiosity, the passion to delve into the truths of mathematical nature, the patience to internalise the laws of physics, chemistry, mechanics and more.

Knowing this, UOW Malaysia reaches out to students a few years before they reach university age.

The campus’ School of Engineering reaches out to secondary schools to hold exhibitions and activities with a singular objective; to get school students to witness technological marvels, to become curious enough to find out how things do what they do.

Last year alone, UOW Malaysia held bi-monthly events in numerous selected schools nationwide. School students get to join workshops to build robots, write computer programmes, test green technologies, and more. These hands-on learning opportunities promote critical thinking and innovation.

“Young minds swoop through learning curves with surprising ease and develop insights. It is crucial to give them conducive platforms while they are still at school,” stressed UOW Malaysia’s Academic Department Head for its School of Engineering, Goh Thing Thing.

The School of Engineering collaborated with Sasbadi Sdn Bhd in organizing the national competition FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) Malaysia 2023. It allowed students to delve into the laws of physics and mechanics by building robots with LEGO pieces to achieve specific tasks. The competition attracted the participation of stakeholders including students, parents, educators and corporations.

UOW Malaysia also collaborated with Powersains Sdn Bhd to introduce the Mobile Maker project to the Ministry of Education (MOE). It exposes secondary school students to science and technology concepts while fostering critical thinking and innovation. Mobile Maker takes place in four stages covering a range of topics, including desktop computer numerical control (CNC), basic electronics, advanced microcontrollers, and robotics.

It allows students to invent solutions addressing real-world issues and master design skills. Under Mobile Maker, teachers receive specialized training to guide school students in project-based learning.

In recent years, UOW Malaysia has paid heed to the United Nation’s call for Sustainable Development Goals.

“The young minds we are moulding need to be creative while being empathetic of our socio-environmental issues.”

“So, we guide them in projects that lead them to focus on solutions to sustainability challenges,” said Goh.

UOW Malaysia teams up with UOW Australia during their annual Global Climate Change Week, which includes a climate change exhibition for students to showcase green infrastructure in action. From microbial and mechanical technologies to compost food waste to applied mechanics that reuse materials for sculptures, participants explore sustainability concepts. TikTok challenges and panel discussions encourage the exchange of environmental ideas between universities, businesses, and the public.

The exhibition features a diverse array of exhibitors, including industry players, government bodies and businesses, all united by a common goal of promoting sustainability and combating climate change.

During UOW Malaysia and Australia’s Global Climate Change Week, renowned panellists, including environmental activists and academic experts, would lead insightful discussions on empowering communities and fostering local initiatives for climate resilience.

“For our undergraduates, this exposure sparks the awareness needed for progress while caring for the environment.”

“UOW Malaysia makes sure that our graduates develop a sense of respect for socio-environmental needs,” stressed Goh.

In UOW Malaysia’s Penang campus sited in Batu Kawan, a technology hub has formed.

This campus is within a 2,680ha zone housing Boston Scientific, Bosch, ViTrox, Flextronics, Dexcom, Hewlett-Packard, Micron, Western Digital and so many more.

With such a large treasure trove of industry partners as literal neighbours, UOW Malaysia has regular interactions with top engineers of these multinational corporations.

The chief aim is to uncover exactly what skills and competencies that global giants with roots in Penang will need out of fresh graduates, so that UOW Malaysia’s graduates will literally “hit the ground running” after they graduate.

This close collaboration with industry giants is also what enables 99% of UOW Malaysia graduates to find gainful employment even before they graduate.

Many receive employment offer letters while they are still in their final year on the campus.

UOW Malaysia undergraduates who choose to complete their degrees entirely in Malaysia will gain the benefit of earning two-degree certificates: one from Malaysia and another from Australia.

For those who complete a part of their degree programmes in Wollongong, they will enjoy the privilege of extending low tuition fees as if they are spending their final semesters in Malaysia.

It is a mark of recognition for excellent students from UOW Malaysia when they complete their education in UOW Australia, which is ranked in the Top 1% of world universities.

Through its network of campuses in Selangor and Penang, you will find a plethora of diploma and bachelor’s degree programs in technology fields to select from including Diploma in Information Technology, Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering, Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering (Hons), Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons), Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Hons), Bachelor of Information Systems (Hons), Bachelor of Software Engineering (Hons) and even more.

To get a better grasp of the advantages that students of all aptitudes gain from UOW Malaysia, visit www.uow.edu.my to set appointments with education advisers.