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Legally Outstanding Advance Tertiary College (ATC) has been providing quality education for over 25 years and with no signs of slowing down, the reputable institution shows the importance of out-of-classroom learning PAGEII KOLEJ WIT
METHODIST COLLEGE KUALA LUMPUR
MAHSA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
Building Malaysia’s human capital
Educating the Future
Gateway to Science
Undeniably, a vocationally-skilled workforce is the driving factor behind our nation’s successful economy
If children are our greatest investment, then secure your future in one of today’s most thriving and noble professions
Find out how you can pursue an Allied Health Sciences degree after just eight months of foundation
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ADVANCE TERTIARY COLLEGE KUALA LUMPUR
UNITED: A student-staff sports team is a common occurence at ATC
25 years and still going
Healthy learning at its best THE turnout at the Advance Tertiary College's (ATC) annual Sports Carnival was nothing less than excellent. Held on Jan 18 at the Kampung Pandan Sports Complex — a mere 10-minute drive from the college's city campus in the heart of Kuala Lumpur — the event saw a participation of an estimated 400 students, lecturers and staff. The day kicked off at 9am with a short opening speech by ATC deputy principal and chief operations officer Reuben de Rozario who thanked the students for their enthusiastic participation. He told them although they should play to the best of their abilities to win their respective competitions, they should do so in the spirit of sportsmanship and fair play. Participants were divided into teams according to the academic level they were in. There were six teams in total, including the staff team that was made up of lecturers and administrative personnel.
Each participant was given a special commemorative Tshirt with a designated colour indicating the team they belonged to. The sea of brightcoloured T-shirts was indeed a sight to behold. Team members and supporters of Team CLP and Team Intermediate proved to be the loudest in their support as their teams played in all six events contested that day. Together with other teams from Finals Part 1, Finals Part 2, ALevels and the School of Business and Management, they competed in football, netball, basketball, badminton, athletics as well as the traditional crowd favorite, tug-of-war. Principal and deputy chief executive officer Dr Danny Choong was in the stands supporting the teams. When asked, Dr Choong expressed his happiness at seeing the ATC community coming together the way they did. "Sports is a good way to instill discipline and camaraderie among both students and
HIGH-SPIRITED: Participants celebrating after battling it out in the day-long carnival
lecturers. A healthy body will lead to a healthy mind and events such as this will indirectly help the students in the classroom as well," he noted. While the hour-long rain that poured in the afternoon might have delayed events slightly, it did nothing to dampen the spirits of the participants. Many seized the opportunity to indulge in their lunch, provided by the college, and take a well-earned break. As the clouds cleared, the participants came back with renewed vigour and continued with the day's events. At the end of the day, Team Intermediate emerged as the overall champions of the 2012 ATC Sports Carnival after securing six gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Coming in second was Team A-Levels with three gold medals while third placing went to the ATC staff team, which also
Sports is a good way to instill discipline and camaraderie among both students and lecturers. A healthy body will lead to a healthy mind and events such as this will indirectly help the students in the classroom as well DR DANNY CHOONG ADVANCE TERTIARY COLLEGE PRINCIPAL AND DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
won three gold medals. It was indeed a day to remember for all the participants and students of ATC. The broad smiles and laughter on the faces of the tired bodies was a firm indication of the event's success. The carnival ended around 6pm that day.
AFTER a quarter of a century of serving the community with excellent education at affordable prices, Advanced Tertiary College (ATC) is still going strong. Formed in 1987, the institution was built to provide school-leavers and working adults access to professional and tertiary education, with an emphasis on legal studies. Since then, ATC has become the largest independent law school in the Asian region, with campuses in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore. In Hong Kong, it has a joint venture partnership with the publicly-funded Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Its Business School has also grown to offer a variety of certificate and diploma programmes that are contemporary and market-driven. ATC is one of nine affiliate centres of University of London worldwide for law programmes, offering the university’s prestigious Diploma in Law, Bachelor in Laws and Master of Laws via its campuses. “ATC has groomed students on the University of London programme to achieve First Class Honours and Second Class Upper Honours degrees, and is the single largest institution in the world to produce such results on the University of London Law degree programme,” said University of London External Undergraduate Laws Programme’s immediate past director Prof Wayne Morrison. Part of the students’ success is attributed to intensive extracurricular activities such as debating and mooting. The ATC moot team is regionally recognised as a force to be reckoned with after emerging champion numerously in the LAWASIA moot competition and the International Human-
ATC has groomed students on the University of London programme to achieve First Class Honours and Second Class Upper Honours degrees, and is the single largest institution in the world to produce such results on the University of London Law degree programme PROF WAYNE MORRISON UNIVERSITY OF LONDON EXTERNAL UNDERGRADUATE LAWS PROGRAMME’S IMMEDIATE PAST DIRECTOR
itarian Law (IHL) competition. Besides being a member of the prestigious International Association of Law Schools, ATC was also one of only five institutions worldwide recognised for excellence during the University of London’s 150th year anniversary celebrations. ATC graduates, be it from Malaysia, Singapore or Hong Kong, are highly employable, with thousands of them currently involved in the legal arena, the corporate sector and media industries both locally and internationally. In conjunction with its 25th anniversary celebration, ATC is currently having several rebates and scholarship schemes for students interested to pursue A-Levels and LLB (Bachelor of Laws) programmes. For enquiries, call the ATC toll-free line 1-800-88-9292, email enquiries@atc2u.com or visit www.atc2u.com. ATC can also be found at www. facebook.com/AdvanceTertiaryCollege
THE MALAY MAIL
WEDNESDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2012
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WEDNESDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2012
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KOLEJ WIT PORT KLANG
Vocational studies the way to go By NAJIAH NAJIB najiah@mmail.com.my
FULLY-EQUIPPED FACILITIES: The college has designated workshops for all technical training
GONE are the days when vocational skills training was only for high-school dropouts. In today's highly competitive world, vocational training has proven to be indispensable in steering a nation's economy. Looking West towards developed countries such as Germany, Finland and Austria, between 50 and 80 per cent of their students take up vocational education from the upper secondary level onwards, rendering the study a major strength in their education system. As for Malaysia, the Government is currently striving to produce a work force that can meet the needs of the local industry — at least 3.3 million skilled workers within the next 10 years. While the idea of vocational skills education may be alien to some, Kolej WIT in Port Klang had always known this little secret — that vocational skills is the backbone of a country's human capital and economy. Established in 1977, the engineering college has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Starting out as a community college catering to the less-fortunate, it is now a major technical training centre for human resource development in Malaysia, being recognised as an Approved Training Provider by the Human Resource Development Fund (PSMB). Located on 10.4 acres of land in the Pandamaran Industrial Estate, Kolej WIT has many workshops and laboratories to cater for technical training in engineering, automotive, electrical, mechanical, mechatronic
and information technologies. The engineering workshops and labs include the Electronic CAD, Mechanical CAD, CAM, Process Control lab, machining workshop, general mechanic workshop, microprocessor lab, mechatronics lab, Advanced Power lab, digital lab, Programmable Logic Controller lab, Fluid Power Systems lab and CNC lab. For automotive students, an entire building is dedicated for its various programmes, be it Certificate, Diploma or Higher National Diploma level. The workshops are divided into sections such as engine workshop, alternator and starter workshop, and computerised workshop, among others. Over 33,000 people have been trained and graduated by Kolej WIT, with a commendable employment rate of 90 per cent. Thanks to the institution's strong affiliations with both public and private sectors, many of them are currently holding high technical and managerial positions in various industries, including beauty and sewing, in Malaysia as well as across the globe. The best part? Despite enjoying decades of success, Kolej WIT is still able to retain its affordability without compromising the quality of its education, with many of its course trainers being long-standing industry professionals. A strong believer of lifelonglearning, Kolej WIT also offers many part-time courses under its Continuing Education department, providing an avenue for current industrial workers to enhance their knowledge and skills for career advancements.
SPECIAL FOCUS
Certificate in Mechatronic Engineering (CME)
Minimum SPM with one Credit and Pass in Mathematics or Science. This is the best choice for students who are unable to obtain good results in their SPM but want to fulfil their dreams of becoming an engineer
Upon completion of the CME, students can proceed to do their Diploma for only two years
Job placement is guaranteed upon graduation, based on the student's academic performance. Chances of landing interviews with multinational companies (MNC) is relatively high
DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES (refer to advertisement)
Minimum SPM with three credits inclusive of Mathematics and Science
Course duration is 30 months inclusive of on-the-job training with MNC companies
Job placement is guaranteed upon completion of the Diploma and based on the student's academic performance. There would be interview opportunities with MNC companies as well
Courses are fully accredited by the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA) and Public Service Department (JPA)
100 per cent PTPTN loan available
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WEDNESDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2012
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MONASH UNIVERSITY BANDAR SUNWAY
Stepping through the best education standards WHEN you step through the gates of Monash University, you know that the rigorous standards employed by a member of Australia's prestigious Group of Eight will assure you the best education. The campus offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at six Schools: School of Arts and Social Sciences, School of Business, School of Engineering, School of Information Technology, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and School of Science. With partnerships with over 130 universities and growing, students from the Sunway campus may participate in exchange programmes in more than 40 countries. Intercampus mobility programmes to Australia or South Africa – with travel grants pro-
vided – are also available. Monash University Sunway campus provides top-notch student-friendly facilities: the impressive Library and Learning Commons — a student favourite — provides access to over 341,000 e-books, 100,000 e-journals, 77,000 print resources, 7,000 audio visual materials and 1,100 electronic databases as well as online lectures, reading lists, and also past exam papers. The Monash University Student Association manages 40 clubs and societies across sports, academic, social, religious, environmental and cultural sectors. This includes the Monash University Volunteer Programme — a campus pride — that was initiated by socially-conscious students to stra-
In 1998, Monash University Sunway campus settled in Malaysia as the country's first foreign university. Today, the campus has grown to over 5,000 students and attracts outstanding academics from around the world to its purpose-built, state-of-the-art campus
A STUDENT FAVOURITE: The Library and Learning Common provides access to over 500,000 learning materials
tegically and effectively assist non-profit organisations. Facilities are aplenty; the student lounge is fitted with a pool table and foosball, while a multi-sports court for futsal, basketball and handball is lo-
cated on campus. Off-campus facilities include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a full-sized field for football, rugby, hockey and cricket; tennis, and basketball, netball, volleyball, badminton
and table tennis facilities. In 1998, Monash University Sunway campus settled in Malaysia as the country's first foreign university. Today, the campus has grown to over 5,000 students and at-
tracts outstanding academics from around the world to its purpose-built, state-of-the-art campus. Apply now for the February intake. Visit www.monash. edu.my for details.
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KLC PLACEMENT SERVICES KUALA LUMPUR
Study what you want ARE you interested to be a doctor? Does helping people and wearing the white coat excite you? Like many who have a passion for medicine, the financial cost to become a doctor is often a hindrance. This is where KLC Placement Services can help make your dreams come true. As an international students' consultancy body, the centre has helped place students in whatever study fields they desire for the past 18 years, as well as counselling and guiding 'lost' students. To date, the centre has helped about 10,000 doctors, dentists, pharmacists, pilots and engineers to graduate. Headed by chief executive officer Dr Max Palaney, who is also the president of the Association of Student Place-
ment Agencies in Malaysia, he made it clear that finances should never be a reason not to pursue a higher education. "A person who feels that way is backdated. There are so many programmes to choose from both foreign and local colleges. We have a wide network of government, nongovernment and private affiliations that allow us to easily help students," he said. RUSSIAN UNIVERSITIES If medicine is your passion, KLC Placement recommends the Russian State Medical University (RSMU) and the Moscow Medical Academy (MMA). While there are five recognised universities in Russia, including the two, the others are located some 500km
away from Moscow. RSMU and MMA are located within the Moscow Metropolis and offer better facilities and security. The medical programmes in these universities are recognised worldwide, including Malaysia, and graduates would have no problems practicing in the country. The advantage of studying in Russia is an extra year of clinical training — three years as opposed to two. "If you compare the medical fees between Russia and the United Kingdom, you could easily save up to a RM1million studying in Russia. You save about RM500,000 in comparison to Australia, and you save about RM300,000 in comparison with India," Dr Palaney said. "This is because Russia is seen as a developing nation
A person who feels that way is backdated. There are so many programmes to choose from both foreign and local colleges. We have a wide network of government, nongovernment and private affiliations that allow us to easily help students
DISCOVERING NEW HORIZONS: Pilot-training has become appealing to both men and women
DR MAX PALANEY KLC PLACEMENT SERVICES CEO (on not having the finances to pursue a higher education)
in the socio-economic sense. However, in the superpower sense, Russia is a developed nation," he added. INDONESIAN UNIVERSITIES The beautiful Indonesia makes for a great place to study and cultivate pleasant memories as well. Established in 1957, Universitas Padjajaran in Bandung today has 16 faculties and numerous postgraduate programmes. Students looking to study medicine, dentistry or pharmacy would enjoy the cool climate and the English medium of instruction, adding to the institution's attractive qualities. This university is highly popular among Malaysian students, with a current student count of about 700. The selection exam for students wanting to apply will be on May 29. Another popular choice with Malaysian students is the Sumatera Utara University, which is a mere 55-minute flight from Malaysia. There are currently 32,000 registered students, of which 1,000 are Malaysians. While the medium of instruction is in Bahasa Indonesia, Dr Palaney assuages any worries. "Bahasa Indonesia is essentially Bahasa Malaysia baku. There is nothing to worry about," he said.
OTHER COURSES Often associated with style and masculinity, being a pilot has always been the dream of many young men. Today, this area of study is becoming more appealing to the fairer sex as well, which can be seen in the gradual rise of the number of female pilots in the country. KLC Placement has sent many students for commercial pilot training in the Philippines' WCC Aviation Inc. Situated in Manila, WCC is the first institution in the country's capital to offer a flying licence integrated with a degree in Aviation Management from the United States. The one-year commercial pilot licence programme costs RM115,000 and thereafter, one would be able to fly internationally. For students wishing to practice medicine in the US, the Davao Medical School in the Philippines can provide them with this opportunity. However, graduates would not be able to practice in Malaysia with this degree. For hotel management and culinary arts studies, KLC Placement sends students to Dimensions International College in Singapore for a yearlong programme where they undergo theory learning for six months and do their practical for another six.
The best part? Students would be guaranteed a job placement in at least a 3-star hotel with a minimum salary of RM400 per month in Singapore upon completion. If your passion is in IT, a top-notch yet affordable university in Europe is the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów, Poland, which is recognised by the European Union. This institution is a training hub for IT giants such as Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle and Apple, among others. Students need to only spend RM50,000 to obtain a double degree from Poland and the United States (recognised by the Public Service Department) because they get paid for on-the-job training for four months every year. The wages are enough to cover the following year's expenses. Upon completion, students would be able to work in Malaysia as well as in any part of Europe as they would be holding a European licence to practice. KLC Placement also assists needy students in obtaining loans and scholarships. For all you higher education needs, contact the KLC Placement Services onestop-centre at 03-2282 9954 or email klc_placement@yahoo.com. Alternatively, visit www.klcplacement.com.my.
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Methodist college KUALA LUMPUR BRICKFIELDS
A college that nurtures STUDIES have shown that the foundation of all areas of a child's development is in the first five years of his or her life. With the large number of women joining the workforce in our country, early childhood educators are playing an increasingly important role in nurturing the growth of children. There was a time when a large proportion of nursery and kindergarten teachers did not have any formal training beyond a secondary school education albeit with a passion for caring and teaching kids. Much has changed since then. It is expected that soon, only trained and professionally-qualified staff will be able to work as early childhood educators in both government and private sectors. Indeed, governments around the world, including in Malaysia, are investing heavily in the development and training of such educators. Towards meeting this challenge of training future kindergarten teachers and nursery caregivers to serve professionally in nurturing our youngest citizens, Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL) has been offering the Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Dip. ECE) programme since 2005. The course is conducted over two-and-a-half years. Employment and career options The diploma programme pro-
vides SPM school-leavers who have a genuine interest in youngsters with the theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in teaching preschool children. Training and learning takes place in the classroom as well as practical training sessions at pre-schools and childcare centres. This enables the trainees to acquire skills in promoting optimal child development in areas such as thinking and creativity, mathematical and scientific reasoning, pro-social skills, managing emotions, physical as well as character development. The courses are taught by dedicated and well-qualified lecturers who also guide and assess the students during practical training. Over the years, the programme has gained a good reputation with graduates being successfully employed in kindergartens and childcare centres nationwide. Many final year students actually receive job offers before they even graduate. The employability of graduates bears testimony to the quality and relevance of the curriculum. For the more entrepreneurial graduates, career options include working as childcare administrators/supervisors or even starting up their own kindergartens or childcare centres. The administrative and curriculum planning modules taught in the diploma programme would furnish them with sufficient background
knowledge to pursue this career option. Pathway to a Bachelor's Degree Dip. ECE graduates have also been accepted by a number of local and overseas universities into their bachelor's degree programmes and an increasing number of students have chosen this option to fulfill their higher education ambitions. Over the years, the diploma holders have been accepted into selected courses at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus in education and related fields. Several UK universities have now accepted MCKL's Dip. ECE graduates into the second-year or final-year of their bachelor's degree programmes, providing a pathway for an overseas education experience. In September 2011, five students were enrolled in the final year of the Early Childhood Studies degree course at University of Gloucestershire, UK. Among them is Tee Ying Qing, who also won a scholarship from the university. They are expected to complete their bachelor's degrees later this year. Another Dip. ECE graduate, Mohana Jeyapalan, decided to further her studies at UniBRIGHT FUTURE: (From left) MCKL alumni Bridget, May Yee, Ying Qing and Kar Hooi
The diploma programme provides SPM school-leavers, who have a genuine interest in youngsters, with the theoretical knowledge and handson experience to teach pre-school children
versity College Birmingham, UK. Mohana was accepted into the final year to read for her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies and is expected to complete her studies towards the end of
2012. The University of Hertfordshire, UK has a collaborative arrangement with MCKL to admit its Dip. ECE graduates into the second-year of the BA Education Studies (Early Studies) degree programme. Bridget Yap Wern Yee of Class of 2011 took up this option and was offered a scholarship by the university for her two-year study in the UK. University of West England also has an arrangement to admit Dip. ECE holders into the second year of its BA (Hons.) Early Childhood Studies programme. Quality education MCKL has been providing
quality education in the best of Methodist tradition since 1983. The institution's Dip. ECE programme provides a flexible career pathway for employment as early childhood educators or higher education opportunities at universities at home or abroad. Besides the Dip. ECE programme, MCKL also offers the A-level (Edexcel), Australian matriculation (WACE), Certified Accounting Technician (CAT), IELTS and English Studies programmes. For more information, call 03-2274 1851, email ask@ methodistcollegekl.edu.my or visit www.methodistcollegekl.edu.my.
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MAHSA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE PETALING JAYA ALL ABOUT EXPERIMENTS: Students carrying out an assignment in a well-equipped laboratory
Shortcut to greatness YOU have just sat for your SPM or OLevel examination. So, what’s your next move? With today’s vast array of tertiary education options, it is not surprising that many school-leavers find themselves in a dilemma. To make the right choice, you first need to have a clear understanding of your interests, personality, skills, abilities and values. However, to really discover that may take months or require you to step out of your current situation and expose yourself to new environments to help you look inside yourself. FOUNDATION IN SCIENCE If your quest is for a degree in Allied Health Sciences, the year-long MAHSA Foundation in Science (FIS) pro-
The most important objective of the programme is to enable students to explore and discover their real interest and potential. Such understanding is crucial because it helps students to select degree programmes that really suit their interest and natural aptitudes gramme can help you build a solid foundation in science subjects. Students will study subjects like Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Psychology. They will also take up English and IT courses to strengthen their command of the language and computer-related skills. However, the most important objective of the programme is to enable students to explore and discover their real interest and potential. Such understanding is crucial because it helps students to select degree programmes that really suit their interest and natural aptitudes. FAST TRACK TO DEGREE PROGRAMMES Upon completion of FIS, candidates will have direct access to a host of degree programmes in MAHSA, including Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Medical Imaging, Environmental Health and Biomedical Sciences. They can sign up for FIS in January and enroll for a degree programme in September.
Sciences, a minimum of five credits in SPM or O-Level, including Mathematics and any two Science subjects are required. For all degree programmes, a pass in Bahasa Malaysia and English is a prerequisite. OUT-OF-CLASSROOM LEARNING MAHSA FIS gives students the opportunity to experience campus life first-hand. By exposing young students to campus life and people from the healthcare sector, it helps instill into them the right perspectives and expectations on their future career choices. This ultimately minimises the risk of making costly mistakes and unnecessary stress of switching to other programmes. There are also various extracurricular activities and student clubs they can join to develop their confidence and communication skills.
REQUIREMENTS To enrol for FIS, candidates need a minimum of five credits in SPM or O-Level, including Mathematics and two Science subjects. Forecast results are accepted for application. With FIS, students who plan to pursue their degrees in Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy are required to have minimum grade B for Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology in SPM or O-Level. For FIS students who want to pursue a degree in Physiotherapy, Nursing, Radiography, Environmental Health and Biomedical
SCHOLARSHIPS, FINANCIAL AID AND COUNSELLING MAHSA also provides full scholarships for FIS subject to certain terms and conditions. It also assists students in applying for PTPTN loans. Career counselling is also available for students who need guidance in charting their career paths. To find out more about the multi award-winning institution and its courses, call MAHSA University College at 03-2092 9999 or 03-2093 8992, or email marketing@mahsa.edu.my.