KDU students produce cinema ad

KDU College Diploma in Mass Communication students, Brandon Liu Jia Tar, Lim Charlson, Boo Sha Lyn, Lu Heng Shun and Amanda Khoo, had a lot to be happy about recently as the fruits of their labour were shown in reel life.

The students had directed and produced the college’s first ever cinema advertisement shown across Golden Screen Cinemas in One Utama (PJ), Midvalley Megamall (KL), Pavillion (KL) and One Borneo in Kota Kinabalu.

Students in colleges and universities are often tasked with case studies or projects based on real circumstances, and asked to present it to a panel of judges, be it their lecturers or other corporate figures, for marks.

With the belief that challenges facilitate learning experience, the college decided to take it one step further and asked its Diploma in Mass Communication March 2008 intake students to pitch for the job of producing the college’s cinema advertisement.

In a Film Studies workshop conducted by Mass Communication lecturers, Maha Abubakr and Gary La Faber, the students were given a brief on the project and had to brainstorm for ideas, which was then presented to the Head of Mass Communication, Sharon Ng and the college’s Advertising & Promotions Executive Jocelyn Loke.

Ideas from 12 groups were presented, and from there, three were shortlisted. The final three then had to come up with a storyboard to present to the management.

"Besides coming up with the storyboard, we also had to think long and hard about the logistics and resources. Finally, our ad ‘KDU Chase’ was then pitched to the management team and then we heard it – ‘Your idea is selected!’ It was then that it hit us – our idea could actually promote KDU College, and producing our own commercial would be an unforgettable experience!" said Amanda Khoo, one of the members from the winning team.

However, pitching for the job was just the beginning. The team had a long way to go. The pre-production process was not as smooth sailing as the team had imagined it to be, as they did not have the experience to produce such a large project.

The team took two days to film the entire advertisement. If things were a little chaotic on the first day, by the second day, they were deft hands. At the end of the second day, the team breathed with great relief as they shouted, "It’s a wrap!"

Amanda said, "We would be lying if we said that we did not have fun. It was great to sit in the "Director’s seat" and order people around, to be able to handle professional lightings and cameras, and to be able to go around saying, ‘I was part of this production.’ What we learn in class cannot top the actual experience of being a part of a real-life production team."

For KDU College PJ, call 03-77288123/ email best@kdu.edu.my, or log on to www.kdu.edu.my. For KDU College Penang, Call 04-2266368/ email best@kdupg.edu.my or log on to www.kdupg.edu.my

INAUGURAL FONTERRA FOODSERVICES PASTRY CHALLENGE SHOWCASES THE ‘FLAVOURS OF PENANG'

Local chefs beat 14 contenders to win top award

On 23rd October 2009, Fonterra Foodservices Malaysia held the inaugural Fonterra Foodservices Pastry Challenge 2009 at KDU College, Penang Campus, attracting 15 talented local chefs who competed in pairs for the top awards. The participants were required to present two cakes with the theme ‘Flavours of Penang’, to be designed, plated and served, all within three hours.

Following the regional success of the Fonterra Foodservices Pastry Challenge in countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, Fonterra Foodservices, in collaboration with the Chef Association Malaysia, Penang Chapter, lead this prestigious competition to the shores of Malaysia for the very first time this year. The maiden Pastry Challenge was officiated by Dato’ Kee Phaik Cheen, Chairman of the Penang Tourism Action Council (PTAC), who was represented by Cik Sharifah Loon, the Director of Tourism Malaysia, Penang Office.

In her speech read by Cik Sharifah Loon, Dato’ Kee said, “On behalf of the Penang State Tourism Action Council, I must commend the efforts of the organizers in initiating an event of this nature as I believe it will help raise the benchmarks of Malaysian chefs and food operators including those in Penang.”

“I am extremely pleased that Fonterra Foodservices has decided to bring this inaugural event to Penang and I congratulate them for having the foresight to support the local baking and pastry industry as part of their efforts to partner with the industry. The synergy between the professionals and Fonterra Foodservices will certainly raise the standards of our Malaysian hotels, restaurants and cafes, a key driver of our hospitality sector,” she added.

The Best Award Gold winners, Chef Eric Cheam, received prize money of RM 5,000 and get to attend a Pastry Training Course conducted by Jean-Francois Arnaud, the acclaimed Master Pastry Chef who has been conferred numerous awards, including the prestigious Best Pastry Chef of France. The pastry course is sponsored by Fonterra Foodservices as part of its effort to raise the standards of the local foodservices industry.

Meanwhile, the Best Award Silver and Bronze winners received prize money of RM 3,000 and RM 2,000 respectively, while the Best Taste and Best Decorations winners took home RM 1,000 each. The media were also invited to judge the creations to choose the winner for the Media Awards of RM 500.

The entries were judged based on creativity, choice of ingredients, recipe description, presentation and taste, by a panel comprising three reputable chefs from around the region : Eric Anton Roos, Executive Pastry Chef at Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok, Bruno Cassasus, the R&D Director of HTC in Asia Sdn Bhd and Manfred Kohlen, the Technical Manager & Pastry Chef at Fonterra Foodservices AME (Asia & Middle East).

Tan Chian Pang, Marketing & Channel Development Manager, Fonterra Foodservices Malaysia said, “Fonterra Foodservices is pleased to organise this exciting event here at the Pearl of the Orient. We are honoured to organize the inaugural Fonterra Foodservices Pastry Challenge successfully here with the support of our partners, KDU College Penang Campus, Chef Association Malaysia, Penang Chapter and our distributor BGS Trading Sdn Bhd.”

“Fonterra Foodservices is committed to do its part to foster the development of the local foodservices industry and we strongly believe this Pastry Challenge will serve as a platform for Malaysian pastry chefs especially those in Penang, to share their experience and further improve the professional standards of the local foodservices industry,” he added.

Over the years, Fonterra Foodservices has built a solid track record of successfully catering to the specific needs of foodservice professionals in Malaysia and around the world. Fonterra Foodservices, via its flagship brand, Anchor is currently a leading player in the foodservices market with its finest quality dairy cream, cheese, butter and milk. Anchor has also been the preferred choice of bakers, caterers, commercial kitchens, hotels, restaurants, chefs, quick-service restaurants and cafes in Malaysia.

Tan explained that given the positive response for the inaugural Fonterra Foodservices Pastry Challenge, the Company is keen to organise this contest annually so as to encourage greater participation and contribute further to the development of the foodservices industry in the country.

Alongside the Pastry Challenge was the Penang Delights Exhibition, wherein local delights such as Ban Chien Koay, Oyster Omelette and Bubur Cha-Cha were prepared by creatively incorporating Anchor products into these dishes. Close to 10 hawkers in pairs set up their stalls and served culinary specialities for the over 300 visitors.

Commenting on the good turnout, Tan said: “We are pleased that the public enjoyed the traditional favourite dishes made from Fonterra Foodservices ingredients. The taste of these dishes remains delicious while using Anchor products as a healthier and convenient alternative.”

The participating hawkers used Anchor products such as the Whipping Cream and Butter to substitute some of the ingredients including coconut milk as well as to enhance the flavour of the food. The resulting dishes were not only scrumptious but also wholesome given their dairy nutrition content.

Impressing the judges and visitors with their skilful incorporation of Anchor products as well as presentation of the dishes, Siau Yong Kheng and Cheong Chee Wah were chosen for the Judge’s Choice awarded with RM 2,000 trip voucher and People’s Choice award of RM 1,000 prize money, respectively.

For more details on Fonterra Foodservices and the complete results of the Pastry Challenge please visit http://www.fonterrafoodservices.com.my/.

About Fonterra Foodservices Malaysia
An integral component of Fonterra Brands, Fonterra Foodservices is the leading provider of the widest range of dairy products and ingredients that cater to the needs of professional food service operators around the world. Being the expert in dairy, the company offers products such as ready-to-serve creams, ready-to-serve beverages, butter, milk, cheese and bakery goods that are tailored to provide superior taste, nutrition and cost efficiency so as to create the ultimate dining experience.

Complementing its wide product range, Fonterra Foodservices is also recognized for its high quality practices from source of supply to the consumer. The company’s dedication to quality is validated by the comprehensive testing procedures administrated beginning with the raw milk used as the main ingredient in its products.

Throughout Fonterra’s production sites, their standard management system embraces a comprehensive range of monitoring and audit processes, including ISO9000 independent certification, audits by regulatory agencies and major customers as well as its own internal audit procedures. At the final stage of production just before release for sale, all Fonterra Foodservices products are subjected to an extensive review process to ensure all relevant quality and food safety parameters have been signed off.

Among the leading brands under Fonterra Foodservices are Anchor, Mainland and Perfect Italiano. All Fonterra dairy products are certified halal by the New Zealand Islamic Processed Food Management.

Students and Lecturer of KDU College Shine in Asia’s 1st Culinary Cup 2009

KDU College’s students and lecturer participated in the Asia’s 1st Culinary Cup 2009 which happened in Royal Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon, Bangkok recently on 2nd - 5th September. It had coincide with the Food & Hotel Thailand 2009, one of the kingdom’s biggest hospitality trade exhibitions featuring food and drink, hotels, catering, bakery, restaurants and kitchen equipment, retail supplies and services.

Asia’s 1st Culinary Cup will be the first international culinary art contest and convention, and a platform where professionals from all over the world can showcase their talents. The event was organized by the Thai-Swiss Culinary Consultants in association with the Thai Chef’s Association, the Thai Hotels Association and the Thai Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), with experts from World Association of Chef’s Societies (WACS) as consultants.

There were more than 200 award-winning chefs from around the world have confirmed their attendance and the competition will follow the rules of similar projects in Germany, Singapore and France. The judges were well-known culinary experts; most of them were WACS approved international judges.

The participants who took part in the competition will be teams from national and regional culinary associations as well as individual professionals from around the world. Countries such as Australia, Austria, China, Middle East, Holland, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Slovakia, Taiwan and Thailand.

The four-day Culinary Cup will see competitions in various fields including fruit and vegetable-carving, ice-carving, Thai cooking, Asian cooking, Western cooking, US Turkey-cooking, modern sandwich-making, breakfast-cooking, cake-dressing, meat and poultry-cooking, Italian pasta dishes, petits fours/pralines/tea pastries, dessert-making, East meets West cooking, a Gourmet Team Challenge and the Hans Bueschkens Junior Chefs Challenge.

It was a proud moment for KDU College’s student named Cheah Chew Fong has won the Silver Breakfast Competition and awarded for the Overall Breakfast Champion title. He is currently studying in Semester 6 of the Diploma in Professional Chef Training. Another student who was also in Semester 6, Tan Hun Chuan has won the Silver Breakfast Competition as well. Not forgetting KDU College’s lecturer, Chef Chuah Lay Yen won the Silver Italian Hot Pasta Dish Competition and the Bronze US Turkey Hot Cooking Contest. One of KDU College’s ex-student, Cheng Gaik Chen has grabbed two titles, which are the Bronze Italian Hot Pasta Dish Competition and a Diploma in US Turkey Hot Cooking Contest.

Chef Chuah Lay Yen added, “We encouraged our students to participate in international competitions as they will learn to be more hands-on and it will build up their confidence level. It will definitely prepare them to the working world.” The students and Chef Chuah have brought back medals and certificates with them.

Engineering Course Preview @ KDU College Penang

KDU College Penang also held an Engineering course preview on 15th September 2009 to brief potential interested students on what to expect from the course and the engineering industry. A total of 30 participants attended the preview which lasted about 45 minutes. The speaker for the day, Mr. Peter Harrington, who is the Programme Leader from the School of Computing, Engineering & Information Science, Northumbria University, United Kingdom said that to do well in this course, one must have passion to want to make the world a better place. Engineers play a pivotal role in the society by inventing products that help make life easier for humankind.

To ensure that students get the best learning experience from the
course, visiting lecturers from Northumbria University, make three visits (January, May and September) to KDU College Penang in a year to meet all levels of students, conduct lectures and to interview final year students on their final-year projects. At this moment, Mr. Harrington stressed the importance of the final-year projects and that the experience of doing the projects will help in the students’ engineering careers upon graduation.

For those who are working but wish to upgrade your academic abilities, these Engineering degrees are also available on a part-time basis. The intakes for the degree are available in February and September.

Information Technology Course Preview @ KDU College Penang

An Information Technology (IT) course preview was held at KDU College, Penang on 8th September 2009. A total of 40 participants attended the preview which lasted about one hour. The distinguished speaker was the Programme Director from the School of Computing, Engineering & Information Science, Northumbria University, United Kingdom, Dr. Ian Bradley.

Dr Bradley gave students a sneak peek on the content of the course. The degree conducted at KDU College, Penang is the mirror image of the one conducted at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom. Students are assured of the same quality of the course conducted in Penang, but only pay a fraction of the cost. He highlighted the other facilities that are available for students such as the e-learning website where students will be able to download notes and assignments as well as the subjects. Dr Bradley also spoke about the career options that students can consider upon graduation.

Dr Bradley said that over the six years Northumbria University has
collaborated with KDU College to offer the degree programme, students have evolved and become more ambitious in their projects. In a way, they keep challenging their predecessors’ works and have grown in many aspects. He also said that the teaching staff at KDU College, Penang have developed over the years and are constantly learning new things to help students learn better.