Focusing on work safety
UNIVERSITI Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), through its Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology (FEGT), is unveiling a new multidisciplinary programme integrating both environmental health and occupational safety and health.
While workplace hazards have claimed workers’ lives due to negligence in the past, today, similar news is still splashed across newspapers, becoming a clarion call to review the importance and necessity of having a safe and healthy environment as well as workplace.
“We believe safety measures can be taken to prevent risks and untoward disasters at the workplace,” said FEGT Department of Environmental Engineering head, Assoc Prof Dr Mohammed JK Bashir.
He explained that environmental and occupational safety and health (EOSH) professionals are the frontliners who ensure workers are shielded from potential harm, injuries and illnesses and that the working environment is safe.
“UTAR’s Bachelor of Science (Hons) Environmental, Occupational Safety and Health programme is designed to respond to the impact of local occupation and safety and health issues as well as environmental legislation on the working environment of institutions and industries. Our graduates will be capable to recognise, develop and apply good EOSH practices and technologies based on sound scientific principles and legislative requirements,” explained Dr Bashir.
In line with UTAR’s vision to be a university of educational excellence with transformative societal impact, the four-year undergraduate programme provides a coherent body of professional knowledge, technical skills and soft skills to produce competent, versatile professionals who can adapt to the diverse roles and responsibilities in a challenging and dynamic work environment.
Besides learning from seasoned academics with extensive industry background who share real-life experiences as well as conduct practical and simulation classes, the students also undergo intensive industrial training at clinical setups, government agencies or private sectors.
The compulsory industrial training is a platform for students to apply their knowledge and skills to a different work environment and to prepare them for future challenges at work.
An added bonus to UTAR’s programme is its holistic education approach whereby soft skills-based courses are also integrated into the curriculum.
These soft skills are in parallel with the Top 10 skills pinpointed by the World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report” and essential to survive the giant wave of the oncoming Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The programme’s extensive areas of studies also enable graduates to gain employment in both government and private sectors, particularly in oil and gas, healthcare, manufacturing and construction.
Other undergraduate programmes offered by UTAR FEGT include Electronic Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Petrochemical Engineering and Construction Management.
Postgraduate programmes such as Master of Engineering Science, Master of Engineering (Electronic Systems), Master of Environmental Technology and Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) are also available.
UTAR is highly reputed as one of the fastest growing private higher education institutions in the country since its inception in 2002.
From only 411 students, the university now has about 25,000 students with campuses located in Kampar, Perak and Bandar Sungai Long, Selangor.
UTAR has graduated over 52,000 students since its inaugural convocation in 2005.
The university currently offers more than 110 programmes. UTAR was awarded self-accreditation status by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency of the Higher Education Ministry in 2017 and ranked 501-600 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018. UTAR was also ranked No.99 in the 2018 Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings.
■ For details, go to www.utar. edu.my or call 05-468 8888 (Kampar campus) / 03- 9086 0288 (Sungai Long campus).
UTAR’s Open Day will be held on May 5 and 6 at its Sungai Long campus in Bandar Sungai Long and Kampar campus in Perak. UTAR is also having its extended counselling hours at both campuses daily from 9am to 5pm (except public holidays).