Taylor’s University the path to being future ready
KUALA LUMPUR: For Gen-Z students, an education that is broad-based and fluid in its nature is the approach that is favoured.
This method, also known as transdisciplinary approach to education, seems to also be the model favoured by employers with the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution as it equips their prospective employees with the necessary soft skills to thrive in the workplace.
Taylor’s University deputy vice chancellor and chief academic officer, Professor Dr Pradeep Nair, said Taylor’s University decided to embark on the effort to revamp its approach to education after listening to students and employers on their respective needs.
“Today’s learners want to be more involved in the process of their education; they want the flexibility of choosing what they will learn. On the other spectrum, our industry partners have indicated through the many engagement opportunities we have had, that they look beyond the traditional indicators as the needs of the global workforce differ greatly from even 10 years ago.
“Recognising this fluid need, we introduced a completely new approach to pedagogy at Taylor’s University. The Taylor’s Curriculum Framework (TCF) allows our students to mix and match their modules, allowing them to marry their passion with discipline specific knowledge,” said Pradeep.
Through TCF, Taylor’s University is enabling its graduates to be futureproof and ready for the 4th Industrial Revolution.
A flexible study framework that delivers a relevant and dynamic curriculum allows students to increase their opportunities for overseas and industry experiences through TCF while gaining from a multi-dimensional education that is created with the building blocks of academic excellence, life skills and emotional well-being.
“The 4th Industrial Revolution brings technology closer and closer to the physical, digital and biological aspects of life. It will change the way we work, learn and live and because the way we work is going to change, the skills that people will need in the 4th Industrial Revolution will not be the same skills from what was needed in the Internet age. Through this shift, the current workplace will move away from being a task-based environment to one that revolves around humancentred characteristics.
“As universities, we have to inculcate these characteristics in our students so they are well able to meet the demands of their future workplace. Being flexible is a huge part of our current approach to education.
“Students can now choose from 100 extensions, 129 majors, 323 minors and an option of 200 free electives,” he said.
Students will be able to cocurate their education with Taylor’s University and do so according to their strengths, their career ambition, or their interest. It will allow today’s learners to develop their humancentred characteristics which will be a crucial part of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
As part of their complementary studies, they will either select to study five to seven electives or five modules as part of their minor or five modules as part of their extension or opt to have a second major which will see them select 12 modules from another field.
Through the electives, which are grouped based on three areas- Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Business, Services and Management and Science, Technology and Sciences - they can marry their passion with the technical know-how.
If students opt to do a Minor, they will be able to learn more about another area or discipline by picking up knowledge outside their main area of study. If they have a strong desire to learn more about a particular area within the main area of their primary major, they can elect to do an extension.
Alternatively, they can master another field of study by taking on 12 modules.
“The idea is that we believe the students should choose according to their strengths, their career ambition, or their interest.
“They also have the flexibility of selecting where they want to study. Currently, we have more than 180 academic partners globally for our students to select from should they decide to study overseas on an exchange. This will allow them to immerse themselves in another culture, a foreign setting; giving them an opportunity to enhance their cross-cultural knowledge,” he said.
Another unique feature of TCF is that it actively promotes the acquisition of life skills knowledge through the University Core modules.
Students now are required to attend two modules; Life Skills for Success and Well-Being and Millennials in Malaysia: Team Dynamics and Relationship Management which will allow them to develop themselves to be emotionally intelligent and interact with others.
These two modules aim to develop the critical thinking capability of students while building up their social intelligence and cultivating in them a civic responsibility.
“A specialised team, called the Life Skills Coaches/Facilitators who come from various backgrounds, was appointed to look into this aspect of the learning. The Life Skills Facilitators, which include certified coaches, clinical psychologist, humanitarian and corporate trainers, among others, deliver these life skills modules to all first-year students, providing them the opportunity to enter into a journey of self-discovery, catching foundational life skills, emotional intelligence and tools that will help with emotional well-being,” said Pradeep.
At the end of the modules, the students would have learnt how to thrive in a team setting, how to give neutral responses and behave with people in teams. Research has indicated that those in the workforce in the future will work across different teams, in different sectors and also spanning cultures.
This unique approach to education was recently adjudged the winner of the Face-to-Face Immersive Learning Experience category of the Education Minister’s Special Award Ceremony: Innovative Curriculum Design and Delivery 2018 (AKRI 2018).
“The Life Skills modules provide a platform to the Life Skills Facilitators to constantly enhance the way they engage their students and allow the students to be future ready.
“Close to 90 per cent of our students said they found the two modules helpful and provided them the platform to safely develop their emotional wellbeing in a positive manner,” he said.
For more details on how you can graduate multi-skilled, call 03-5629 5000, e-mail applications@taylors. edu.my or visit www.university. taylors.edu.my.