annual report 2016 / 2017

Thirty-five Business & Social Enterprise students went on a four-week immersion programme to Hong Kong, in partnership with Lingnan University. Through lectures, field trips and simulation exercises, the students deepened their knowledge on global citizenship, active aging and the flourishing social entrepreneurship scene in Hong Kong. They also worked with community partners to plan and implement a variety of Service-Learning projects.

Thirty Accountancy and Business Studies students headed to Wuhan, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai to find out more about how businesses in China operate. They went on site visits to InterContinental Hotel, Mary Kay, Suzhou Industrial Park and Lenovo.

Fifty students from the Diploma in Multimedia & Animation (MMA) and Diploma in Information Security and Forensics (ISF) attended two-week masterclass programmes in California. The MMA students gained insights into media production in areas such as concept development, storytelling, scriptwriting, concept art design and storyboarding. The ISF students learnt more about how the architecture of security defences can impact business systems and also how to configure firewalls. The students also visited prominent animation and multimedia studios and cyber security companies such as Cisco Systems, Fortinet, Google and NXP Semiconductors in Silicon Valley.

A group of 58 students from the School of Design & Environment were based in China’s Nanjing University of Science & Technology for five weeks. Attending classes by local university lecturers, the students completed a core module as well as an Interdisciplinary Studies module.

On an experiential learning trip to Berlin, Engineering Science students heard from scientific experts in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), and visited the world-class scientific and research facilities in the Technical University of Berlin. In addition, they also visited the BMW manufacturing plant, the German Technology Museum and Science Center, to name a few.

Twenty-three Pharmacy Science students got insights into the integration of western and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) during a visit to Hong Kong. They visited Tung Wah Hospital, the first hospital established in colonial Hong Kong; the Dr & Mrs Hung Hin Shiu Museum of Chinese Medicine, where they discovered how TCM remains relevant amidst advancing science and technology; and traditional Chinese medicine halls carrying a wide range of unusual herbs.

Thirty-nine Arts Business Management students gained practical experience, volunteering at the Awesome Arts Festival in Perth’s Cultural Centre. As Festival Assistants, they manned different stations over two days, getting a better understanding of community engagement through the arts. They also attended a workshop by a local artist where they tried their hand at making Aboriginal-style prints, and visited Victoria Park Centre for the Arts to see inspiring art projects by the community.

A group of 20 Engineering students travelled to Finland where they toured established companies in the energy and power sectors such as ABB and Wärtsilä and learnt about the operations and manufacturing of generator, motor and drive, transformer, marine propeller, and diesel engine for generator. They also visited the Vaasa University of Applied Sciences and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, the largest applied sciences university in Finland.

Eighteen students from the School of Film & Media Studies visited Japan on a study trip. Through site visits and interactions with local officials, they broadened their knowledge of newspaper operations within Japan, and gained a deeper appreciation of the country’s rich culture and history.

Levron Goh was the first student from the School of Business & Accountancy to embark on an internship in Nairobi, Kenya. Spending 22 weeks at Nest Group Africa Ltd, an IT business incubator, the Banking & Financial Services student helped to set up standard operating procedures for the new Nairobi office, manage events, organise investment pitches and facilitate a bootcamp for mobile technology start-ups.

Sustainable Urban Design & Engineering students Vythiswari Muralli and Toh Gin Fang were exposed to Dubai’s famous iconic structures and opulent architecture when they spent 12 weeks there as interns at DP Architects. Putting their design knowledge into practice, they assisted with 3D modelling, drawing floor plans, and doing site reports and analyses.

Chiu Jie Min was an intern for six months at Coto Language Academy in Tokyo, where she managed the company’s social media accounts and helped in event organising. The Accountancy student also enjoyed intercultural experiences through interactions with her colleagues from Japan and across the globe.

Lim Li Quan, a final year student from Diploma in Financial Informatics, completed his internship in Floating Cube Studios in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, under the iMDA Elite programme. He developed a point-of-sales software to meet the needs of the Food & Beverage industry.

Twenty students from the School of Design & Environment travelled to Laos where they planted rice and made bricks for the local community. They also surveyed a land plot for a village, producing a plan drawing that helped to establish its land boundaries more clearly.

As part of their “Cherish Cambodia” project, 20 students from the School of Film & Media Studies held a donation drive in Singapore, collecting clothes and stationery, and raising funds for refurbishment works. They then visited villages in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap to distribute the items to needy locals. The students also helped to paint a mural and a school building and organise activities such as a mini Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration and Movie Night for the locals.

The School of Health Sciences’ Youth Expedition Project in Baray, Cambodia, saw 30 students doing their part for local communities there. They helped to paint classroom walls and cement floors in a primary school, and also taught basic English to the students there.