TAYLOR’S SCHOOL OF COMPUTING AND IT

From September to October 2015, Diploma in IT (DIT) students from Taylor’s School of Computing and IT were actively involved in community projects to help the needy.

Lending a helping paw…er…hand at PAWS

One team volunteered at PAWS (Paws Animal Welfare Society), a non-profit organization which provides shelter and care for homeless cats and dogs. They received training on how to take care of the pets and walk the dogs. They also helped to promote cat adoption at an exhibition at the Mines International Exhibition & Convention Centre. Me-ow! Good job!

Feeding the homeless at the Kechara Soup Kitchen

The group also helped out at the Kechara Soup Kitchen, a community action group that distributes food, basic medical aid and counselling to the homeless and urban poor in Malaysia. It was a truly humbling experience for the team as they helped with various tasks from packing food, loading food supplies onto delivery vans, and delivering and distributing food to the homeless around the Kuala Lumpur area. The students also used their technical skills to assist with data entry work at Kechara’s office in Jalan Imbi.

Dignity for Children Foundation

A second group of DIT students focused on providing assistance to the Dignity for Children Foundation, an organization which provides education for underprivileged children around the Sentul and Kuala Lumpur areas. The team raised funds by selling IT gadgets at the Lakeside campus. They collected more funds during SoCIT’s TechFest event on 29 October 2015. Visitors to their booth contributed to the cause by playing soccer video games, taking photos at their Halloween photo booth and participating in a Selfie Photo-taking competition. A total of RM1,176.30 was raised for the Dignity Centre. Besides the fundraising events, students also went to the Dignity for Children Foundation’s centre in Sentul to help out with the Christmas card distribution.

Alvin Leong’s reflection on his involvement as a helper and volunteer:

“Volunteering for Kechara Soup Kitchen and PAWS animal shelter taught me a lot of things. It reminded me of some of the moral lessons I learnt during high school. I am grateful that I am physically and financially stable. In the future, I hope to be able to participate in helping other communities.”

Learn to program droids and create your own Star Wars game in a galaxy far away.

Trying out the Segway PT

DOTA games competition in action Participants from secondary schools Thanks to the TechFest 2015 Committee for their hard work in organizing the event!

Ting Shi Jin sharing at one of the sessions

A group photo before we end our time together!

Taking a walk with a new friend

Kechara Soup Kitchen premises Volunteers helping with data entry

IT gadgets and bookmarks on sale

Selfie photo-taking competition and Halloween photo booth

Helping out with Christmas cards insertion DIT Fundraisers with the Dignity for Children Foundation

FIND OUT MORE

HAPPENINGS

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

INTERACTIVE GAMES

Issue 2 (January - February 2016)

TechFest 2015 brought together students, academics and industry experts in a celebration of creativity and innovation in the field of computing and IT. Taylor’s School of Computing and IT’s event of the year happened on 29 October 2015. Champions of the industry took time off their busy schedules to provide updates on industry trends at the Expert Forums. Mr Philip Victor, Head of Market Development at (ISC)² spoke on the global cybersecurity landscape and information security workforce development, while MDEC Senior Manager, Mr Tan Eng Hoo, shared on the ICT Industry outlook and career opportunities.

A strong sense of excitement built up as competitions like the TechFest iHacker, Dota Games and the ImagineHack Challenge got underway. These competitive events allowed aspiring hackers (the ethical kind), programmers, and computer-game aficionados to flex their virtual muscles. Winners were amply rewarded.

The project exhibition showcased computing students’ final year projects that teased the imagination while the exhibition by technology partners and sponsors completed the event. For some visitors, free rides on the Segway PT was the cherry on the cake.

It is no wonder that everyone who has experienced this event is looking forward to TechFest 2016!

SHINE AT THE EOS CAMP

INSPIRING THE FUTURE VIA TECHFEST

IT’S ALL ABOUT HELPING OUT

From the 21st to 23rd of September 2015, Taylor’s Kuantan Education Counseling Centre (TKECC) successfully conducted its first “Taylor's Element of SHINE Learning Camp” at Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus. 60 students from secondary schools in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang were selected from the previous Element of SHINE state level competition and the Mathematics & Physics Challenge to participate in the camp. On the second day of the camp, TKECC collaborated with Taylor’s School of Computing and IT (SoCIT) and its scholars to conduct a sharing and coding learning session. The scholars team comprising Ting Shi Jin, Oscar Yip Fook Tian, Teoh Joo Fong and Duncan Tsen Ken Sang took turns to share their stories and achievements at SoCIT. After the sharing session, the scholars split into 2 teams and led the participants in the “CodeCombat” game.

CodeCombat is set in a fantasy realm in which the player must code to defeat the forces of marauding ogre hordes. The game enables players to learn the basics of computer science including formal syntax, conditional logic and variables. Through CodeCombat SoCIT aims to provide an interesting way for students to learn and understand computer coding. One participant commented, “Now everyone can write code, I would definitely continue to learn how to code after the camp.” SoCIT looks forward to working together with TKECC in more Element of SHINE Learning Camps in the near future.

Helping out at the exhibition

JOIN FORCES WITH REY TO GUIDE BB-8 THROUGH A SPACE MISSION!

STUDENT PROFILE

TechFest is an annual event organized by Taylor’s University School of Computing and IT to provide a platform for industry experts to engage with computing students on various levels and for showcasing student’s innovations and projects. The activities held during the event have one main aim - to inspire students, and members of the IT industry and the public with the exciting possibilities in this field.

The objective of hosting the unique event is to promote Taylor’s 5C’s(Communication, Collaboration, Cultural Adaptation, Creative Thinking & Innovation and Critical Thinking & Problem Solving) through a series of workshops and activities held at the camp. The initiative creates awareness and motivates participants to step out of their comfort zone to blend into the new environment and express their undiscovered talent.

These community service projects added an important dimension to the students’ learning that is part of holistic education. Working closely with people involved in community work and playing an active part in helping the less fortunate reminds them to respect and value all people and all forms of life.

JOIN FORCES WITH REY TO GUIDE BB-8 THROUGH A SPACE MISSION!

Learn to write code that allows students to create fun challenges and games using Star Wars characters. This nurtures creativity, teach logic and problem solving through basic computer programming.

TING SHI JINStudent & TechnopreneurTaylor’s School of Computing and IT

He saw an opportunity in a difficult situation and acted upon it. Now, he is running 2 companies while still continuing his studies. Watch the inspiring story of Ting Shi Jin, a Taylor’s University Bachelor of Software Engineering (Hons) student.

QS University Rankingby Region

QS Stars Rated for Excellence in 4 Categories:

EMPLOYABILITYINTERNATIONALIZATION

FACILITIESINCLUSIVENESS

Don’t forget to read the next edition of our e-newsletter to find out more on the key happenings and activities of School of Computing and IT.

For more information aboutTaylor’s School of Computing and IT

ENQUIRE HERE