Top scorer from Sunway to Monash
THE Monash Foundation Year (MUFY) programme at Sunway College paves the way for students to study at Monash University. Tan Wen Liang, 24, who is a former MUFY student at Sunway College and a Monash University Malaysia graduate, said he had been academically and mentally trained to adapt into the Monash University environment, and he was comfortable with his transition from pre-U to undergraduate studies.
“MUFY definitely prepares students to adapt to the study culture at Monash University Malaysia. For example, the report project in the English unit has sharpened my writing skills while the Advanced Mathematics unit has helped me to understand engineering mathematics in my first year,” said Tan, who enrolled in the MUFY programme as a direct route to Monash University.
Tan pursued the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Chemical Engineering after completing the MUFY programme.
Hailing from Tangkak, Johor, he is very interested in the manipulation of various processes to convert raw materials into finished products, hence, his decision to take up chemical engineering.
“The programme also allowed me to get acquainted with people from different countries, which enabled me to widen my circle of friends and professionals.
“The most challenging part is communicating and working with classmates in group work or assignments, like brainstorming, job execution and submission of the assignment within a time frame.”
As a star student, he won the “Best Grad- uate Award” for the most outstanding undergraduate academic performance in the November 2016 class graduation.
He was one of four graduates, all alumni of MUFY programme at Sunway College, who took home the Overall Best Graduate Award in various programmes.
Tan said his achievement was the result of hard work, and it had enabled him to secure scholarships to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at Monash University Australia.
He was awarded the Monash Graduate Scholarship (MGS) and Monash International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (MIPRS) to pursue a three-year doctorate programme in material science and engineering at Monash’s Clayton Campus in Melbourne.
“I will be doing research on solar cells. I am interested in discovering new knowledge that will improve the efficiency of those cells. By developing more stable and efficient solar cells, we can resolve the ever-growing energy crisis by harnessing the inexhaustible solar energy,” said Tan, who will be going to Australia in April.
He hopes his research can one day revolutionise the solar industry and promote renewable energy on a wide-scale basis.
He pays tribute to his parents, who instilled in him and his siblings the importance of knowledge as the key to a bright future, and that learning is a never-ending journey.
Tan is looking forward to pursue his PhD, which will be a totally different experience from his undergraduate studies. He also intends to fully immerse himself in his host country’s culture.
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