StarSpecialTHE STAR Tuesday 14 April 2015

COURSE FOCUS:COMPUTER, TECHNOLOGY, ART AND DESIGN

Bringing ideas to life

Cultivating design expertise > 3 Obtain an edge in ICT > 9

2 COURSE FOCUS StarSpecial, Tuesday 14 April 2015

Makers of modern magic

Fans around the world mourned the loss of Paul Walker in late 2013 when the Fast and Furious star passed in a car accident shortly before the completion of the seventh film. If you watched Fast and Furious 7, however, you may have noticed that the movie seemed to flow without a hint of the loss of a main actor.

How did they do it?Director James Wan reportedly

filmed Walker’s remaining scenes using the actor’s brothers as body doubles. Carefully chosen camera angles and lighting combined with savvy computer-generated imagery (CGI) then produced identical images of Walker so he was able to appear in the final tribute scene.

This is one of the many ways computer technology has enabled the entertainment industry to achieve bigger and better things – in the past, actors were often explicitly replaced on screen without explanation or logical plot adjustments.

We often speak of the great role technology plays in advancing several other fields and, once in a while, a pop culture example such as Walker in CGI reminds us it is a wonderful time to be alive.

Today, there are various opportunities and niche positions in the technology and arts scene that are both exciting and in demand. Here are brief overviews of games development, music production and scoring, and programming, including courses and job opportunities available in the country.

Games development

Music production and scoring Programming

What is it? Currently valued at more than

US$3bil (RM337bil) worldwide, the games industry is vast and brimming with potential. The recent boost in mobile gaming has created yet another niche for developers. There is a lot of planning, designing and storytelling to be done as a game developer.

What can I do?As visionaries of the scene, game

designers are responsible for conceiving the rules and structure of a game. This includes developing the narrative, dialogue and plot across various components such as game mechanics, user interface and characters.

Game artists work in two- or three-dimension orientations to produce concept art, textures, backdrops, 3D models, animation and cinematics of the game.

Programmers are the tech-savvy people who deal with software

What is it?“All I want to be able to do is to reach

out to people through music and connect with them emotionally,” says Fiz Singa, a multimedia designer who has been dabbling in music production since his schooling years.

Easily one of the oldest forms of creative expression, music today is a field where beginners must learn to translate their passion into hard work and dedication to achieve their goals.

Music production consists of sound engineering, composing, arranging and designing. Film scoring is a music production niche that involves creating music to accompany a film. Composers in this field must be able to match music with visual media to aid in impactful storytelling.

What can I do?Graduates looking to break into this

field often have a hand in many aspects simultaneously, including music production and promotion.

Young entrepreneurial minds with an affinity for music find ways to turn their passion into a career, as founder and chief executive officer Madan Psytrus has done with Pulse Soundworks, a record label that provides a platform to showcase Malaysian talent and monetise their work through digital platforms.

“Audio engineering taught me the basics,

development using their knowledge in mathematics, physics, graphics and artificial intelligence, among others.

Graduates can also go on to become project or production managers, game testers, level designers or sound engineers.

Where can I study this?Below are three-year undergraduate

courses designed to create graduates with the necessary technical knowledge

and skill to develop the game industry. Students must have a pre-university qualification to enrol.

• Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation – BSc (Hons) in Computer Games Development

• KDU University College – Bachelor of Games Development (Hons)

• Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) – Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Games Design

but I really cut my teeth as I went on to work in several studios, broadcast facilities and rehearsal spaces,” he says. “Real-world experience is the most crucial element to honing one’s skills.”

Music graduates can go on to become artistes, producers, sound engineers and designers, composers, arrangers, conductors, publishers or teachers.

Where can I study this? • Malaysian Institute of Art – Diploma

in Music• Limkokwing University of Creative

Technology – Foundation in Sound & Music, Professional Diploma in Sound & Music Design (two years), Diploma in Sound & Music Technology (three years), Bachelor (Hons) in Recording Arts (three years)

• International College of Music (ICOM) – Foundation in Music (one year), Certificate in Audio Production (16 months), Bachelor of Music (Hons), extension programmes

What is it?“We are entering the era of pervasive

computing, where we are connected to multiple devices at all times,” says Haw Wai Yee, acting head of the School of Information Technology at SEGi University.

“All these products are able to communicate with each other with or without connection to a virtual cloud. The growth of such ‘Internet of things’ has created a great demand for computer science professionals and programmers.”

Programmers, specifically, create and execute computer programmes through analysis, generation, verification and implementation of algorithms in programming languages, also known as coding.

What can I do?Given the widespread use of the

Internet and technology in businesses today, programmers play a role in all types of organisations. A programming graduate can even build a career in games development or music production and scoring.

• Business systems design – Computing graduates can go on to become analysts and consultants in information communication technology (ICT) and business sectors. Other

opportunities in this field include database, web or multimedia developing.

• Software engineering – Many programmers go on to pursue careers in software engineering, where they can become engineers, trainers, database developers, systems analysts or architects, project managers, or technical writers.

Where can I study this?A variety of foundation, diploma and

undergraduate courses in information technology, computer science and network technology are offered at these universities:

• SEGi University & Colleges• Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur• IACT College• Sunway University• Monash University Malaysia• UCSI University• Nilai University

FANS around the world mourned the loss of Paul Walker in late 2013 when the Fast and Furious star was killed in a

car accident shortly before the completion of the seventh film. If you watched Fast and Furious 7, however, you may have noticed that the movie seemed to flow without a hint of the loss of a main actor.

How did they do it?Director James Wan reportedly

filmed Walker’s remaining scenes using

the actor’s brothers as body doubles. Carefully chosen camera angles and lighting combined with savvy (CGI) then produced identical images of Walker so he was able to appear in the final tribute scene.

This is one of the many ways computer technology has enabled the entertainment industry to achieve bigger and better things – in the past, actors were often explicitly replaced on screen without explanation or logical plot adjustments.

We often speak of the great role

technology plays in advancing several other fields and, once in a while, a pop culture example such as Walker in CGI reminds us of the wonders of technology.

Today, there are various opportunities and niche positions in the technology and arts scene that are both exciting and in demand.

Here are brief overviews of games development, music production and scoring, and programming, including courses and job opportunities available in the country.

By THERESA BELLE

StarSpecial, Tuesday 14 April 2015 COURSE FOCUS 3

Cultivating design expertiseKBU International College’s (KBU) School of Design is a strong advocate of

integrating industry projects into its curriculum to produce industry-ready students.

As such, the college’s School of Design partnered with GS1 Malaysia (an international organisation that develops and maintains standards for supply and demand chains across multiple sectors) to organise a packaging design project with the theme Improve the Product Image, Enhance the Brand Value that was held earlier this month.

GS1 Malaysia is a company that develops and promotes GS1 standards on bar coding under the aegis of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers.

The project, which was conducted for the ninth consecutive year, was aimed at offering small- and medium-sized GS1 subscribers an upgrade on their packaging design.

“This project was intended to improve the packaging design of products from GS1 members and, at the same time, expose the final-year students of BA (Hons) Graphic Design to the demands of the corporate world,” says Dr Debbie Gan, deputy head of the School of Design, KBU.

“A total of 23 students took part in this year’s packaging design project. We also saw a participation of 11 companies that included product manufacturers of various kinds,” she says.

KBU principal Dr Chee Choong Kooi, in his addressing speech, said, “The mere fact that GS1 is joining hands with KBU for the ninth year shows that KBU’s

graphic design students are capable of presenting their best in their work.

“This collaborative project also provides an opportunity for students to attune to the expectations of the industry.”

Students were given the project brief on the first day by pre-appointed clients.

They were then given less than three days to come up with the interim designs and present it to their clients for comments

At KBU, students learn how to design packaging of products, hone their skills and deal with clients through collaborative projects.

and feedback. Upon receiving feedback from

clients, students were given another two days to come up with the finished products to be presented to their clients for approval.

“Collaborative projects are not only limited to final-year students. Recently, we also engaged graphic design students in their second year to work with Rich Art Print and Pack Sdn Bhd to develop a packaging

design for premium packaging of mooncakes, bakery items and jewellery,” says Dr Gan.

She says that the projects build the credibility of students in managing clients and hone their designing skills at the same time.

Rich Art Print and Pack is a one-stop integrated packaging centre that provides graphic design, digital depress, printing and customised packaging services.

KBU’s School of Design cultivates top and award-winning designers through its industry-based teaching and learning. These involve collaborative projects such as BROS bottles design, new product design for Stainless Steel Industries and designing for Ralph Lauren’s The Big Pony Collection.

Besides that, the school is equipped with everything a design student needs. Facilities include spacious studios, advanced computer hardware and software, a printing studio, 3D workshops and a range of state-of-the-art equipment.

The school also holds an excellent track record for quality work, having clinched numerous accolades such as the RSA Genovasi Malaysia 2014 Awards, i-Print Malaysia Print Awards 2014, Antalis Paper Weight Awards 2014, MIID 8 Belas Competition and MIID Reka Awards 2014.

KBU’s School of Design offers the BA (Hons) Interior Architecture & Design (3+0), BA (Hons) Graphic Design, BA (Hons) Furniture & Product Design, Foundation in Art & Design, Diploma in Interior Design and Diploma in Interactive Design.

n For more information, call 03-7727 3200 or e-mail enquiry@kbu.edu.my or visit www.kbu.edu.my

4 COURSE FOCUS StarSpecial, Tuesday 14 April 2015

Dr Chia Wai Chong (second row, third from left) with other ITEX 2014 winners from Sunway University.

Collaborative learningTEACHING allows me to share my experience and passion with my students. In turn,

I too learn from them – how to approach, reach out and engage with them,” says Dr Chia Wai Chong, senior lecturer of the Department of Computer Science and Networked Systems Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), Sunway University.

Dr Chia, who teaches digital image processing, says, “Most of the assignments given to students are open-ended, where students are required to carry out research, analysis and comparison on the information they obtain.

“This helps train their analytical and critical thinking skills as well as their capability in extracting relevant information. In addition, up-to-date knowledge in the field is incorporated through assignments and students are required to carry out research on existing or new information.”

At last year’s international invention, innovation and technology exhibition, ITEX 2014, Dr Chia collaborated with his

colleagues Dr Ch’ng Sue Inn, Yeong Lee Seng and Tsai Yao Cherng to develop the QR Code Car Park System.

The QR Code Car Park System idea won the team a gold award. Such collaborations on industrial-relevant projects help lecturers such as Dr Chia gain further experience.

At the same time, according to Dr Chia, it encourages their students to aim for a similar rewarding experience.

In working together on projects such as this, students and lecturers not only benefit from excellent industry and business links but gain real-world experience and exposure, which are invaluable in today’s fast-paced information and technology industry.

Last year, Dr Chia received

the Award for Achievement in Research for Early Career Researcher. His main research interest is visual processing.

“The aim is to develop novel and practical algorithms that can be used to reduce data transmission in the network. In addition to visual processing, I’m also involved in other types of research projects such as developing of a parking system, brainwave analysis based on EEG signal, a guidance system for the visually impaired and mobile applications. Each is supported by at least one or two publications,” he explains.

Dr Chia is part of a team of highly qualified academics at Sunway University’s Department of Computer Science and Networked Systems who specialise in a variety of research areas, including artificial intelligence, computer vision, human computer interface, image or visual processing, biometrics/multi-biometrics, intelligent systems, embedded systems, wireless sensor networks and most aspects of networking, and mobile computing.

Research grants are acquired from internal and external agencies. Research outcomes and experiences are integrated into some of the lectures to keep students up-to-date on the latest technology.

Apart from teaching and research, the department also offers students an excellent educational experience by providing support services and personalised attention through its Peer Assisted Learning

Programme, a mentor-mentee system.

Students are encouraged to immerse themselves in an open academic environment where they grow intellectually and socially, with emphasis on building a strong lifelong foundation for successful careers and lasting friendships.

Sunway University is a quality provider of information and communication technology development programmes. The degree programmes in information systems, information technology and computer science offered by the FST’s Department of Computer Science and Networked Systems and Department of Information Systems are validated by Lancaster University, United Kingdom.

Sunway University’s postgraduate programmes in information systems, mobile systems and computer science are also validated by Lancaster University. Students who complete these programmes graduate with two scrolls – one from Sunway University and another from Lancaster University.

The computing programmes at Sunway University are industry-relevant and the curriculum provides students with opportunities to be trained by industry professionals as well as hired by local and international major corporations.

n For more information, call 03-7491 8622 or visit sunway.edu.my/university/fst

Dr Chia Wai Chong (right) receiving the Award for Achievement in Research for Early Career Researcher from Prof Graeme Wilkinson, vice-chancellor of Sunway University.

StarSpecial, Tuesday 14 April 2015 COURSE FOCUS 5

Education for a lifetimeHANDS-ON learning that emphasises

the learning process and outcome instead of mere rote learning is part of

UCSI University’s (UCSI) Praxis approach. To ensure its students are equipped with

the skills needed to achieve their dreams, UCSI works closely with industry experts for their insights. In the fast-changing field of IT in particular, it is important that education is not isolated from the realities of the working world.

According to Asst Prof Chloe Thong, head of the School of Information Technology (SoIT) under the Faculty of Business and Information Science, this is achieved through an industry-relevant curriculum, co-op placement and industry collaboration.

Each programme is designed to emphasise the learning process so that students can thrive in times of change. Whether it is the advancement of new technologies or climbing the career ladder, SoIT students are known among employers for their flexibility, adaptability and talent.

The school works with numerous co-op partners to provide students meaningful work experience during their studies. With its strong industry linkages, the school has tremendous support from big names in the IT world.

For example, its IT research and development laboratory is fully sponsored by Ricoh Malaysia. The laboratory contains cutting-edge devices and solutions such as iPhones, iPads, Macintosh computers and Ricoh’s latest multifunctional printing products.

The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) also participates in the school’s annual programme review. Its input is invaluable as MDeC sets breakthrough standards for multimedia operations, oversees the development of the Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia and advises the government on related matters.

Through advice from MDeC, the school constantly revamps its programmes to meet industry expectations. As a result, students of the SoIT are in high demand.

“Many of our students are offered permanent jobs during their second internship – even before graduating,” says Asst Prof Thong.

Through site visits and lectures by external speakers, input from people who work in the industry helps students stay abreast with the latest developments in the IT industry.

Recently, students of the school had the opportunity to listen to a guest lecture on the works of the late mathematician, George Boole, that are used for many computer programming systems, including Pascal and Java.

The lecture was delivered by Dr Michael Murphy, president of University College Cork, Ireland, where Boole was its first professor of mathematics.

“We want our students to be experts in their fields and, at the same time, well-rounded individuals. We connect them to the people and opportunities that can help them on their way,” says Asst Prof Thong.

One of the many students who has benefited from the Praxis approach is Mok Yun Liu. Inspired by how Apple products transformed the computing and mobile industry, Mok decided to pursue a degree in computing.

He chose UCSI as it was one of the few universities that included the Apple iOS operating system in its curriculum.

Currently in his second year, the BSc (Hons) Computing student has been on the dean’s list almost every semester and has won the UCSI University President Award for his outstanding academic and co-curricular achievements.

Besides being a computer enthusiast, Mok is an outgoing all-rounder. He is the president of the IT Student Association and has posts in other clubs such as the UCSI Scholars Club and the UCSI Photography Club.

He chose to pursue computer science because he believes that it is the most available tool to make a difference in society.

“Computing is like the ‘magic’ of our generation. You can use it to make your ideas a reality, such as by creating a simple mobile app,” he explains.

Mok credits UCSI’s Praxis approach for giving him the avenue to garner industry experience while he is still studying.

Through the Praxis approach, students are required to complete a two-month internship every academic year. Therefore, students gain industry exposure even in their first year.

In his first year, Mok worked for a global insurance bank. Despite only doing minor work in line with his basic knowledge, he believes that the experience has changed him.

“I could observe how things were executed in a global company and learnt about their banking system. Not everyone has the chance to experience that,” he says.

Summing up his enthusiasm for computer science, Mok points out that a human being spends the first 20 years of his life learning and the last 20 retired.

“Time is limited, so you might as well spend it doing something you love. For me, it’s computer science.”

n For more information, call 03-9101 8882 or visit www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my

Asst Prof Thong, Dr Murphy and School of Information Technology student Mok Yun Liu during the guest lecture on the works of the late mathematician, George Boole, at UCSI University.

6 COURSE FOCUS StarSpecial, Tuesday 14 April 2015

Technology that enhances studies

ART and design shape the way we perceive our world and ourselves, inform our perceptions of beauty and aesthetics and influence our choices.

Here are a few pieces of art or advertising designs (some are a combination of both) that changed the world.

World War I and World War II recruitment posters

These posters remain examples of some of the most effective use of direct messaging combined with stark and powerful illustrations in advertising design.

During WWI, the figures of Kitchener, the British Secretary of War, and Uncle Sam saying “Your country needs you” and “I want you” with fingers pointing directly outwards at the viewer were undeniably persuasive.

During WWII, the Rosie the Riveter posters focused on women in order to get them to participate in the industrial and agricultural effort.

Absolut Vodka

Before Absolut launched its “Absolut (something)” marketing campaign in the early 1980s, there was no premium vodka industry and vodka had seldom been advertised. The simple design of the advertisements helped create a completely new market.

The bottle design was inspired by 19th century apothecary bottles and the unusual packaging means the bottle does its own advertising.

Today, special edition bottles continue to push the boundaries of art and design and have become collector’s items.The Che Guevara poster

Developed by artist Jim Fitzpatrick, the simple design of this poster is based on

Alberto Korda’s photograph of the Argentine Marxist revolutionary. Fitzpatrick meant it to be a commemorative poster, creating it by using a paper negative printed in black and white with a hand-painted yellow star.

He also intended it to “breed like rabbits”, allowing the image to be reproduced without copyright. Since then, the stylised image of Che Guevara has become an iconic symbol of rebellion and counterculture around the world.

‘The face of Muhammad’ cartoons

In September 2005, Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Prophet Muhammad. The most notorious of them depicted the prophet with a bomb in his turban.

Danish Muslim groups complained and hundreds of thousands of Muslims around the world took to the streets in protest. The embassies in Denmark of three Islamic states were shut down, Danish goods were boycotted and the cartoonists had billion-ringgit bounties put on their heads, forcing them to go into hiding.

These cartoons served as powerful catalysts for conflicts that both tore societies apart and brought strangers together as well as for changes in the way modern societies think about religion, censorship and freedom of speech.

World-changing art and design

AT Monash University Malaysia’s School of Information Technology,

students can expect interactive and engaging classes as more lecturers begin to increasingly use mobile technologies in their teaching.

Senior lecturer Dr Chew Esyin says that academics from the school are now encouraged to incorporate various forms of technologies into their teaching to improve the learning process.

“Students generally feel that there is a lack of formative feedback from the teaching staff in regard to students’ work. There are currently lots of research and teaching initiatives to provide richer assessment and feedback.

“I think that is the same case in Malaysia. We need to move away from the ticking and grading only culture to enhance students’ learning experience,” she says.

Dr Chew, who carries out research on technology-enhanced learning, teaching and assessment, says that one of the learning technologies used at the school is the Personal Response System (PRS).

“The PRS allows us to conduct real-time question-and-answer

sessions in classes through the use of clickers (an interactive technology) and Socrative.com

“It allows us to pose questions to our students and receive immediate responses from the entire class. We are able to see how many students in a class have responded to a question and gauge their understanding. The PRS can be used for competitions. It also makes teaching sessions fun and motivates students to learn challenging topics together,”

students to conduct self-service and independent learning through the pedagogical use of the originality report.

“Previously, tools such as Turnitin were mainly used by academics as a policing tool to check for plagiarism, but these days, we want our students to take the initiative to utilise it so that they can improve on their assignments and other projects, including their theses,” she says.

She hopes that in the near future, Grademark and Peermark, two other features under Turnitin, will also be used in Monash University Malaysia.

Grademark is an online marking system for academics while Peermark allows students

she says. Both clickers and Socrative

collect feedback from students and tabulate the results immediately. The lecturer can then view, assess and respond to the feedback.

Dr Chew says students were often asked multiple-choice or open questions that would prompt critical thinking during these sessions.

“There are no fixed answers to these questions and the responses from the class can be varied, which always leads to a lively class discussion that stimulates students’ thinking,” she says.

There has been positive feedback from students who have experienced this seamless teaching method.

“Students find the learning process more interactive, stimulating, engaging and more meaningful,” says Dr Chew.

The school also encourages students to use other technologies such as ScreenBeam to share their work seamlessly and Turnitin to perform originality checks on their written projects.

In Dr Chew’s research on online assessments and feedback, she found that Turnitin enables

Dr Chew Esyin, senior lecturer of Monash University Malaysia’s School of Information Technology, encourages the use of technology in the classroom.

Special edition Absolut Vodka bottles.

to read, review and evaluate the papers submitted by their classmates.

“With tools such as Grademark, an environmental-friendly paperless marking system, academics can provide richer feedback to students.

“Peermark will help students learn a subject from a fresh perspective when they read other people’s work and the comments on their papers using the same assessment criteria,” she says.

Potential students are invited to Discover Monash Day on April 25 to have a look around the campus and check out its programmes.

n For more information, visit www.monash.edu.my

Students generally feel that there is a lack of formative feedback from the teaching staff in regard to students’ work. There are currently lots of research and teaching initiatives to provide richer assessment and feedback.

- Dr Chew Esyin

StarSpecial 7Tuesday 14 April 2014

8 COURSE FOCUS StarSpecial, Tuesday 14 April 2015

Gaining invaluable skillsIAPPLIED to a number of institutions after my STPM for scholarships. I got a couple

of positive responses but I opted for Nilai University because of its location,” says Ng Kang Wei, who is in his final semester of the Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons) programme.

Having scored 3As in his STPM, Ng was offered a High Achievers Scholarship from Nilai University (Nilai U), which covers his tuition and accommodation fees.

“I am thankful for the scholarship as it greatly reduces the financial burden on my retired parents,” says the former student of SMJK Yu Hua, Kajang.

With the cost factor at the forefront of his mind, Ng says it made sense that he settled for an institution located outside of the big cities.

“The cost of living in Putra Nilai is very affordable. The campus is also peaceful and conducive to higher studies. Unlike big city campuses, there are few distractions here,” he says.

After STPM, the 23-year-old had initially narrowed down his choices to actuarial science, civil engineering and computer science. As he felt that his mathematics skill was not quite up to scratch to tackle the first two fields of study and that computing was his forte, he decided to pursue computer science studies.

Although he had heard about reports of unemployed computing graduates, Ng was undeterred.

“I firmly believe that if you do your best and achieve good results, you will be able to find a job, no matter how tough the economic climate is and

how many graduates you are competing with,” he says.

“In any field, employers are always looking for the cream of the crop.”

Dedicated lecturers

Ng is certainly on track academically as he is currently maintaining a CGPA of 3.7, which,

if maintained till the end of his course, will allow him to graduate with first class honours. This is something he hopes to achieve as he is acutely aware that blue-chip companies are on a constant lookout for academic high achievers.

He attributes his success thus far to his lecturers whom he says are very experienced.

“More importantly, they are always available to help students who are unclear about the lessons. Their guidance helps students find their feet,” he notes. Coupled with smaller class sizes at Nilai U, this means students get plenty of guidance and attention from the lecturers.

“I noticed that Nilai U computing students are very good at programming. This is because the lecturers here ensure we are given a solid foundation in this area. We are drilled in the programming languages of C++ and Java, allowing us to be confident with our programming skills,” he says.

Having been accepted into the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems (MIMOS) for an internship, he

is hoping he will be offered a permanent position there upon his graduation.

With his good grades and firm grasp of the essentials of programming language, Ng feels he is poised to make an impact and carve a lucrative career for himself.

Students in Nilai U’s computing programmes will gain the Novell Certified Linux Administrator (NCLA) and Novell Certified Linux Professional (NCLP) certifications.

They will sit for online examinations and, upon successful completion of the course, will receive a certificate from Novell, United States.

n For more information, call 06-850 2308 or 07-226 2336 or visit www.nilai.edu.my

Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons) student Ng Kang Wei has chosen Nilai U because of its suburban location, which means lower cost of living compared to big city campuses.

Students in Nilai U’s computing programmes will gain professional certifications from Novell, United States.

StarSpecial, Tuesday 14 April 2015 COURSE FOCUS 9

INFORMATION and communication technology (ICT) has become an integrated

part of our lives. As a result, ICT has been

expanding by leaps and bounds with new updates or breakthroughs in the field every few months.

ICT is transforming the way people conduct business and communicate as well as helping them improve their quality of life.

This is the reason ICT professionals play a crucial role in every organisation. They work mostly behind the scenes, supporting the organisation’s goals by ensuring the right ICT infrastructure is in place or make improvements to existing ICT infrastructure.

SEGi University and Colleges gives students who want to pursue an ICT career a head start at its School of Technology and Innovation.

There are four programmes available:

l Bachelor of Science (Hons) (3+0) Computing (University of Greenwich, UK)

Start your journey to become an ICT specialist by learning to utilise technology to solve problems.

Students learn how to write and programme software, create applications for mobile devices and develop network solutions for people who require access to the Internet.

Students graduate with the skills and knowledge to logically think through a problem and find solutions.

l Bachelor of Science (Hons) (3+0) Computing with Digital Media (University of Greenwich, UK)

Students learn about the fundamentals of digital media development, software development and computer systems.

They also develop skills in related technologies such as user interfaces, graphics and audio-visual production techniques, graphics, animation and virtual reality.

The syllabus is tailored in such a way that enables students to critically analyse and discuss the key issues associated with digital

media and web technologies as well as enable them to communicate effectively with business, computing and design professionals.

l Bachelor of Science (Hons) (3+0) Computer Systems and Networking (University of Greenwich, UK)

Modern computer systems require people with the knowledge and technical skills to design, create, operate and maintain network infrastructure.

Through this programme, students learn issues and concerns involving network implementation and management, and are supported in developing personal and professional skills.

Students also undergo examinations to obtain relevant certifications, including Certified Ethical Hacker, Microsoft and Java certifications.

l Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) (dual degree from SEGi University and Abertay University, UK)

Not only do students graduate with a degree from both SEGi University and Abertay University, but the programme also moulds future ICT experts to develop

Obtain an edge in ICT SEGi University and Colleges provides a good head start for a career in ICT.

higher levels of entrepreneurial and cognitive skills, particularly analytic, synthesis, creative and evaluative competency.

This programme is also unique because second year students can choose from the following specialisations – business systems design, computer networks or software engineering.

Graduates of SEGi University’s ICT programmes gain a sound knowledge and understanding of the various disciplines and become capable of implementing ICT solutions in their selected sphere of study.

Graduates can expect to be ICT professionals who will contribute to the ICT industry and perhaps change and improve people’s lives through creating more efficient ICT technologies.

n For more information, call 03-6145 1777 or 1800 887 344 (SEGi University), 03-8600 1888 or 1800 888 622 (SEGi College Subang Jaya), 03-2070 2078 or 1800 888 028 (SEGi College Kuala Lumpur), 04-263 3888 (SEGi College Penang) or e-mail askme@segi.edu.my or visit www.segi.edu.my

Graduates of Segi University and Colleges gain a sound understanding of their selected fields of study.

10 COURSE FOCUS StarSpecial, Tuesday 14 April 2015

SINCE the “blue/black or white/gold dress” conundrum took social media by storm, there

has been a lively debate among the community of experts about its interesting effect on human visual perception.

Although the exact details of what happens are not completely understood yet, it seems clear that this illusion is related to colour constancy.

Everyone can see the spectrum of visible light, even if only in a rainbow. This shows that every wavelength of light has its own particular colour.

Many people also know that the normally functioning human eye has three different types of receptors called cones, which are sensitive to different ranges of wavelength of light.

The connection between the output of these cones is what provide us with colour vision in our daylight vision, whereas our night-time vision, which is mediated by only one type of receptor called rods, is black and white.

Visual phenomenon uncovered

Although these facts explain much about our colour vision for small, isolated patches of light, when we view a complicated visual scene in normal everyday life, the story becomes stranger.

Colour constancy

Surprisingly, it turns out that in complex images, two patches of colour with exactly the same wavelength content can appear to have completely different colours and vice-versa.

Colour constancy is the main reason for this. Humans have evolved so that our visual system provides us with information about surfaces and objects – the sensitivity to different wavelengths is simply a means to this end.

When we take an object from one lighting environment to another, the colour that we perceive does not usually change very much, even though the wavelengths of light being reflected back to our eyes may change substantially.

So if we view a green apple in broad daylight and later under a reddish sunset, it will appear green in both cases. In the latter case, though, there will be more red light reflected from it.

This ability of the brain to take the illuminating light into account is called colour constancy and seems to be partly carried out in a region of the brain called V4, which, if damaged, can lead to problems with this.

Colour constancy functions well most of the time. Occasionally it fails, particularly if the illuminating light changes a great deal.

Many people have had the experience of buying a piece of clothing that appeared to be a perfect colour in the shop lighting, only to be disappointed by the apparent colour once they view it at home.

Finding the difference

“The dress” seems to be an example of colour constancy not working properly. Almost the entire picture frame is taken up by the dress, so there is not much view of the surrounding background environment, which in most photographs

The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus offers quality programmes in psychology through its School of Psychology.

would provide strong hints to a viewer about the nature of the illuminating light.

It seems that, in this case, different viewers are unconsciously making different assumptions about how yellow or blue the illuminating light is.

A common example of disagreement about colours would be when a colour blind individual and a person with normal colour vision view the same coloured image. Many colour-deficient individuals are lacking one type of cone receptor in their eyes and see a reduced variety of colours. They will often confuse colours that the rest of us see as being quite different.

It is unusual for an image to produce such striking disagreements between people. Presumably, such photographs have existed before and a few individuals have differed in their perception of it but social media has allowed this one to go viral.

Our visual system is superbly evolved to provide us with information about objects and scenes and people in the world around us.

Because it usually works so well and effortlessly, we almost never think about how remarkable this is until it goes wrong, such as in a visual illusion.

More than one-third of our cortex, the largest part of our brain, is involved with processing the images of the world formed on the back of our eyes.

Such a large part of our brain is required because it is an intrinsically difficult problem to work out from an image of what objects in the world produced it.

Computer programmers have laboured for more than half a century to mimic what our brain does effortlessly.

“The dress” is an example of different people perceiving the same image in different ways.

At the School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, we have a vision and attention research group that uses a variety of methods, including visual illusions, to try and understand the details of how our visual system gives us information about the world around us. – By Dr David Keeble

Dr David Keeble is the head of the School of Psychology, The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.

n For more information, e-mail study@nottingham.edu.my or visit www.nottingham.edu.my

Dr David Keeble.

StarSpecial, Tuesday 14 April 2015 COURSE FOCUS 11

Innovators of tomorrow

INFRASTRUCTURE University Kuala Lumpur (IUKL), through its Faculty of

Creative Media and Innovative Technology (FCMIT), offers a wide range of programmes that focuses on the principles and practical skills of IT to establish a solid foundation for a successful career in IT.

Computer science

Computer science is a field that impacts everyday life. Some of the products of computer science are personal computers, the Internet, smartphones and social media.

At IUKL, the Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons) programme provides students with a broad and fundamental understanding of computer science, programming and software engineering. Developed in consultation with industry input, the programme equips graduates to be technically competent in the analysis, development and implementation of computer systems.

Information systems

The world we live in today is in the midst of an information revolution.

To be successful, this revolution requires the services of information systems professionals skilled in bringing information and society together.

The Bachelor of Information Systems (Hons) aims to produce graduates competent in managing and developing information systems in the business context.

The programme also gives them knowledge in information management, enterprise systems, e-commerce and organisational behaviour.

Multimedia

Multimedia is an exciting field for creative individuals who are interested in game design, graphic design, interactive media design, 3D modelling, Internet authoring and animations.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Multimedia (Hons) are able to integrate various digital and art technologies in multimedia design, production, management and evaluation

skills in their future careers.

Network technology

Professionals who know how to design, implement, secure and manage communication networks are needed.

The Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) in Network Technology programme prepares students to operate applications in a broad area of usage, interface between public and private networks, and construct security resolutions for local area networks.

In the Diploma in Network & Mobile Technology programme, students are enriched with an understanding of the mobile communication infrastructure and networking concepts.

Software engineering

Software engineers design, construct and maintain computer programmes based on the need of users. They can develop a programme for just one person or for many to use separately.

In the Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) in Software Engineering programme, students gain an understanding in problem solving, mathematical foundations of software engineering, programming, software development methodologies and technical documentation.

Students pursuing the Diploma in Software Engineering learn the skills needed to design software that is user-friendly, affordable and easy to maintain.

Information technology

For those interested in technology in general, the Diploma in Information Technology provides the theoretical bases of programming, computer science, networking, software project management and databases.

Case study analyses and problem-solving approaches are adopted to enhance student learning.

Registration for the June intake is now open.

n For more information, call 1800 88 STUDY (78839) or visit www.IUKL.edu.my

The growing field of information technology

and computer science impacts our daily life in

many ways.

12 COURSE FOCUS StarSpecial, Tuesday 14 April 2015

The opening of the UTP-Huawei Communications Laboratory at UTP helps to further expand learning opportunities for its IT students.

Industry-ready students in the making

UNIVERSITI Teknologi Petronas’ (UTP) leading degree programmes are

invaluable in preparing graduates for the job market and global playing field.

Keeping abreast with the nation’s goal of becoming a high-income and knowledge-based economy driven by information technology, UTP offers two premier degree programmes through its Faculty of Science and Information Technology.

The Bachelor of Technology (Honours) Information & Communication Technology (ICT) is specially designed to help students develop the necessary skills in the vital areas of information and communication, in ensuring that ICT infrastructure becomes more efficient.

This infrastructure includes computer networks, software engineering, programming and multimedia.

Emphasis is also placed on blending technical expertise with management skills, which supports decision-making and enhances effective communication in the business environment.

This degree offers two options for students to major in – software engineering and sustainable computing.

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Technology (Honours) in Business Information Systems (BIS) are exposed to a wide range of knowledge and practical applications in business management, systems analysis and design methods, database management systems and commercial applications.

Added to these are electives such as financial and corporate management, which prepare students for their journey into the working world.

Students armed with BIS knowledge can run businesses more efficiently by leveraging on ICT infrastructure.

This degree offers two options for students to major in – enterprise information systems and knowledge management.

Internship

UTP undegraduates are exposed to the real-world environment as part of their education. Under its seven-month industrial internship programme (recognised by TalentCorp), students are placed with renowned multinational companies, including Petronas, Shell, Schlumberger, IBM, Intel and KPMG.

This internship programme trains and develops student’s attributes and expertise required by the industry as well as provide them with industry experience.

Partnerships and collaboration include ties with CyberSecurity Malaysia, SAP, Huawei and Hitachi, which provide more learning opportunities for students.

Value-added programmes

UTP encourages and supports students to participate in numerous programmes and competitions to enhance their skills and knowledge.

ICT and BIS students have made UTP proud at competitions such as the ACM-ICPC Al-Khawarizmi National Programming Contest, UTP-HAX National Hacking Competition, i-Inova, Global Startup Youth, Dis.Rupt.Edu and D-Code BootCamp, which are organised by major organisers such as Start Up Malaysia.

Apart from this, students have the option to participate in certification programmes to enhance their employability. These programmes are sponsored by various organisations and certification bodies, including Huawei-HCDA, MTSB-CTFL, MTSB-CRPE, Certified Ethical Hacker and UNIX/LINUX.

UTP also encourages its students to make a difference in society, providing them opportunities to be involved in corporate social responsibility programmes such as Young Scientists @ Pengerang 2.0, RoboHOLIC 1.0, Little Programmers and Mobile Apps

STUDENTS from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) will soon be able to gain a skillset that will enhance their employment prospects – familiarity with software systems from SAP, a global technology leader in enterprise software and software-related services with more than 282,000 customers in 190 countries.

SAP’s software applications are designed to help the running of businesses in a variety of industries to be simple and efficient.

The opportunity came as a result of UTP joining the SAP University Alliances (UA) programme, which is made up of more than 2,000 universities, 8,000 professors and four million students worldwide.

The programme gives members access to resources from a market leader in enterprise application software and the opportunity to engage with the wider SAP community.

By joining the SAP UA programme, students of UTP can obtain hands-on experience with SAP HANA (HAsso’s New Architecture), an in-memory computing platform that provides libraries for predictions, planning, text processings, spatial and business analytics as well other cloud technologies.

This partnership was officially sealed on March 11 this year at UTP’s campus in Seri Iskandar, Malaysia.

The memorandum of agreement (MoA) was signed between UTP vice-chancellor Datuk Ir Dr Abdul Rahim Hashim and SAP Malaysia’s managing director Bernard Chiang.

“The signing of this MoA is another important milestone in UTP’s journey towards becoming a recognised higher learning institution. The MoA is a collaborative effort between UTP and SAP to upskill UTP Business

At the forefront of tech education

Datuk Ir Dr Abdul Rahim Hashim (left) and SAP Malaysia’s managing director Bernard Chiang at the memorandum of agreement signing ceremony between Universiti Teknologi Petronas and SAP.

UTP vice-chancellor Datuk Ir Dr Abdul Rahim Hashim (second from right) with SAP Malaysia’s managing director Bernard Chiang (right) with UTP students.

Information Systems graduates in line with SAP’s UA programme,” said Abdul Rahim.

He added that the MoA allows UTP to adopt the UA materials to conduct undergraduate courses related to the latest SAP technologies, including SAP HANA, data analytics and cloud technologies. This initiative makes UTP the first university in Malaysia to organise such a programme.

Students can attend a wide variety of open online courses to learn about the latest technologies from SAP. They will have access to the HANA Cloud Platform where student developers can build applications on the real-time in-memory computing platform.

Meanwhile, SAP’s Chiang says that the company is pleased to have sealed this partnership with UTP.

“Education an the development of skilled workforce are key components that will fulfil and sustain Malaysia’s goal of becoming a high-income economy in the near future,” says Chiang.

He says that millennials will take over 75% of the global workforce in just a few years and that they demand a very different experience as employees, customers and citizens.

These bright young minds will bring diversity and innovation to the hyperconnected workplace of the future.

“The SAP University Alliances programme focuses on building early talents by preparing them for a successful career or pathway to entrepreneurship,” he says.

“A student with an SAP certification can expect to be one of the highest paid professionals in the field,” he adds, citing a Robert Walters (a world-leading specialist professional recruitment consultancy) survey proving SAP consultant is one of the highest paid professions in the IT industry with salaries ranging from RM120,000 to RM250,000 per annum.

UTP’s success stories

Muhammad Shafiq Shahrul Amar Bachelor of Technology (Honours) in Business Information Systems, 2006

Active participation in experiental learning at UTP led this graduate to an internationally renowned company as a technical service manager.

He has been a Robotic Eureka member for the company, a judge for the World Robotic Olympiad and the Energy Project for the Conrad Foundation as well as coach for the First Lego League in 2013.

Muhammad Shafiq is the creator of the first robotic e-learning platform known as Creative Minds, a certified robotic education institution under the Ministry of Education of Malaysia.

Creative Minds offers NXT and EV3 Robotic classes and Junior Engineer Classes (WeDo).

“UTP has nurtured my passion for lifelong learning in the field that I am passionate about, which is robotics.

“The university gave me a holistic educational experience that encouraged innovation and creativity, which has led me to success,” says Muhammad Shafiq.

Ikhwan Efendi Nazaruddin Bachelor of Technology (Honours) in Information and Communication Technology, 2004

Ikhwan is currently attached to Quintiq as the team manager – research and development software testing.

He says that his time with UTP widened his scope of learning and thinking.

“The exposure to a multicultural, multinational and multireligious environment helped me understand myself and the world around me.

“I had the freedom and gained the ability to promote ideas, learning to not just attempt but to do things differently to achieve optimum results,” says Ikhwan.

Challenge, 1Mkids and the Young Programmers Camp 2013.

These activities allow them to hone their leadership, communication and teamwork skills at the same time.

Placement and career opportunities

UTP’s ICT and BIS programmes create graduates who successfully meet the high demands of competitive industries.

They are quickly absorbed into the workplace and secure strong and stable positions with multinational companies both locally and abroad.

The professional and career path options are diverse and varied and a degree from UTP offers students an edge in various fields.

Many graduates even set up their own companies to fill in the gaps of the low supply of quality personnel.