Giving Graduates the Edge
In a world shaped by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the graduate of today needs to enter the job market equipped with the skills they need to constantly stay ahead of the curve.
To stand out from the field, graduates must be equipped with a high-quality and well-rounded education, augmented by soft skills and hands- on expertise suited to the demands of their respective industries.
Malaysia’s Quest International University Perak ( QIU) prides itself on creating graduates who become prime job market targets once they step off the convocation stage. “In today’s job market, employers are looking for people who can make an immediate impact. They want employees who have the education and the skills to contribute to the company with minimal training. We aim to deliver these employees,” asserts Chief Operating Officer (COO) Nicholas Goh.
All of QIU’s courses are structured to reflect the ever- changing needs of their respective industries. A prime example is the University’s new industry- based engineering programme for two of its courses-- the Bachelor of Electronics Engineering ( Communication) with Honours, and the Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering with Honours.
Under this curriculum, students undergo a yearly industrial attachment at prominent technologybased companies.
A typical engineering undergraduate would only undergo one session of industrial training in a four-year programme.
However, QIU’s undergraduates will be attached to the industries for three sessions throughout the four- year programme-- providing them with an unrivalled level of industry exposure.
Due to this early continuous exposure and engagement with industry experts, undergraduates will get the opportunity to sharpen their hands-on skills.
The first attachment is slated for April 2020, and QIU is proud to take this initiative off the ground with industry giants that can provide our undergraduates with a wide range of industrial attachment options. “The key is constructing an environment that recreates the challenges of the real work environment. Practice makes perfect, and it is the only way to improve,” added Goh. In the same vein, the modern curriculum used by QIU’s Faculty of Medicine is augmented by state-of-the-art laboratories and infrastructure, where students can hone the skills they need to perform in the high-pressure world of modern medicine.
QIU’s Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools and its Faculty of Medicine has been validated as a medicine school of high quality.
The University is also an approved official centre for the United States Medical Licensing Examination ( USMLE) training, and its medical graduates can enter residency or fellowship programmes in Canada and the United States that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education ( ACGME). In addition, QIU’s MBBS programme has also been accredited by medical councils across South Asia – as well as the Malaysian Medical Council ( MMC) and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). It is also recognised by the Malaysian Ministry of Health.
The same principle of creating job-ready students extends to QIU’s culinary arts programmes, where students utilise a state- of- the- art kitchen, an in-house bakery and a fine dining restaurant to polish their pro f e s s i o n a l s k i l l s. In the culinary world, the ability to deal with sudden challenges and developments under pressure is key. QIU’s industry- relevant programme exposes students to the real- world culinary experience, which will be an invaluable asset in the job market.
QIU’s focus on providing industry-relevant education has already paid off. The University’s students and academics are putting our name in lights, as they continue to shine in national and international competitions.
In February, the University won 18 awards at the 2019 Malaysia Technology Expo -an international exposition that highlights excellence in inventions and innovation. This included four golds, two silvers, six bronzes, and a special Japanese Intellectual Property Award.
Our students and academics took it in their stride as they competed against more than 500 projects by government agencies such as the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) and the Malaysia Nuclear Agency, local public universities, and entrants from as far as Taiwan, Croatia, the Philippines and the United States.
To produce outstanding students, outstanding lecturers are a must. At the moment, 81 percent of QIU’s lecturers have industry experience.
Over time, the University will increase this percentage even further, by bringing in more top-calibre educators with a wide-range of experience in different industries.
The value of experience is deeply appreciated at QIU. The University is building an armada of educators, armed with substantial work experience to mold our students into the employees of tomorrow.
The wealth of experience among QIU’s educators is a bona fide treasure trove for its students, giving them a window into the fast-paced world of modern industry. Crucially, the university has instilled an attitude of caring among its lecturers--a spirit of leaving no man behind.