‘Blooming’ creative students
TUNKU Abdul Rahman University College’s (TAR UC) Faculty of Social Science, Arts and Humanities (FSAH) has long established itself in offering industry-relevant and entrepreneurship-focused programmes in Mass Communication, Creative Arts, Hospitality Management and Social Science.
These courses help to hone the technical know-how and expertise of students to enable them to stand out in their related fields.
Recently, FSAH student Ng Hwa Ee, who is studying in the Bachelor of Creative Multimedia (Hons) in Multimedia Design programme, demonstrated his designing prowess that led him to win not only Champion prize at the national-level Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) Championship, but he went on to clinch the silver medal on the international stage, at the ACA World Championship held in Orlando, Florida, in the United States.
At the national level, Ng beat approximately 400 students from 32 higher-learning institutions to claim the top spot.
At the international level, Ng was among the 32 finalists from 19 countries, who competed with each other to come up with a piece of work that was judged to be technically proficient and aesthetically beautiful.
At the international level, all the participants were given a period of eight hours to design two promotional materials for a notfor-profit organisation called the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF), which celebrates and promotes children’s art, imagination and creativity globally.
Having won the silver medal at the international level, Ng shared the reasons that made his design stand out in the competition.
Ng said he used two distinct Malaysian flowers, the hibiscus and Rafflesia, to suit the theme, “Make it Bloom”.
“The flowers appeared to be unique to the panel of judges and I also added a touch of Malaysian doodling ‘kampung’ style to my artwork,” he said.
When the judges were shown the pieces of artwork, the participants did not have to give an explanation for their work.
“We did not have to do a presentation for our artwork, as a good piece of work should speak for itself,” said Ng.
Ng had this piece of advice for his juniors who would like to participate in competitions of this nature.
“I would like to urge the young people out there to try their hands at the competition next year. Money cannot buy the exposure that you will get. You just have to get out there to gain the experience and, in the process, you will learn more and become more marketable,” he said.
Yong Cheng Fei, Ng’s mentor and lecturer, was very proud of his win.
“Yong has been a hardworking and talented student ever since he was studying at the diploma level. He truly deserves this award. Besides him, there are a lot of talented students who are well-trained in our faculty waiting to ‘bloom’.
“Our creative arts programmes are kept up-to-date to ensure students learn the latest software and equipment so that they can hit the ground running when they join the industry.
“This is not the first time that our student has made an appearance in the international scene. We hope that next year we can do better in the world championship,” he said.
Ng took home the prize of US$2,500 (RM10,875), a medal of achievement, a winner’s certificate and a four-year membership plan for the Adobe Creative Cloud design software for his win.
To find out more about Multimedia Design or other programmes offered by FSAH and scholarships provided for qualified students, please visit the TAR UC Kuala Lumpur Main Campus, or any of the branch campuses in Penang, Perak, Johor, Pahang and Sabah to enquire. Alternatively, you may log on to the TAR UC website at www.tarc.edu.my to find out more.