StarSpecial POSTGRADUATE Be the chosen one

The right MBA will help to boost your career.

THE STAR Tuesday 21 January 2014

Choice and diversity > 3

An MBA at your own PACE > 8

Engineering your future > 10

2 POSTGRADUATE StarSpecial, Tuesday 21 January 2014

The MBAs enduring appeal

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HE MBA used to be the go-to tertiary qualication for those who wanted to diversify their skills and move up the ladder in their careers. Nowadays, MBAs are ubiquitous, with almost every institution of higher education offering them, and almost everyone you meet having one. And yet, graduates still feel that their education is incomplete without an MBA, and there are hundreds of career-people who want to improve their prospects by getting an MBA.

Money talk
Obtaining an MBA requires some investment; it is one of the most expensive postgraduate qualications out there. In a public institution in Malaysia, an MBA programme can cost a minimum of RM12,000 and a maximum of about RM30,000 (international student fees are much higher). In a private institution or foreign branch campus, graduates should be prepared to fork out between RM10,000 and RM30,000 more. Potential postgraduate candidates should consider the cost of obtaining an MBA and offset it with the potential opportunities for promotion and increased salary. Those in larger companies may be ensured a promotion after obtaining an MBA, but in reality, few companies pay for their employees to upgrade themselves. Even if they do, this privilege is often reserved for those in senior administrative positions or for niches. So for most people, taking two years off from their jobs is not an option. There are options for those who must work and study. Most local institutions of higher education offer part-time or exible studies and students are allowed to extend their studies past the usual four semesters. There are also ODL (online distance learning) options, such as those offered by Open University Malaysia, Asia e-University or Wawasan Open University. An MBA is for those who have considered the next steps they want to take in their career path and are willing to spend the time, effort and money to get it. n Next month What private institutions offer

What employers want

There is no doubt that the knowledge and skills gained from an MBA attract the interest of employers and open up career opportunities. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Corporate Recruiters Survey 2013 found that the job market for holders of graduate business school degrees improved last year. The GMACs survey report states that more companies hired MBA graduates last year than in 2012, and there was also an increase in the average number of new MBA hires per company. It also states that hiring trends last year showed the greatest growth in demand for MBAs compared with the year before came from the energy and utilities, and the health care and pharmaceuticals sectors industries not traditionally sought by MBA graduates or vice versa. In todays world, an MBA can be the stepping stone a person needs to go from menial or technical tasks to strategic and managerial roles. A specialist MBA can facilitate the move to a niche in any given industry, and even to a different industry.

RANGE OF PRICES OF MBA PROGRAMMES IN TOP MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITIES

Price Local Students RM14,470 RM29,728 RM17,280 RM26,800 RM25,900 International Students RM21,094 RM50,064 RM28,220 RM39,800 RM43,800

University Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Universiti Malaya Universiti Sains Malaysia UKM Graduate Business School (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia) Universiti Putra Malaysia (Putra Business School)

StarSpecial, Tuesday 21 January 2014

POSTGRADUATE 3

VC COLUMN

Investment in an MBA can deliver real value in terms of salary and career enhancement.

Choice and diversity

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FIRST started teaching an MBA programme some 25 years ago and over that time, the popularity and diversity of MBA programmes has increased dramatically. They continue to be one of the most expensive academic qualications available but the right MBA can more than pay for itself in terms of career progression and salary improvement. Indeed, one consequence of this is that most of the well-known ranking systems for MBAs pay particular attention to the starting salaries of graduates as an indicator of the quality of a particular programme. But the MBA has also had its fair share of critics; when the rst MBAs started to appear at scale (probably in the 1980s and 1990s), negative perceptions focused on the broad-based and general nature of the programme, a claimed lack of depth and rigour and the emphasis on practice ahead of theory. For many, the concern about the MBA was that is just was not academic enough. Such criticisms now feel dated and short-sighted and the real strength of the MBA using theory and critical analysis to inform and enhance practice is widely recognised and valued. But MBAs continue to attract their critics. Some now argue that the sheer number of programmes on offer is eroding the value of an MBA. Others suggest that the changing nature of management roles and responsibilities means that generalist qualications are of less and less relevance. And some critics simply remind us of the huge variability in duration, format and delivery which make it dicult to have any condence in the relative merits of different types of MBAs.

By Professor Christine Ennew

I am much more optimistic about the future of the MBA. There is certainly much more choice and diversity available to prospective students delivery may be oine or online or both, delivered week on week or on a block basis, the subject matter may be general or specialised. And of course we now have regular versus executive versions of the MBA. Choice is certainly more complex, but the amount of information available to aid decision-making is so much greater. And despite the increase in the number of programmes, there continues to be evidence that investment in an MBA can deliver real value in terms of salary and career enhancement. The scale of the impact depends on both the quality of the MBA programme and on the extent to which the individual really takes advantages of the opportunities offered. Ensuring that you have good managerial experience to build on before starting an MBA programme is essential; the essence of an MBA is using theory to understand and inform practice by learning from your own experiences and those of others. If you dont already have managerial experience your learning will be less effective and that in turn will reduce the return on your investment. l Professor Christine Ennew is the Provost and CEO of The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.

4 POSTGRADUATE StarSpecial, Tuesday 21 January 2014

Taylors Graduate school aims to develop productive professionals in specialised fields.

Keeping programmes relevant to the industry

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S a leading private institution of higher education, Taylors University is condent that its postgraduate offerings, through the Taylors Graduate School (TGS), are aligned to the needs of the industry. With the introduction of three more postgraduate programmes, Taylors has extended its offerings to cover more disciplines. TGS latest programmes include the Master of Teaching and Learning, Masters in Communication and PhD in Education. The programmes open more options for working professionals who intend to progress in their respective careers. for networking and exchange of ideas among peers from different countries, cultures and professions, says Professor Datuk Dr Hassan Said, vice-chancellor and President of Taylors University. According to the governments Economic Transformation Programme, Malaysia will require access to world-class research that is inter-disciplinary, commercialisation-focused and industry-linked to move the National Key Economic Areas up the value chain. Realising this, TGS specialises in research skills development and sets itself apart through its team of top academicians, recognised quality standards and industry recognition. We aim to develop productive professionals in specialised elds who can play a vital role in driving the nation towards high-income nation status, he continues. between one and four years to complete. The schools most popular programmes to date include the Master in International Hospitality Management, Bristol MBA (Master in Business Administration, University of West England), Master in Finance, PhD in Business, PhD in Hospitality and Tourism and PhD in Science. The Bristol MBA is one of an elite number of programmes in the UK to be accredited by the Association of MBAs. Moving forward, TGS is currently working on expanding its reach to more working professionals by developing a blended learning approach where students will not be required to be physically present at classes. Other plans in the pipeline include training programmes for academicians from universities in China to ensure that they have a smooth assimilation process. The school also recently launched a series of research training modules targeting emerging scholars interested in a career in research. n For more information on the programmes offered at the Taylors Graduate School, call 03-5629 5000 or log on to www.taylors.edu.my

Various programmes
TGS currently has 11 masters programmes, ve PhD programmes and three postgraduate certicates in seven major disciplines law, engineering, biosciences, business, hospitality tourism and culinary arts, communication and education. The nations aspiration of becoming a knowledge-based economy and achieving highincome status begins with education. Realising this, TGS aims to enhance the work and professional life of its students while creating an ideal platform

Coursework and research

TGS programmes are divided into two main categories coursework and research. Postgraduate students have the option of studying parttime, which takes between a yearand-a-half and six years to complete or a full-time course, which takes

StarSpecial, Tuesday 21 January 2014

POSTGRADUATE 5

Datin Dr Wendy Liow, Dean of ELM Graduate School.

Datuk Dr Paul Chan, Co-founder, vicechancellor and President of HELP University.

Leading the Asian business revolution

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ELP University recently launched the ELM Graduate School (ELM-GS). In this repositioning, the ELMGS introduces a creative way of thinking about the three critical elements of entrepreneurship, leadership and management in an integrated manner. Using the ELM Framework, the school provides a powerful understanding of the multifaceted roles of individuals, teams and organisations to create, manage and sustain a business over different phases of its life. The growth mindset-based competency provides the core practices in its approach to understand and use ELM in business start-ups, strategic business thinking, and effective operational management. With this, ELM-GS has a clear direction to innovate expansion, differentiation and internationalisation of the business. Finally, it creates values, opportunities and wealth (VOW). The ELM Framework underlies its philosophy of the ELM Graduate Schools executive education and the way that business is taught and learnt in the HELP Group. Datuk Dr Paul Chan, co-founder, vice-chancellor and President of HELP University, has been practising the ELM framework to grow the HELP Group and he is now researching and developing ELM into a business teaching pedagogy. The change in name has come along with a new mandate for more academic support, more services being offered to graduate research candidates, and more research into how best to support our graduate research community, says newly appointed dean of ELM-GS, Datin Dr Wendy Liow who is pleased to drive the ELM framework at HELP. Dr Liow has 25 years of experience in senior management roles and responsibilities in four Fortune 500 companies. Together with other faculty members, she aims to build a culture of distributed leadership with a strong shared vision to make ELM-GS an exemplary success. To actualise this, the ELM-GS is led by a faculty of academic experts and experienced industry practitioners. Within the ELM Framework, the faculty uses a variety of teaching methods, including case method, problem-based learning, research-led teaching and simulation studies. Emphasis is also placed on group discussions. Formal lectures and class discussions are supported by interactions with C-1 executives in the ELM Executive Education Forum where successful entrepreneurs and CEOs from Asia share their experiences. The ELM Graduate School offers 13 masters programmes with useful specialisations that are capped by the DBA and the PhD by research. The DBA is a reective learning experience by senior executives of practical and pragmatic issues while the PhD serves the needs for rigorous academic training in original research. In the last 27 years, HELPs alumni has grown tremendously both in Malaysia and abroad with many of them being successful entrepreneurs, leading executives in multinational corporations, senior government ocials and academics. n For more information on the programmes offered at HELP University, log on to elm.help. edu.my

6 POSTGRADUATE StarSpecial, Tuesday 21 January 2014

Meeting current needs

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HE Management & Science University (MSU) is one of the best teaching and learning universities in the country. As a university of choice, MSU focuses on the critical areas of medicine, pharmacy, health and life sciences, nursing, business, management, accounting, hospitality, law, information sciences and engineering. MSU through the Graduate School of Management (GSM) recognises that todays global companies require managers with a broader outlook. Through its internationalisation efforts, MSU attracts top students, employs faculty members with overseas experience and forms effective links with the industry. The MSU-MBA offers students the opportunity to build a global network and the possibility to create future international career opportunities. In addition, students will have the opportunities to develop management skills and techniques, to obtain strategic orientation and implement the strategies formulated. The MSU-MBA programme helps students to develop skills in leadership, entrepreneurship, strategic management and decision-making and trains them to become successful leaders in the most competitive markets. During the MBA studies, resources marketplace. Employers know the value of the qualication and what they should be able to expect from an MBA. Employers also recognise the commitment shown by MSU-MBA students in investing heavily in their careers. Such candidates are likely to be dynamic self-starters who will be an asset to any organisation. There are many reasons why students now consider an MSUMBA to be an integral step in their career paths. Having an MSU-MBA can make a big difference in ones career. MSU-GSM has also established collaborative educational links with a number of top overseas universities in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Russia and China among others. The Postgraduate Student Exchange Programme provides international exposure to its postgraduate students. Through this programme, students will have the opportunity to develop an awareness and appreciation of other cultures, political and economic environments, and various approaches of doing business. n For more information, please call 03-2273 6410 or visit www.msu.edu.my

MSU-GSM has established collaborative educational links with a number of top overseas universities in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Russia and China among others. students will form strong bonds. This network will be fruitful throughout their working life and beyond. The MSU-MBA aims to build on the foundations of work experience. By providing new skills and knowledge; it enables students to make the transition to a higher level of responsibility. It also instils a great deal of condence in the students. Additionally, the programme provides sucient knowledge to students to enable them to understand the various facets of an organisation so as to formulate successful strategies. The popularity of the MSUMBA with employers is that it is a recognised currency in the human

StarSpecial, Tuesday 21 January 2014

POSTGRADUATE 7

Prof Craik : Heriot-Watt invests tremendous effort into creating an exceptional student experience.

Industry-relevant postgrad degrees

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HERE are many reasons for doing a postgraduate degree: increasing ones net worth, getting a higher salary, taking ones career to the next level or getting a real understanding of the industry are some of them. However, it requires time and money, so you will be doing yourself a favour by obtaining a postgraduate qualication from a reputable university that equips you with the skills to recoup the investment. Taking all that into consideration, HeriotWatt University one of the UKs leading universities offers an excellent proposition for postgraduate study. The Sunday Times University Guide 2013 named Heriot-Watt as Scottish University of the Year for the second year running as well as the UK University of the Year for studentexperience. It is also ranked in the top 5% of universities worldwide, with campuses in the UK, Dubai and now in Putrajaya. The MSc Renewable EnergyEngineering course is aimed at producing graduates who are capable of developing andimplementing creative solutions for renewable energycapture,conversion, storage and management. HWUM also offers an MSc Construction Project Management course that focuses on industrial relevance to ensurethat graduates are able to make an immediate and effective contributiontotheir working environment, as well as the development of their ownprofessional careers. The MSc in Petroleum Engineering course is designed to produce graduateswho are technically well prepared for the requirements of thepetroleum industry, which is one of the main reasons oil and oileld service companies targetHeriot-Watt University graduates when recruiting. The MSc Quantity Surveying recognises the vital need for quantity surveyors to ensure the ecientnancial management of construction projects and focuses on delivering high quality graduates for quantity surveying and built environment consultancies. The MSc in Strategic Project Management will benet those in business, engineering, IT or science whose job involves managing or directing work that has a strategic focus and a dened end goal, where project management is the key focus. An area that is gaining interest is the MSc in Actuarial Science, a programme designed for graduates, with strong mathematical skills who are looking to kick-start their career as an actuary. Last but not least, is the MBA offered by the Edinburgh Business School of HeriotWatt University. More than 40% of Fortune 500 companies currently have employees on the Edinburgh Business School MBA programme and listed by the Financial Times every year as the largest international presence than any MBA in the world. At HWUM, the curriculum will be identical, the academic rigours and demand will be just as tough, students will have the same access as the UK campus students forlibrary and online support, the degree is the same and both exible part-time and full-time modes of study are available, says Prof Craik. For many students, especially the working ones or those with a family, it will be just like going to the UK for their degree without having to leave home.

Exceptional student experience

Heriot-Watt invests tremendous effort into creating an exceptional student experience by striving to consistently deliver excellent facilities, teaching and support services, says Professor Robert Craik, CEO and Provost of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (HWUM). That experience is now replicated at the Putrajaya campus, where our postgraduate courses began in January last year. While the campus is being completed, HWUM has begun operations from its current location in Menara PJH, Putrajaya with courses that specialise in science, technology, engineering, business and management, with a particular focus on developing solutions to critical global issues such as climate change andenergy. The MSc Energy, MSc Renewable Energy Engineering, MSc Construction Project Management, MSc Quantity Surveying, MSc Petroleum Engineering courses all feature solid technicalaspects of engineering, which are complemented by a strong element of sustainability running through them to produce graduates who are equipped to reduce mankinds impact on the planet. The MSc Energy course focuses on fossil fuels and renewable energy, covering the cost, availability and ecient utilisation ofenergy, which are increasingly strong focalpoints in the strategies of governmentsworldwide.

8 POSTGRADUATE StarSpecial, Tuesday 21 January 2014

An MBA at your own PACE

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BTAINING an MBA is now within easier reach for working professionals, with an online study option. One of Malaysias leading education providers, SEGi University Group, now offers a new breakthrough programme called PACE (Professional and Continuing Education) that enables students to pursue further education online with supported learning. Students have the option to study using one of the following methods: Independent learning students attend classes once a month. Revision classes are also provided for one weekend per semester for one particular subject. Supported learning students attend classes every weekend. Students are given the option of attending classes at the SEGi campus or SEGi Recruitment Centre that is nearest to them, providing more convenience in nding the support of peers and lecturers. This means that students will have a support system in the form of classes or workshops, but will have the independence to complete their studies as early as including lecture notes, study materials, and an extensive online library. PACE students get to enjoy a exible payment option where they can pay per subject as they take it. As an added incentive, instead of attending scheduled classes at a physical venue that can take up additional time, cost and effort to commute, they will be able to conveniently log in to classes at any time of the day, at any location with Internet access. Under SEGi PACE, students can pursue the Master of Business Administration (General Management) to enhance their management skills, as well as to develop effective communication and leadership skills. They also have the option of switching to a different mode of learning that is more suited to them online, full-time or parttime and still retain their credits. This is because graduates of the SEGi PACE MBA programme will obtain the same parchment as a SEGi MBA on-campus student and they also share the same lecturers. n For more information on PACE and SEGi MBA programmes, log on to www.pace.edu.my

With the PACE programme by SEGi University Group, aspiring MBA holders can have a support system in the form of classes or workshops. they want to. They are also given the freedom to choose the number of subjects that they wish to pursue in a semester. SEGi also provides a guided learning plan to ensure that its students get the best from their lessons, including study guides and strategies for coping with coursework and exams. To establish an extensive support network, SEGi subscribes to the agship Learning Management System known as Blackboard. Students are able to connect regularly with classmates and lecturers using a PC or any mobile device with an Internet connection and build networks with fellow classmates as well as lecturers to ensure that they remain fully engaged and on-track with their studies. Students will also gain access to all resources

Big plans for business school

Professor Dr Izani Ibrahim, Dean of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysias Graduate School of Business. HAVING been granted the prestigious autonomous status in 2008, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysias Graduate School of Business (UKM-GSB) has plenty on its to-do list, including generating its own income. And the man who is spearheading this is its dean, Professor Dr Izani Ibrahim. He says that UKM-GSB is very proud of the quality of programmes it offers and it has always been the schools belief that when there is quality, quantity will follow suit. Having been granted autonomous status, however, means that there are three aspects of managing the school we have to consider quality, quantity and revenue and this is a challenge to us, says Professor Izani. As revenue and quantity are directly related, the challenge for UKM-GSB is to keep its high numbers without compromising its quality. This will be Professor Izanis main focus during the course of his deanship. Professor Izani reveals that UKM-GSBs main assets are its people and he intends to leverage on that. The school has about 29 academic staff with the majority of them being associate professors. As industry experience is pivotal for academics, UKM-GSB encourages its academic staff to take up industrial attachments. Professor Izani says that there are many academics who are excellent at their job. The only drawback is their lack of industry experience. To give these academics more exposure, the school has engaged in more collaboration and works closely with the industry. According to Professor Izani, UKM-GSB is presently developing an executive development programme, an executive MBA programme and a specialised masters programme. With these ambitious plans, it is no doubt that UKM-GSB will achieve great heights under the stewardship of Professor Izani.

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POSTGRADUATE 9

Exploring the leader within

SUNWAY University is proud to partner with Lancaster University to introduce a premier Global MBA in Malaysia. This Global MBA combines the experience that Lancaster University, UK, has in delivering post-experience programmes with Sunway Universitys capacity to guide the transfer of this learning within a local business context. This ability to contextualise learning is exemplied in Sunway Universitys links to industry through its founder Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, Chairman of the Sunway Group of Companies. The Global MBA programme at Sunway is a dual-award programme and students who successfully complete the programme will be awarded two certicates, making them MBA graduates of both Sunway University and Lancaster University. Lancaster University is ranked in the top 1% of universities globally. According to The Economists ranking of executive MBAs (July 2013), the triple-accredited Lancaster executive-mode MBAs placed in the UK Top 10 and 54th in the world. This Global MBA is an innovative part-time modular masters programme for aspiring senior managers. True to the global focus of the programme, students have the exibility of gaining credit by taking modules in other locations where Lancaster delivers an equivalent MBA programme, including Singapore, Jordan, Zambia and the UK. The programme is developed to attract candidates from a range of diverse backgrounds, providing a rich and fertile platform on which excellent faculty facilitators can build. The faculty involved in designing and delivering this programme are rated among the best management consultants, educators, and research scholars in the world. The main outcome of the programme is to assist students to explore the leader within. Graduates of this programme will emerge as strategic leaders equipped with the condence, skills and practical expertise to succeed in a dynamic business environment, says Professor Dr Brian Imrie, Programme Chair - Global MBA at the Sunway University Business School. The Global MBA programme at Sunway is a world-class MBA programme, taught by internationally respected faculty and business practitioners. It is carried out in a convenient modular format, allowing professionals to enhance their careers while they work. Other postgraduate programmes offered at Sunway University include the MSc in Psychology, MSc in Computer Science (by research), MSc in Information System (by research), Doctor of Philosophy (Computing) and Doctor of Philosophy (Business). n For more information on the programmes offered at Sunway University, call 03-7491 8701 or log on to www.sunway.edu.my/ university/GMBA

University graduates are top choice

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HE UKs top investment banks, law rms and consultancies have cited The University of Nottingham as the best university for graduate recruits. According to the latest study by High Fliers Research, a market research company, the university is the No.1 choice among the UKs top graduate employers. The report is based on research conducted last month with the UKs 100 leading graduate employers, including BP, the Civil Service, IBM, Goldman Sachs, PwC, Google and HSBC. The University of Nottingham was targeted by the largest number of top employers in 201314 with Cambridge University in the third spot and Oxford fourth. According to High Fliers Research, the majority of the UKs top 100 graduate employers will target students at 18 or fewer universities, with more than a quarter of employers having increased their graduate recruitment budgets for the 2013-2014 recruitment round, the highest proportion in three years. This is good news for our students and alumni. It conrms that The University of Nottingham is delivering the global graduates that employers are looking for, says Dr Paul Greatrix, Registrar at the university. It reects continuing investment in the student experience at Nottingham, and the focus we have on providing the best possible support for students as they prepare for a challenging job market. Its also a testament to the fantastic work of our academic staff, professional services, and the calibre of our students.

10 POSTGRADUATE StarSpecial, Tuesday 21 January 2014

S one of the most recognised universities for civil engineering in Malaysia, Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur (IUKL) offers a full range of postgraduate programmes in civil engineering including a Master of Civil Engineering and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Civil Engineering. Both postgraduate programmes are full research degrees that aim to provide an extra edge in terms of research skills and intellectual ability that are pivotal to professional development. The Master of Civil Engineering is catered for degree holders in the relevant eld of study who wish to further expand their knowledge and develop a sound foundation of research skills. With guidance from an appointed supervisor, the masters candidate will be tasked to carry out a research project that is either relevant to their industrial experience or academic background. The PhD in Civil Engineering has a greater emphasis on

Engineering your future

research. It is carefully designed to prepare its candidates to master the complicated research process in a chosen eld of civil engineering, and for them to contribute to the industry through their research ndings. PhD candidates will be guided by experienced supervisors where sharing of ideas and discussion of possible problem-solving techniques are encouraged. At IUKL, postgraduate candidates of civil engineering are offered ve major areas of research from, all of which are highly relevant to both the industry: l Construction engineering This area allows candidates to further study in construction of physical infrastructure design, rural and low-cost housing, and small- and medium-industrial buildings. l Geotechnical engineering Candidates have the opportunity to explore some of the key areas in the eld, including properties and behaviour of soil and their application to design of foundation, retaining structures, earth dams and slopes, soil improvement and ground stabilisation, soil dynamics and earthquake engineering. l Highway and pavement engineering This area of research offers candidates an opportunity to conduct in-depth study in transportation engineering and planning, trac ow theory and system management with emphasis on highway and multiIUKLs postgraduate programmes in civil engineering are designed to enhance professional development. modal transportation. l Structural engineering This research area covers four important aspects of civil engineering including earthquake-resistant steel and concrete design applied to buildings and bridges, structural dynamics, nite element methods and structural mechanics. l Water resources engineering Aiming to solve water-related problems, this research area provides a wide range of study for candidates to explore, including advanced hydraulics and modern hydrologic techniques, ood forecasting, groundwater ow modeling, water resources management and policy formulation. n For more information on programmes at IUKL, call 1800 88 STUDY (78839) or visit www.IUKL. edu.my/postgraduate

The Research Centre at Binary University publishes journals and organises various international conferences.

Accessible postgraduate degrees

Malaysia only has about 21 researchers, scientists and engineers (RSE) per 10,000 workers, according to the National Survey conducted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation sometime ago. This is well below the 100 RSE in the European Union countries, says Datuk Professor Joseph Adaikalam, Executive Chairman of Binary University. The government aims to have 100,000 PhD holders by 2023 and achieve the 100 RSE target by the end of the 11th Malaysia plan. To achieve this aim, private universities can complement public universities in addressing this shortage, he explains. As a niche institution Binary can complement public universities towards the doctorate target in its areas of strength entrepreneurship, management and IT. Binary has been working with British and Australian universities for more than 25 years and has acquired many good practices from them. In addition to the PhD, Binary also offers the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA). Binarys DBA offers specialisations in entrepreneurship, human resources management, marketing, total quality management, nance and e-commerce. The DBA is open to those with an MBA or businessrelated masters and ve years of managerial or supervisory work experience. The DBA is a 50-50 combination of taught modules and a thesis. Working professionals and full-time students who want to stand out from the thousands of postgraduate students now have the opportunity to do so through the Industry Specialist MBA and MSc ITM offered by Binary University. The uniqueness of Binarys MBA and MSc ITM programmes are that they offer students the opportunity to specialise in specic industries. With such specialisations, postgraduate students get to acquire lots of hands-on skills, which many of the other masters programmes do not provide. n For more information on Binarys postgraduate programmes, visit www.binary. edu.my

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POSTGRADUATE 11

Australias top MBA now in KL

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HE University of Wollongongs Sydney Business School (UOWSBS), one of the best emerging Australian business schools and part of one of the best modern universities in the world, is offering a Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme in Kuala Lumpur to meet the growing need of high quality postgraduate programmes by working professionals. The UOW-SBS MBA, available at INTI International College Kuala Lumpur, enables students and working professionals to expand and advance in their respective areas of expertise, to build professional excellence and to enhance their leadership capabilities. The programme comprises 11 core units and one elective unit. Each of the core units are designed to develop students core competencies from strategic analysis and decision-making to an appreciation of global business challenges, complemented by people, nancial, marketing and system analysis skills. An overarching theme of the programme is the emphasis on analytical thinking, innovation and creativity, which are areas critical for entrepreneurial and business success. Included in the UOW-SBS MBA are six master classes focusing on contemporary Australian, Asian and global issues via the topics of leadership, entrepreneurship, business risk, adapting to change, corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Half the programmes modules will be taught by UOW-SBS MBA professors and lecturers from abroad. Sydney Business School is a graduate faculty of the University of Wollongong, which is in the top 2% of universities worldwide. The school has a strong and dynamic faculty that is committed to excellence in teaching and research. UOW-SBS has also built a strong research focus with diverse interests across business-related disciplines. Offered at INTIs strategically located campus in Menara KH, Kuala Lumpur, the UOW-SBS MBA is conducted in a stimulating learning environment afforded by the new campus. Blended learning at INTI incorporates lectures and innovative technologies including online tools, multimedia content and Blackboards learning system. Blackboard enables students to access course material, lecture notes, assignments and tutorials from the online platform and also to correspond on a one-to-one basis with instructors. Among the most innovative online learning activities is simulation, where students are exposed to real-world situations. Students are presented with workplace scenarios that they must then respond to by coming up with possible solutions to problems. Innovation also brings multiple industry projects that enable students to work with employers on real business issues and solutions to gain experience and readiness for global employability. n For more information on the

The UOW-SBS MBA can now be obtained at INTIs campus in KL. UOW-SBS MBA programme, call 03- 2052 2888 or visit www.newinti.edu.my

Prof Ishwar: The aquaculture industry needs to go high-tech in order for it to grow.

Boosting Malaysias aquaculture industry

AQUACULTURE has been identied as a global solution to the rapid depletion in the worlds natural sh stock. In Malaysia, the government is looking to expand the agricultural sector, specically the aquaculture industry. In order to really grow, the industry needs to go high-tech, says Professor Ishwar Parhar, Director of the Brain Research Institute (BRIMS) and Head of Neuroscience at Monash University Malaysia. It was with this in mind that the MyKISS Project came into being, with researchers from BRIMS working on developing a technological solution through molecular enhancement, to accelerate growth in sh. We managed to identify Protein-K as a potential accelerant for sh growth, and lab tests showed great potential. The protein functions very well in speeding up the growth and maturity of the sh, says Prof Ishwar. Agensi Inovasi Malaysia showed great interest in bringing the proteins to the ultimate test, which was at a fully functioning sh farm, to see if the results would be the same. In March, we tested the proteins at a sh farm in Ulu Yam. We shared the farm with the owner, where he would tend to the sh on one side of the farm, and we would treat the sh on another pond with the protein. We had very good results, with the sh growing 10-20% faster. This means that if a farmer normally has two harvests in a year, with these proteins being administered, he can now have three harvests, he says. Prof Ishwar is quick to point out that unlike genetically modied organisms, Protein-K is a peptide sourced from the sh itself, which means it will degenerate after a period of time, and when cooked, will be destroyed, ensuring that consumers will not have to be concerned about ingesting the protein. n For more information on Monash University Malaysia, visit www.monash.edu.my

12 StarSpecial

Tuesday 21 January 2014