Explore the huge field of psychology
Dean: It’s not just about mental health
PETALING JAYA: Remember the days when we had to listen to that annoying tune to connect to the Internet? Or wait in line at the bank to deposit a cheque? Those inconveniences
are ancient history with
the advancement of technology.
New technologies and developments depend on the understanding of how people think and how the brain functions – tying it back to psychology, said HELP University Faculty of Behavioural Sciences dean Dr Goh Chee Leong.
“Psychology is a huge field that covers vast areas of application. It isn’t limited to mental health issues.
“Its graduates end up in fields that range from management, human resource consulting, advertising, market research, education, special education, forensics, to sports psychology and so many more,” he said.
Dr Goh noted that higher-learning institutions need to recalibrate and restructure their programmes to prepare students for the new environment.
“The Fourth Industrial Revolution is going to completely change the way we work and live,” he said, adding that graduates need preparations to adapt, thrive and succeed in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world.
“Universities should place greater focus on how technology can be infused with psychology, such as how psychology can contribute to the development of artificial intelligence, the Internet of things, and brain-computer interface,” he said, adding that HELP University’s psychology department has spent 2017 rethinking psychology education in light of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Dr Goh will be speaking about how psychology plays a role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution during his talk “How Can A Psychology Degree Prepare Graduates For The Fourth Industrial Revolution” at the Star Education Fair 2018 that will be held from 11am to 7pm on Jan 6 and 7 at Halls 1 to 5 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Meanwhile, Sunway University head of Psychology Department and associate professor Dr Alvin Ng Lai Oon will speak about “Psychology For Sustainability Beyond The 21st Century” – focusing on how psychology is relevant to daily life.
“It isn’t just about mental health, it is also about human performance. By learning about psychology we can better understand people, manage human emotions and improve functioning in any kind of industry,” said Dr Ng, pointing out that psychology is a type of science.
“Scientific methodology is used to find the truth about people.”
Catch Dr Goh from 11am to 11.50am on the first day of the Star Education Fair 2018 and Dr Ng from noon to 12.30pm on the second day. Besides talks, students can discover an array of study options and programmes at foreign and local institutions at the two-day fair.
They can also take a career test run by CAREERsense@HELP.
Experts on pre-university education and representatives from colleges and universities will be on hand to advise students and parents on a wide range of certificate, foundation, diploma and postgraduate courses, as well as professional qualifications.
Admission is free and booths are still available for interested exhibitors. For details, call 03-7967 1388 (ext 1233/1475).