Creating innovative engineers
EARLIER this year, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced the government’s plan to launch its third national car project as an initiative to educate Malaysians about automotive engineering technology.
The Prime Minister claimed that many still lacked the relevant knowledge about this segment of engineering and that it was important for everyone to understand the work and technology that go into producing automobiles.
Malaysia’s automotive industry has played a crucial role in sustaining the local manufacturing sector, contributing to over RM40bil to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The government believes the automotive industry and its related sectors are on track to represent 10% of the GDP contribution by the end of next year.
As one of Malaysia’s largest private education hub, SEGi Group of Colleges believes the automotive industry will continue to flourish and the need for professional automotive engineers, technicians, specialists and technologists will continue to increase.
Data from the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) shows that as at December 2018, Malaysia had 27 vehicle manufacturers, 641 parts and component manufacturers, over 53,000 after-sales businesses and over 736,000 people in the automotive industry.
In addition to this, the National Automotive Policy that has been in place since 2014 looks into establishing Malaysia as a regional hub for energy-efficient vehicles through strategic investments, the adaptation of high technology and building a technology-driven workforce which would include multi-skilled engineers.
“There are great prospects for growth in this industry and tertiary institutions like SEGi can play a big role in producing industry-ready talents with our wide range of engineering programmes,” said SEGi College Subang Jaya’s Faculty of Engineering and IT head, Dr Tiu Zian Cheak.
SEGi Group of Colleges (SGC) Faculty of Engineering and
IT has always emphasised student-centred education that’s delivered via innovative methods using state-of-the-art facilities.
With SGC, students will not only develop industry-relevant knowledge but also have access to work in advanced laboratories and workshops to develop their engineering skills.
The greatest advantage of studying with SGC is that the degree programmes in automotive engineering, mechanical engineering, electronic and electrical (E&E) engineering, as well as the Master of Science in Engineering Management are offered in collaboration with the prestigious University of Sunderland, the UK.
“Our automotive engineering degree is multidisciplinary. It equips students with comprehensive knowledge and understanding of advanced technologies and processes related to automotive systems, analysis techniques and design methodologies and exposes them to various systems ranging from manufacturing to electric trains.
“It also prepares students for a sustainable career in automotive research, design, development, advanced engineering and production giving them limitless opportunities for professional advancement.
“In addition to building their technical capabilities, our collaborative degree and postgraduate programmes will also provide the students with in-depth exposure to advanced technology usage that will further enhance their competitiveness and global employability standard,” said Dr Tiu.
The other engineering programmes in the fields of electronic & electrical and mechanical are designed to meet the needs of IR4.0-driven automotive industry, as well as sectors such as manufacturing, E&E, aerospace, power and telecommunications.
The advancement of IR4.0 has also produced countless possibilities for engineers to explore various job prospects ranging from building and construction to the coding of smart technologies that require more than a single specialisation.
Apart from well-equipped labs and working space, the students are also exposed to a comprehensive industry-standard curriculum and challenges that will require them to find viable solutions for technical problems on their own, or as a team, while constantly opening themselves up to novel challenges that will further enhance their skills and knowledge.
“All of our engineering students are required to put what they have learnt over the years into practice to demonstrate their technical know-how, creativity and resourcefulness – the three trademarks of a SEGi engineering graduate.
“This is also in line with what the industry is looking for, especially in this volatile and rapidly changing environment,” he said.
Students are also exposed to a highly flexible learning environment that encourages them to be innovative, visionary and insightful. SEGi’s emphasis on technical and soft skills development such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication clearly prepares today’s students for tomorrow’s workplace.
■ Have a passion for engineering tomorrow’s solutions today? SGC will guide you through it. Log on to www.segi.edu.my, or call 03-2070 2078 (SEGi College Kuala Lumpur), 03-8600 1777 (SEGi College Subang Jaya), 04-263 3888 (SEGi College Penang), or 082-252 566 (SEGi College Sarawak) to find out more about SGC’s engineering programmes.