UCTS welcomes 11 international students
SIBU: University College of Technology Sarawak ( UCTS) yesterday held a special ceremony to welcome 11 foreign students into the college.
The students are Tsai Chi-an from Chang Jung Christian University (CJCU), Taiwan; Li Kejia, Huang Yizhen, Liu Peng, and Tao Yunfan from Wuyi University, China; Eza Rangga Rivelda, Lemitha Anummi and Lisa Aryani from Politeknik Negeri Samarinda, Indonesia; Lim Ren Yi from Brunei; Min Khant from Myanmar; and Mohammad Umar Ashraf from Pakistan.
Vice- chancellor of UCTS Professor Datuk Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid was on hand to meet the students.
Tsai will study at UCTS for a year while the four students from China will study for one semester. The three students from Indonesia are here for a month on study visit while students from Brunei, Myanmar and Pakistan are fulltime international students.
“I come here to meet all the international students in our campus. Many people are not aware that although we are quite a young university, we have some international students already,” Dr Khairuddin said.
Min Khant and Mohammad Umar Ashraf were not able to join the welcoming ceremony as they had to attend class.
According to Dr Khairuddin, in promoting UCTS internationally, UCTS had student exchange programmes and study visits.
“For student exchange programmes, we have outbound and inbound. Outbound is where we send our students outside and inbound is where we invite the students from outside to come to our campus.
“What we have here now is inbound. The inbound ( programme) can be short term; maybe one week, one month, one semester or one year, depending on the management,” he added.
He said the study visit is done regularly. UCTS management also visits various universities to promote the university.
“For example, on Sept 8 until Sept 18, I accompanied UCTS chairman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh and associate professor Dr Wong Sing Sing (dean of School of Foundation Studies) to visit various high schools in China.
“Also with us were Sibu Municipal Council ( SMC) chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King, deputy chairperson Rogayah Jamain and eight SMC councillors.
“In every city we went, we offered two scholarships (tuition fee only),” he recalled.
They visited Fuzhou, Bozhou, Ningde, Fuqing, Minqing, Gutian, Pingnan, Gulou, Qinghe, Guangning, Puyang, Putian, and Nanping.
“We also had a meeting with the education department or authority in each city we visited.
“Now, the framework that we are working with them is to bring their students to study for a year so that they can sit for their Unified Examination Certificate ( UEC) here in Sibu.
“At the same time, they can take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to qualify them to study in UCTS,” he explained.
Dr Khairuddin also pointed out that the university is working hard to bring in foreign teaching staff next year.
“We are working on it. We want to give a real international feel. When the foreign students come, they see not just Malaysian lecturers, but foreign lecturers as well,” he enthused.
Meanwhile, all the foreign students said UCTS provides a very good learning environment for its students.
Tsai said although there are differences especially in the language used, she is able to cope and keep up so far.
“The difference is basically the language. In Taiwan, we all use Chinese as the medium while here, all are in English, but I am able to keep up,” she reiterated.
All the students from China also said that despite not being fluent in English, they are able to keep up with the lessons.
“Maybe we can understand half of it, but our course mates are very helpful. They will explain to us,” Li said.
Lim, on the other hand, said that he loves studying in UCTS and would recommend UCTS to his friends back home.
The students from Indonesia said that they have no problem adjusting their life in Sibu as there is no difference in terms of culture.