Tag Archives: University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)

Kampar – Malaysia’s First University Town

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By James Gough

Just ten years ago when anyone mentioned Kampar, the only images that came to mind were claypot chicken rice, Kampar chicken biscuits and the hills that run parallel on the east side to the main street of town. Flash forward ten years and a new image leaps into awareness. Kampar is UTAR or University Tunku  Abdul Rahman with its wide and spacious campus grounds, a wide expanse of lake with young student cyclists whizzing past every few minutes. But this is not the original Kampar of memory but Bandar Baru Kampar or Kampar New Town located north of the old town.

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Collapse of Tin Brought New Life to Kampar

Bandar Baru Kampar or Kampar New Town was the result of the collapse of the tin industry in Malaysia in 1985. Located to the north of Kampar town, it was started by Tan Sri Hew See Tong, 82, a former tin miner and former MP of Kampar from 1995 till 2008.

Hew, who lived all his life in Kampar, felt it was his ‘duty and responsibility to do something’ for his hometown, Kampar. When his own mining operations ground to a halt in 1989, Hew used his ex-mining land to the north of Kampar to venture into housing and industrial development, giving birth to the creation of Kampar New Town from a sandy yet scenic landscape.

New Economic Activities

At an interview with Ipoh Echo held at the Grand Kampar Hotel, Hew elaborated that his initial initiative attracted electronic companies to his new location. Though the companies are no longer here “their technology had become outdated”, it was the start of a new economic activity which spurred property development and became a catalyst for the Kampar of today.

However, it was Hew’s initiative to successfully encourage Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) to set up a branch at Kampar, that was the cornerstone that has made Kampar what it has become today, a University Town.

*clockwise) Tan Sri Hew See Tong, GrandKampar Hotel and Bandar Baru Kampar
(clockwise) Tan Sri Hew See Tong, Grand Kampar Hotel and Bandar Baru Kampar

Hew’s original offer to the management of TARC was the use of five shop lots with a RM1 rental per year and a donation of 20Ha of his ex-mining land as a permanent site for the college. Hew also garnered the support of then MCA President Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik. Hence on May 2003, TAR College was officially opened in Kampar.

The subsequent setting up of the main campus of University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) located in Kampar was also facilitated by Hew. Engaging the assistance of former Menteri’s Besar Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib and Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli as well as MCA leader Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan, the Perak State Government subsequently granted UTAR a 520-ha piece of ex-mining land to build its campus.

Excellent Study Environment

UTAR was officially opened in June 2007 and is located in a scenic location flanked by placid lakes and picturesque mountains.

UTAR's study environment is quiet, comfortable and conducive
UTAR’s study environment is quiet, comfortable and conducive

Its campus houses five faculties which include the Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Business and Finance, Engineering and Green Technology, Information and Communication Technology and Faculty of Science. It also has facilities such as a gymnasium, basketball court, volleyball court for sports and extracurricular activities.

A walk through the campus starting from its Block A, Heritage Building, via the walkway which  follows the edge of the lake links the subsequent blocks and provides a panoramic vista for the visitor to view how former mining ponds are integrated together with the landscape and buildings creating a very conducive environment for studying and youth activities.

Similarly the students’ accommodation located across the lake are within cycling distance and bicycle traffic tends to increase before and after classes and during meal times at New Town.

UTAR has facilities for sport and extra curricular activities
UTAR has facilities for sport and extra curricular activities

Journalism student Lena Toon who is currently interning with Ipoh Echo till August, described the overall study environment as quiet, comfortable and conducive. Toon who lives in  Ipoh commutes by bus on weekends and like the majority of students, cycles to class.

Extra-curricular activities are plentiful with Wushu being particularly well attended. Its Club President, Lecturer Lee How Chinh admitted that his students’ passion for the sport made it the most active club for two straight years and contributed three of five participants at the Asian University games in Laos last year.

Time for dinner at Bandar Baru Kampar
Time for dinner at Bandar Baru Kampar

An early evening visit to Kampar New Town revealed the hordes of students literally flock to the town centre mostly on bicycles for their evening meal while at the field across, other youths were still playing Frisbee. Notably too at New Town were the outlets of Old Town White Coffee, McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza as well as K-Box Karaoke and even a gym and skating rink all within the centre.

Spin off  Services

Besides property development which was created to provide accommodation and commercial services, other services here include retail shops, a supermarket, restaurants, hotels and bicycle shops.

According to Hew, TARC has 2000 students while UTAR currently has over 14,000 students and is increasing on average 10 per cent each year. UTAR has a capacity for over 20,000 students and Hew anticipates UTAR’s population to increase to 18,000 by the year 2018.

An issue about insufficient accommodation was heard during UTAR Kampar’s recent second convocation day held at its 4000 capacity Tun Ling Liong Sik grand hall. The event was held over three days in order to accommodate the students to share their proud achievement with their parents.

Kampar’s main hotel is the 155-room Grand Kampar Hotel centrally located in New Town though there are several budget hotels located in the town.

Room for Improvement

Hew, when asked if he had done his duty and responsibility, acknow-ledged that “yes, Kampar has been revived”.

He elaborated that assuming the 14,000 students that were living in Kampar spent an estimate of RM14 million per month, based on RM1000 per month expenditure, the town would be flush with RM168 million per year just from tertiary education.

Adding that there was still a lot of room for improvement Hew highlighted the recent opening of the Westlake International School within the same locality as UTAR which provides students the opportunity for a globalized environment.

Westlake International School offers students opportunities for a globalized environment
Westlake International School offers students opportunities for a globalized environment

The international school which started this year offers the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) curriculum that is recognised worldwide. The current enrolment is over 100 students but has a capacity to accommodate 3000 students ultimately.

Hew shared his other planning projects over the next five years which includes service apartments for short-term stays (1-2 months) for visitors, a condominium for overseas students and their families and a 5-acre Kampar Walk close to Westlake.

Kampar’s Heritage Tourism

Another area for economic activity says Hew, is tourism. Hew who has been involved with the tin industry all his life, has created a tin museum depicting the various aspects of early mining activity.

Hew’s vision for tourism could be put to the test. Moving through Kampar’s main road are several Chinese clan houses, a post office and a hospital. The 100-year-old Chinese temple is still there as is the Catholic Sacred Heart Church at the end of the road just past the Merdeka clock tower built to commemorate Malaysia’s independence day.

Kampar Heritage Tourism.(clockwise) Tin Museum, Kampar main street with Merdeka Clock Tower in the foreground. Clan houses beside the Chinese Temple.
Kampar Heritage Tourism.(clockwise) Tin Museum, Kampar main street with Merdeka Clock Tower in the foreground. Clan houses beside the Chinese Temple.

What was equally amazing was one of the houses on the main road belonged to Imam Prang Jabarumun, the Assistant Penghulu of Gopeng, a Mandailing’ who in the 1890s played midwife to the birth of Kampar originally called Mambang di Awan (fairy in the clouds).

In the book ‘Kinta Valley’ by Khoo Salma Nasution and Abdur Razzaq Lubis “Imam Prang Jabarumun, upon discovering a very rich tin field had been discovered at Mambang di-awan, demanded that Kinta District Officer JBM Leech follow him immediately to lay out the township”.

Leech acknowledging the site to be valuable selected a township site and named it Kampar after a little stream close by. For Leech, Mambang di-Awan was too long a name for a Chinese mining village.

Leech later in 1891 described the progress of Kampar ‘from the most backward to one of the most prosperous’. He added that “it has grown from a cluster of huts into a large and flourishing mining village with 154 shops which had been laid out with the usual blocks of ten 20 ft building lots”.

These shoplots still exist on the main street and would make a good heritage tourism product for Kampar.

Apparently Hew is right again. There is still a lot of room for improvement.

 

Volunteerism Reaches Out

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After the launching on March 26 of ‘Volunteerism II: Continuing the Legacy’ campaign, which is a continuation of ‘Volunteerism Campaign: Volunteers Work for Change’, Public Relations (PR) students of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) initiated the outreach activities for the campaign on April 13.

Volunteerism Reaches Out1The first volunteerism campaign was held in 2011 where final-year UTAR PR students helped set up a ‘U-Liang’ library in Tronoh Mines New Village. In the second campaign, a joint project with Kampar district council, present final-year PR students followed their seniors’ footsteps to improve the lives of the villagers.

“Doing good [deeds] to the society is a responsibility that each and everyone of us should undertake,” said Home Affairs Deputy Minister Dato’ Lee Chee Leong, when launching the outreach activities of Volunteerism II campaign at the new village recently.

Earlier he congratulated the students for their unyielding efforts and contributions in making the campaign a success. He added, “Through the outreach activities such as health checks, gotong-royong and education workshops, the students will show how much they are willing to contribute and truly care for the well being of the Tronoh Mines New Village community.”

“The campaign activities are aimed at improving the lives of the Tronoh Mines community and to instil a sense of volunteerism among the public and students,” said Lim Jean Nie, director of the parent campaign of volunteerism campaigns UTAR PR Campaign 2013.

“We hope that more youths like us and the public of Kampar will become more proactive in community services.”

The ceremony also saw Lim handing over a donation of RM20,000 to Tronoh Mines Community Club formally known as U-Liang Library. Volunteerism Reaches Out2

Also present at the ceremony were Kampar district councillor Tuan Haji Abdul Hakim bin Haji Ibrahim and his secretary Nor Akmal bin Yang Ghazali, Dato’ Lee’s special assistant Daniel Wa Wai How, MCA Kampar Division Deputy Chairman Chang Gwo Chyang, Tronoh Mines New Village Head Cheah Ah Low, Sin Min primary school principal Yee Chun Weng, UTAR Vice President Dr Teh Chee Seng, UTAR Faculty of Arts and Social Science Dean Dr Cheah Phaik Kin and her deputy Gan Pei Lee.

Chinese Primary School Receives RM20,000 Fund

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A healthy RM20,000 was successfully raised by UTAR Wushu Club through its Wushu Night 2 show which was held at Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik recently.

The crowd-pulling show, loosely translated as “Wushu Night 2: Chang’e’s flying to the moon”, saw thousands of people from all walks of life thronging the grand hall in the evening.

Univerisity Tunku Abdul RahmanWushu Night 2 Organising Chairman Tan Wai Kim was grateful to all parties involved, from the organising committee to the sponsors. “Wushu Night 2 is also a way to spread Chinese culture and wushu among students and the public. Thank you everyone for enabling this event to run smoothly,” added Tan, who is also Chairman of UTAR Wushu Club.

Headmaster of SJK(C) Kampar Girls, Tan Chin Siang, extended his heartfelt gratitude to UTAR Wushu Club for giving their very best in helping the Chinese primary school. “Thank you UTAR for your support as well. Thank you for your kindness, sincerity and donation. We will use this donation to upgrade the school hall and other facilities to make them comfortable and conducive for the students to learn effectively,” he mentioned.

Univerisity Tunku Abdul RahmanUTAR President Ir Professor Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik expressed his pride and compliments to the Wushu Club. “UTAR Wushu Club is one of the most active clubs in the University and has won plenty of medals in competitions. The Club also puts UTAR’s six education philosophies into practice and propagates the idea of being physically and mentally healthy,” he said.

UTAR Council Chairman Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, who was invited as the Guest of Honour, also took the opportunity to thank the Club for the invitation. He congratulated the organising committee for their concerted effort in organising such a mega event and at the same time, donate funds raised for SJK (C) Kampar Girls. “You may fail at first when doing something. However, you will succeed later and that is how you learn to be confident. And I believe that after you graduate from here, you will do very well in everything,” he advised. “Learn how to be charitable and also to share. Money is just a tool. Use it to benefit others so as to make this world a better place,” he concluded.

This was followed by an opening ceremony which saw Tun Dr Ling accompanied by Toh Puan Ena Ling, Professor Chuah and other special guests, cutting the ribbon and then witnessing a mock cheque worth RM20,000 presented by Professor Chuah to Tan.

Depicting the tragic romance between Chinese mythological characters Houyi and Chang’e, Wushu Night 2 presented a series of scintillating performances such as a lion dance, fluorescent dragon dance, the 24-Festival Drums performance, tai chi, choreographed wushu performances and sparring scenes.

The audience was also greeted by a pleasant surprise when the emcee announced that Tun Dr Ling personally donated RM10,000 to UTAR Wushu Club.

Volunteerism II launched

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To continue the legacy of ‘Volunteerism Campaign: Volunteers Work for Change’, where Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) students helped in setting up a library in Tronoh Mines New Village, ‘Volunteerism II: Continuing the Legacy’ was launched at UTAR Perak Campus recently.

The original campaign was held in 2011 and the library set up by final-year UTAR Public Relations (PR) students was called ‘U-Liang Library’. In the second campaign, present final-year PR students followed their seniors’ footsteps of promoting the habit of reading among the villagers by raising funds for the library.

University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)“The campaign ‘Volunteerism II: Continuing the Legacy’ will show that UTAR students are not only excellent in academic but also socially responsible,” said UTAR Vice President (Student Development and Alumni Relations) Dr Teh Chee Seng at the launching ceremony. He was proud to see that UTAR students continued to serve for the betterment of the community.

Delivering a speech on behalf of Kampar MP and Deputy Home Minister Dato’ Lee Chee Leong, Daniel Wa Wai How said, “UTAR students have shown that they are capable of putting what they have learnt into good use in real life.” Wa is a special officer to Dato’ Lee.

“This volunteerism campaign is held to educate students on the importance of volunteerism, social responsibility and event management,” said UTAR Faculty of Arts and Social Science Dean Dr Cheah Phaik Kin. She added that through the campaign, students will not only learn to be leaders but also improve the lives of the community and change their perception on volunteerism. Dr Cheah initiated both the volunteerism campaigns.

The volunteerism campaign is under an umbrella campaign of UTAR PR Campaign 2013, which is part of the final-year projects of UTAR PR students. The students were divided into five groups. Each group was tasked to carry out its own community service projects under the themes of education, health and environment during March and April.

All the five groups were assigned with mascots of specific colours, creatively named ‘Volunharry’, ‘Voluneddy’, ‘Volungenie’, ‘Volunborny’ and ‘Volunearthlene’.

The ceremony also saw PR Campaign 2013 main Campaign Director Lim Jean Nie handing over a donation of RM2,000 from PR students to Sin Min Primary School Headmaster Yee Chun Weng, who received it on behalf of Kelab Komuniti Tronoh Mines.

Also present at the ceremony were Tronoh Mines New Village Head Cheah Ah Low and Deputy Dean Gan Pei Lee.

Public Speaking Competition

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The Sathya Sai Baba Centres of Perak organised a Human Values Public Speaking Competition between students in tertiary institutions in Perak at Olympia College recently. Over 120 people, comprising students, parents and members of the public were present to support this event. The objective of this programme was to enhance goodwill and understanding among youths of different racial and religious backgrounds in the different tertiary institutions; assist the government in its effort to encourage the use of the English language in institutions of higher learning; to develop the soft skills of diplomacy, public speaking and etiquette and to expose the youths, the future leaders of this country, to the importance of selfless service and sacrifice for the welfare of the old, the sick and the unfortunate in society.

Public Speaking CompetitionSix institutions, SMK Methodist (ACS) Ipoh, SMK St Michael Ipoh, SMK Anderson Ipoh, Politeknik Ungku Omar Ipoh, Institusi Pendidikan Guru Kampus Ipoh and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Kampus Kampar were invited to participate. The overall winner of the competition was Angaindrankumar s/o Gnanasagaran from SMK Methodist (ACS) Ipoh. He also won the best Prepared Speech and Best Impromptu Speech Trophies.

The first runner up was Chin Zian Zhou from UTAR while the second runner up was Hong Tze Wei also from UTAR. The Overall Challenge Trophy was won by SMK Methodist (ACS) Ipoh.

RM18,000 raised in Ride4Charity

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1,800 cyclists took part in the UTAR Ride4Charity event and raised RM18,000 for the needy students in UTAR. The charity event was organised by UTAR Student Representative Council (SRC) with the objective to promote cycling as a green way of travelling and healthy recreational activity within campus, while raising funds for the UTAR Welfare Fund that supports needy students in the University. It was sponsored by cycling component manufacturers Shimano, Raleigh, Cat Eye and others.

raised in Ride42Charity“This is the first time that an event organised by SRC has participants as young as seven and the oldest is 75,” said organising chairperson Ng V Jiet, adding that he and his team were happy and thankful for the overwhelming support from UTAR staff, students and the public.   He added, “the sponsors have been really helpful and generous when they learned that this event is organised by students to help students in return.”

UTAR Vice President (Student Development and Alumni Relations) Dr Teh Chee Seng flagged off the charity ride at the sports complex in the campus. The cycling route, through the rustic towns of Mambang Diawan and Temoh before coming back to the campus, was about 30 kilometres and it took the participants almost three hours to complete.

raised in Ride4Charity1“We were glad to participate in the event and hope that UTAR can hold it annually,” said retiree Sufian Arshad, 61. He and his wife Rubiah Mingan, 59, took part in the event. Amirah Mohamad Pudi, 17, from Batu Gajah, who shared the same thought, said, “We got to know about this exciting event via Facebook and my family and I decided to join in.”

“This is not my first time joining such a cycling event. I am glad and am proud of myself,” said 55-year-old Chuah Yew Lay from Ipoh, who uses a prosthetic right leg. He added that his condition had not hindered him in taking part in the event.

“If you want to make the world a better place to live in, you must have the feeling to give and to care for the less fortunate,” said UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik at the closing ceremony. He thanked all parties involved for participating in the ‘good, green and healthy’ event which had successfully raised RM18,000 for the UTAR Welfare Fund.

After the speech, Professor Chuah proceeded to present souvenirs to the representatives of the three main sponsors. The UTAR Ride4Charity event wound up after the much-anticipated lucky draw session.

UTAR Holds its 16th Convocation

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Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) held its 16th convocation recently at Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik at its Perak campus in Kampar.

There were 1508 students graduating from 55 programmes that comprised 45 Bachelor (Honours), nine Master and one PhD programmes. These included the pioneer batch of graduates from five programmes: Master of Philosophy (Business and Finance), Master of Science (Project Management), Bachelor of Science (Hons) Architecture, Bachelor of Corporate Communication (Hons), and Bachelor of Media and Creative Studies (Hons).

UTAR Holds its 16th Convocation2

There were two postgraduate students Koh Siong Lee and Mok Siew Ying receiving PhD in Engineering and 21 postgraduate students receiving Master degrees.

Invited as guests-of-honour in the three sessions of convocation held over the two days were: Dato’ Ir (Dr) Teo Chiang Kok, Director of See Hoy Chan Holdings Group, Yang Berhormat Mulia Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian, Chief Executive Officer of Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad.

The convocation ceremonies were declared open by UTAR Council Chairman Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik while UTAR President Ir Professor Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik presented the graduands for the award of their respective degrees and also the Book Prizes and Award Recipients.

UTAR Holds its 16th Convocation1

Dato’ Ir (Dr) Teo, advised the graduating students to always have faith in themselves. He said, “Life will not be smooth sailing all the time. When you are faced with challenges, you have to meet them head on and positively.”

“The learning process in life does not end with your graduation. There is a bounty of knowledge out there that you can acquire throughout your life. Life itself is a learning curve. So do not shy away from acquiring new knowledge and skills to better yourself and hopefully also benefit others in the process,” said Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, urging the students to be the driver in a knowledge-based society.

Tan Sri Lee motivated the graduating students to be determined persons by quoting the famous saying of the 16th US President, Abraham Lincoln, “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other.”

With the addition of 1508 graduates from its 16th convocation, the University’s alumni now stands at 30,415 since the inaugural convocation in 2005.

Josai Students Enriched at UTAR

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Ninety students from Josai International University (JIU), Japan, who attended the two-week English Immersion Programme at UTAR Perak Campus were all smiles upon receiving the certificate of completion during the Josai Students Graduation Ceremony held recently.

Invited to grace the ceremony were UTAR Vice President (Internationalisation & Academic Development) Professor Dr Ewe Hong Tat, Vice Dean of JIU Faculty of Tourism Professor Dr Wachi Yasuko, JIU Language Education Center lecturer Professor Nakayama Tomokazu, Director of UTAR Centre for Extension Education Ms Lim Guat Yen and Director of Centre for Foundation Studies (Perak Campus) Assistant Professor Mr Pek Hoo Chun.

Professor Ewe extended his gratitude to all who have made the programme a resounding success and shared his joy for having the group of international students at UTAR. “Thank you for taking the first step to come to Malaysia to know us better. I hope the students will bring back the experience and visit other countries,” he mentioned.

Professor Wachi concurred, further sharing heart-warming stories of the warm Malaysian hospitality that she and the JIU students received and experienced during their two-week stay. “The programme is a big success as a result of coordination between UTAR staff and students. We will bring more students here in the future,” she gushed, drawing roaring applause from the crowd. She then congratulated the 90 students for successfully completing the programme and was proud of their achievement. “We feel even more proud of meeting dedicated UTAR staff and students who make us feel like part of a big family,” she concluded.

Students Takaki Kagami and Keisuke Kikuchi expressed their joy of being here and also attending the programme. “Although it was difficult [to communicate] at the beginning, we made it,” Kikuchi said.

A series of performances ranging from group singing to lively dances by the JIU students soon ensued, turning the ceremony into a fun-filled yet significant and sweet event.

The English Immersion Programme was the fruit of international collaboration between UTAR and JIU. During their stay here, the JIU delegates not only visited certain famed tourist destinations in Penang but also New Villages in Cameron Highlands and Kampung Koh in Sitiawan. The group from the Land of the Rising Sun, along with some UTAR staff and students, were also cordially invited to the Citra Perak Aman Jaya Launching Ceremony and Dinner by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia (Perak) in conjunction with ‘Visit Perak 2012’ which further opened their eyes to the vibrant cultures of Malaysia and showing them what this beautiful country has to offer culturally and gastronomically.

Painting and Calligraphy Fest to Mark National Day

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University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)In conjunction with Malaysia’s 55th Independence Day, UTAR Centre for Extension Education in collaboration with 1 Malaysia Artistic Association and Malaysia Institute of Arts Alumni as the main sponsors, organised the National Day Artistic Painting and Calligraphy Competition 2012 at UTAR Perak Campus on September 8.

As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words”, and all 51 participants elevated the competition to a fine art by producing incredible drawings which turned out to be a feast for the eyes.

The competition was divided into two categories, Category 1 – Western Arts and Category 2 – Chinese Calligraphy. Category 1 was divided into 4 groups according to age, namely Group A (Age 7 to 9), B (Age 10 to 12), C (Age 13 to 15) and D (Age 16 and above). Category 2 was divided into two groups that are, Group A (Age 7 to 15) and Group B (Age 16 and above). All the groups were given a theme and the participants were required to draw according to the theme.

Armed with their brushes and other colouring aids, the participants demonstrated their talent on white paper. Colourful and creative ideas which portrayed the unity among Malaysians were well depicted in the drawings. Participants of the Chinese Calligraphy category displayed their talent by producing excellent pieces of paintings.

All the winning groups from both categories will be awarded cash prizes and certificates of appreciation in a prize-giving ceremony that will be held in December.

Japanese Students Feted

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University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Josai University JapanA total of 150 student delegates and staff from both UTAR and Josai University, including its Vice President Prof Masumi Ishida, were feted to a sumptuous dinner at Syuen Hotel, Ipoh recently.

The dinner, a gesture of appreciation, was hosted by the Perak office of the Ministry of Tourism led by its director, Syahruddin Hamiid. Dato’ Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, Tourism Minister, was awarded an honorary doctorate by Josai International University earlier this month.

During the dinner, which was supported by key players in the Perak tourism industry, a video was presented to guests showcasing the ten iconic destinations in Perak and the state’s ongoing homestay programmes.

Besides serving as a networking platform and bringing academicians and students together, it was an opportunity for the Japanese to be better acquainted with their local counterparts. The 90 students from Josai University were at UTAR on a two-week exchange programme.

After dinner, everyone was invited to witness the Citra Perak Amanjaya, a street fiesta at nearby Dataran MBI.

Emily