Report on Visit to Malaysia, August 2003.
17 August: depart from Heathrow.
18 August: arrive KL.
19 August:
09.30 - MARA Headquarters to meet Mr. Encik Zulkifli Idris, Deputy Director of the Scholarship and Training Division. Outlined our new degree programmes. Mr. Idris appeared surprised at the number and choice of degree programmes available. We discussed the inevitable problem with regard to the league tables and Mr. Idris repeated the Mara position with regard to sponsorship. He said that Mara were likely to increase the number of sponsored students in the future.
11.00 – Sunway College to meet Mrs. Hor Poh Choo, Director of the A-level Programme. Very pleasant welcome (as usual). She was very interested in the new degree programmes and liked the range and choice available to the students.
14.30 – Mara College Seremban. Met Mr. Che Soh Che Mat, Head of A-level Programmes. General discussion with him was followed by a presentation on engineering to about 40 students.
19.25 – depart from KLIA for Penang.
20 August: British Council Exhibition in Penang. Generally busy but very few enquiries for entry in 2003. Interest was equally split between UG and PG with the latter concentrated upon taught Master programmes (Engineering, Computer Science and Business Studies) and MBA. Flew back to KL in evening.
21 August: Full day at Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Tronoh. Petronas kindly sent a car to collect me from the hotel. At UTP, met many members of staff, including Mr. Mohammed Zahir Abdul Khalid (Manager, Corporate Planning/Business Development), Dr. Fakhruldin Mohd Hashim (Head of Mechanical Engineering), Dr. Mohd Noh B. Karsiti (Programme Head of Electrical Engineering and Electronics), Dr. Mohd. Amin Abd Majid (Mechanical Engineering), and Professor Dr. Ibrahim Kamaruddin ( Director of Undergraduate Studies). Was taken on an extensive tour of the University. It is situated in a fine park-like setting with lakes and landscaped areas. A major feature of the campus are the extensive new buildings designed by Norman Foster. These incorporate the teaching rooms and laboratories, administrative centre, etc.. Very impressive! The buildings had just been completed and the staff were in the process of unpacking and commissioning laboratory apparatus. I looked with particular interest at the facilities in civil engineering , which are superb. I hope that they will be able to recruit staff of sufficient calibre to make full use of them. Discussions throughout the day included the wish of Petronas to be closely linked with Warwick and their desire to be as entreprenurial as we are. It looks likely that Prof. Derek Chetwynd will be appointed as one of their External Examiners.
Overall a most enjoyable day.
22 August:
09.30 – to Mabecs for brief discussion on the itinerary for the next few days.
10.30 – visit to KMYS to meet Puan Rogayah and colleagues, including Kasthuri Velayutham (Counsellor) and Martyn Fellender (Head of Arts and General Studies). General discussion before outlining the new engineering degree programmes, which again received an enthusiastic welcome.
Returned to MABECS for a few general enquiries.
14.00 – visit arranged to meet Dr. Ngoh Gek Cheng at Prime College but he cancelled at late notice due to emergency personal reasons, so remained at MABECS to discuss some aspects of the new engineering degree programmes. A more detailed briefing to MABECS is needed.
15.00 – to PWTC for briefing and setting up stand for the exhibition.
23 and 24 August: BC Exhibition at PWTC.
Generally very busy on both days. Very few enquiries concerning clearing. Most of our visitors were interested in Computer Science, Engineering, MORSE, MBA. About equal split between UG and PG interests. Very little interest in the Foundation Programmes.
25 August:
09.00 - Counselling at MABECS.
10.00 – Visit to KDU. Met with Ms. Loh Chooi Lay ( A-level Coordinator) and Annie Lim Mei Woon (Dean of the Centre for Pre-University Studies). Gave presentation on engineering to about 30 students.
12.00 – Back to MABECS for further counselling (3 students).
15.00 – Visit to Mara College Bantung. Gave presentation on engineering to about 35 students. Lots of questions covering a very wide range of topics, including the difference between different types of engineering (civil/mechanical/manufacturing, etc.), costs of living in the UK, etc.
26 August:
09.00 – to MABECS for counselling post-fair. Saw 4 sets of students and parents. One was a student from engineering who is required to resit Year 2. Of the others, 2 were enquiring about Ph.D. studies in Computer Science.
14.00 – Visit to Taylors College.
Very enthusiastic welcome! Partly because of the success of their students in obtaining Warwick Scholarships and also because they had just received a letter from Tony Price outlining our new engineering programmes, which they felt to be excellent. The aim of the visit was to meet students interested in following engineering, but they said that they wished it had been possible to arrange a briefing to their staff and also to students on these new programmes. Since I was due to fly back to the UK that evening, this could not be done. We must take advantage of these good opportunities in the future to make such a briefing visit. I met with about 12 students interested in engineering and computer science. Also met many members of staff including Thou Kok Cheng (Programme Director of Cambridge A-levels), Hew Kuen Hin (Assistant Registrar 0f Cambridge A-level Programme), Mary Ng (Programme Director S. Australian Mastriculation Programme) and William Walter (Programme Director of Canadian Pre-University Programme). Overall an excellent afternoon.
Late evening – return to UK.
DJPetley.
Malaysia03.doc