Happy New Year 2011!

Here's wishing everyone new beginnings of the new year!

For students joining us in the 2011 intakes, we look forward to welcoming the first intake on campus on 10 January! Cheerios!!!

KDU Campus Newsletter Issue 06/10

Dare to Defy Gravity?

It's school holidays again, and what can secondary school students do, to keep their minds intellectually focused on some wholesome activities?

The KDU's Engineering Expo of course! Held on 30 November 2010 the display of ingenious projects by the engineering students awed the secondary school students. It seemed that engineers can certainly think out of the box! There were gadgets to spin a mop, , a simple digital handheld Sudoku, an Accident Alarm system, Intelligent Eco-Friendly LED Street Lights and many more of these amazing models. The judges from the engineering industry must have had such a difficult time to award the prizes to the competitive winners. Anyway, the AVP SEA Best Project Award was for the Shake Flashlight.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Holiday Cheer

Written by: Loh Teck Hua, Lecturer
School of Business & Social Sciences

Who says lecturers are strict, stiff and stuffy? The Christmas turkey maybe, but not the Business School folks. When it is time to let their hair down, they can play as hard as any of their students! There’s festivity in the air and intoxication in a glass of lemonade!

It was just eight days before Christmas and the action has begun. The School of Business threw a small party for the teaching staff, the law lecturers - in fact, almost everyone in the Section 13 campus who was available at that time. It may be a potluck affair but the spread of food was plentiful, varied and mouth watering – sandwiches, cakes, jellies, fried noodles, pies, curry puffs, wine and crispy fried chicken sponsored by Dr Tan Hui Ling herself. Santa came too. He bore a strong resemblance to Dr Todd Nelson - talks like him, laughs like him and has a belly to match.

Gifts from Santa!

The Latest Newsletter : The PRACTICE

Malaysian Driving Million Dollar Business in the U.S.

Written by: Ann Teoh

Murat in New York

Life's choices

When you're born into a poor family, that's not a choice. But when it's about charting your life's direction, that's your choice. For Murat, the Malaysian kampong boy, his parents didn't know much about education. Finishing high school or pursuing higher education was never a priority in the family. "My siblings and I were told to work hard in a factory and earn a decent and honest living. But I chose to differ: I didn't see my life that way, and I was hungry to seek a better future. So I dreamed big dreams, and Robert Frost's poem exerted a positive influence on me.

Two Roads Diverged in a wood and I –

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference

(Robert Frost, Lines 18-20)

Instead of going to college after high school, I chose to work full time. Later in life, instead of working full time, I chose to go back to school. This process has profoundly shaped my character; I've become stronger and more decisive."

German Classes at KDU

Guten tag!

That’s “Good Day” in German. Fancy learning more from native speakers?
Just join us at KDU!

If you want to save on tuition fees, Germany’s the place to go. But first, learn the language!

These short course classes are very interactive, following the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

What is the course duration?
12 weeks, held twice a week (6 hours per week).

Time?
6pm – 9pm

What are the levels available?

A1/1
A1/2
A2/1
A2/2
B1/1
B1/2

When is the next intake?
January 2011

For more details:
Call us at +603 7953 6688 or e-mail: best@kdu.edu.my

OPEN DAY 2011

Inspiration with a little perspiration

"A great visit - thanks to Mindbenders Asia Sdn. Bhd!"

By Loh Teck Hua
Lecturer, School of Business & Social Sciences

What inspires students to study? Their businessman father who made his first million at 21? Their mother who is the CEO in the office - and at home? The answer is quite simple: get the students out of the classroom! Take them out on a trip! Get them to ‘sweat’ a little.

KDU University College’s Business School did just that by taking 17 of its KeeleUniversity final year students on a field trip as part of their learning experience. The students who are currently taking the Keele University Marketing Communications Theory subject (MAN30004) had a first-hand exposure to marketing communications in action.

They spent two and a half hours at an advertising agency in Kuala Lumpur discovering the inner workings of the organisation. Mindbenders Asia Sdn. Bhd., the advertising agency for Giant Hypermarkets and Colgate-Palmolive products, played host and took the students on an educational trip, presenting their best works, explaining the minds, the people and the processes behind the creation of such marketing communication tools as TV commercials,radio advertising, billboard advertising, event marketing, product packaging and many more.Mindbenders Asia Sdn. Bhd. brought in its Creative Group Head, Accounts Servicing team, Copywriter and even their Creative Photographer to share their knowledge and experiences with the students.

The Way Forward for the School of Engineering

Written by: Farah Jasmine bt Abdul Jamel,
Lecturer, School of Engineering

KDU now is a University College. We are now moving forward and so is the School Of Engineering .We are going for a fresher look.

Flowing in that direction, on 19 November 2010, we invited Prof. Ir. Dr. Ramesh Singh to share his expertise with the School Of Engineering on Outcome Based Education(OBE).

Prof Ir. Dr Ramesh Singh

Prof Ir. Dr Ramesh Singh is currently the Director of the Research Management Centre and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Universiti Tenaga Nasional. He is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer registered with the Engineering Council UK, a Professional Engineer registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia and Fellow of two prominent societies; the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, UK and the Institution of Engineers Malaysia. He is also an active panel member of the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) and has been since 2006. Getting ‘further insight’ information from an experience person like him has motivated the engineering team towards achieving our new goal.

Traditional Education (TE) vs. Outcome based Education (OBE)

The Malaysian education system has always adopted the Traditional Education (TE) approach. The term ‘spoon-feeding’ education has become synonymous with our education system. This approach has been proven to produce graduates who do not meet expectations or standards, upon commencing work in the industry. Lacking in soft skills, they are also unable to work independently, and they aren’t creative enough to provide engineering solutions. This is where OBE comes in. It’s a more innovative teaching and assessment approach where methods such as problem-based learning, project-based learning, case studies which includes literature searches, group projects and oral presentations are adopted.

It sure smells like Christmas!

Everybody loves Christmas, that's for sure. Check out our chefs' favourite recipes for the holiday season! 

Courtesy of Chef Gerhard, Chef Maharis and Chef Yin. 

RECIPES

Quail Stuffed with Chestnut & Giblet Bread with Giblet Gravy

Inspect-A-Gadget!

Fancy having a nifty gadget that helps you to spin-dry your mop, instead of having to do it yourself manually? Or what about an electronic stove monitor that helps to reduce kitchen fires? And if you love Sudoku, you would be thrilled with the digital handheld Sudoku player.

All these gadgets and more were exhibited recently at KDU UC School of Engineering’s 2010 Design & Innovation Expo. This ‘Design & Innovation Expo 2010’ initiative came about from the need of creating a platform in showcasing projects or products and devices fabricated and designed by the engineering students, as the School is moving heavily towards the Outcome Based Education model (OBE).

Students in teams worked on their projects, which would result in a functional product or device, with the aid of a supervisor and in the duration of at least one semester, and these projects would be judged and awarded by experts from industry. A total of 19 projects were showcased.

ACCA PREVIEWS

Microsoft Student Partners' Workshop

Love Stories to be revealed on 9th December 2010

Here’s a teaser video of a BEAUTIFUL love story of two Form 5 students…

More will be revealed on 9th December 2010.

Put together by the Mass Communication team and performed by our colleagues from Marketing…

Laugh away your Monday blues…

Marketing Roadshows December 2010

KDU Open Day 2011

Inspired to succeed

Dear KDUvers,

I attended the ACCA graduation for our first batch of graduates last weekend. The message is inspiring. Margaret Chin (FCCA, CPA (Aust), the Managing Director of Tricor Roots Consulting Sdn. Bhd., talked of her struggle to achieve against all odds. Without a father and a mother who just had a stroke, she left school to work. Her belief that success is our responsibility gave her impetus to continue studying and she graduated with ACCA on a distance learning programme in the early 70s ahead of her peers in university. Like her, our young graduates will have to prove themselves and have a fruitful career.

Let’s us be inspired that each of our students will fulfill their dreams.

On another note in our recent KDU Sport Carnival has shown that KDUvers are inspired to succeed. Every house has displayed an eagerness to do better than the previous year and indeed, the results clearly indicated that. At KDU University College, we are about providing an environment for everyone who desires to succeed.

More inspirational success stories will be revealed on 9th December ...

“I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.”

– Helen Keller

Regards

Dr. Chia Chee Fen
Deputy Vice Chancellor
Strategic Development and Entrepreneurship
KDU University College

KDU REV-ed UP!

By Phang Kuok Sing
Student, Diploma in Mass Communication

16 NOVEMBER, Petaling Jaya: The Mass Communication Club of KDU University College, aptly named UniCom, has just recently been established. As part of its launch, UniCom organised an event in collaboration with Revive Isotonic. The highlight of the day was the Rev-up Costume Day held at the KDU concourse .With the staunch support of Revive Isotonic, it was soon buzzing with an amazing crowd of about 200 students. By 12 noon, there was a hub of activities. Sparking the curiosity of many was the set of wings worn by the committee members and the blue-colour theme. “What’s the significance of the wings?” many bystanders asked. “You will know soon enough!” was the cheerful answer.

A Mystically Unconventional Learning Experience at KDU UC

Hardip Singh, Lecturer, for Press Release

PORT KLANG, Monday: More than 500 undergraduates from private tertiary education institutions in the Klang Valley attended KDU University College's Mystical Night on 13th of November 2010 at Ministry of Sound, Sunway Lagoon Resort. Organised by 30 students from the Public Relations Class of August 2010, the charity fundraising stage production was themed after the popular Phantom of the Opera.

The event started at 7:30pm and lasted for three continuous hours, leaving guests in awe by the exceptional talent displayed by the cast and crew of the production, consisting of the same PR students. From dazzling costumes to live singing, professional lighting and audio, KDU Mystical Night is still a hot topic on many social media websites and blogs.

The 30 young and vibrant PR students had merely three months to showcase their project, which was part of their academic assignment that involved planning and executing a corporate social responsibility (CSR) event, involving a deserving beneficiary of their choice.