Nurturing excellence in eSports
ELECTRONIC sports or widely known as eSports, has been under the spotlight in Malaysia since the tabling of the Budget 2019 where RM10mil will be allocated to develop and promote its growth. The demand for this sport is so intense that there are many popular tournaments associated with it.
The Youth and Sports Ministry will be establishing an eSports arena in Kuala Lumpur as part of its effort to capitalise on our country’s potential to be the hub of eSports. Nevertheless, before this vision can be a reality, the development of e-gaming industry, which is the core of eSports, needs to be strengthened.
It is for this very reason Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) is stepping up its efforts to produce professionals who are technically skilled and knowledgeable to further develop the e-gaming industry in Malaysia. To this end, it offers a comprehensive range of related programmes.
An avid fan of e-gaming, Wong Yik Han is currently pursuing his Diploma in Internet Technology in TAR UC.
“eSports tournaments usually involve multiple players so it is important to set up a solid network connection to ensure players are able to perform at their best. This requires in-depth knowledge in both software as well as hardware, which is quite challenging and students often make errors in this area. In my diploma programme, I learn about the framework of computer networks and also how to effectively troubleshoot some of the common errors,” he explains.
Wong is also the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) Asia Digital Challenge 2018 (tertiary category) champion at national level and represented Malaysia at the regional level at Bangkok, Thailand in 2018 where he won the bronze medal. The competition aims to recognise students with the best ICT skills in Malaysia and Asia.
“The scope of TAR UC’s ICT programmes in the area of e-gaming is extensive as it covers areas from building right up to management of the game. For example, TAR UC’s Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons) in Interactive Software Technology aims to equip students with the knowledge of real-time interactive software programming, physics, graphics, AI, audio programming, game mechanics programming as well as game design.
“There is also a programme in information security, which is equally important and related to eSports,” explained Faculty of Computing and Information Technology (FOCS) Department of Computer Science and Embedded Systems programme leader, Andrew Tan Khin Huat.
To complement academic learning, student can also join TAR UC’s Interactive Gaming Society (IGS).
Members benefit from opportunities to participate in external competitions as well as collaborate with industry players in organising various eSports tournaments in TAR UC. Among the recent competitions IGS members took part in is the Malaysia Esding Elites Intervarsity Esports Championship where TAR UC students emerged as the champion for the League of Legends.
This team of students represented Malaysia to compete with other eSports players across the world at the 2018 International Exchange Federation (IEF) International E-Culture Festival in Jeju, South Korea in November 2018.
Another recent win is in the Taiwan Excellence Intercollege Battleground Grand Finale where TAR UC students won second place in Dota 2 and third place in League of Legends.
■ Explore more about TAR UC’s Information and Communication Technology programmes at TAR UC’s Open Day from now to April 14 at its Kuala Lumpur main campus and branch campuses in Penang, Perak, Johor, Pahang and Sabah or visit TAR UC’s booth at all major education fairs. Alternatively, visit www.tarc.edu. my
Attractive scholarships are also available in TAR UC on the basis of academic merit and sibling discount for qualified students.