UCSI University’s top-notch facilities help to enhance the learning experience of aquatic science and aquaculture students.
DO you have a passion for learning and taking care of the environment? If the answer is yes and you think you have what it takes, why not pursue a career in the Aquatic Science field?
Students who have just received their SPM results recently are encouraged to dive deep into the aquatic sciences and make a contribution to help improve the aquatic ecosystem.
In Malaysia that is rich with water resources from the sea to the river, one can easily take the abundance of food, water and many other essentials from these sources for granted, especially considering the country’s tropical climate with very few natural disasters.
However, as the growing scarcity of clean water greatly affects irrigation and agriculture over the last few decades, the call for experts specialising in aquatic science could not be more crucial.
This is where UCSI University steps in. With programmes such as Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Aquatic Science, as well as Diploma in Aquaculture with Entrepreneurship made available by the Faculty of Applied Sciences since 2015, students are able to sign up for the multidisciplinary studies of aquatic ecosystems.
Students are not only taught in classrooms, but also via a series of exciting field trips to places such as hatcheries, mangrove parks, fish farms and intertidal beach zones where they gain hands-on industry knowledge and experience.
Some of the field trips included a visit to BaoLai sturgeon farm.
UCSI’s Aquatic Science programme covers a wide range of topics including life under water, scientific processes that take place in the aquatic world, as well as the management of aquatic resources.
Through the Diploma in Aquaculture with Entrepreneurship, students get to learn the more technical aspects of the subject with focus on aquaculture operations such as setting up and maintaining aquaculture farms, disease control in aquatic organisms, feed formulation, breeding theories and techniques, as well as entrepreneurship.
What makes these programmes unique compared to other universities? For one, students are required to undergo a minimum of two months of internship each year.
To date, students in these programmes have completed their internships at aquaculture farms such as Sepang Today Aquaculture Centre and Baolai Sturgeon Farm, research institutions that include Universiti Malaya and Universiti Putra Malaysia, and even non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and MareCet Marine Mammal Research and Conservation.
Overseas internships and research attachment programmes are also available where students get sent to renowned universities, research centres, and even resorts across the globe, namely to China, Taiwan, Thailand and Maldives.
Recently, the Faculty of Applied Sciences sealed an agreement with University of Griffith, Australia, whereby students of Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Aquatic Science get to complete their second and third year of studies at the latter institution.
The success of these programmes since its inception is not without their own list of impressive students and graduates.
UCSI students conducting their internship at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT).
Mark Ng Zhi Cong, who will graduate this year with a Diploma in Aquaculture with Entrepreneurship, is a Dean’s List student who is currently working as a research assistant at the Institute of Tropical Aquaculture Hatchery, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (Akuatrop UMT) in Terengganu.
That’s not all. The Aquatic Science Student Association (AQSA) last year walked home with the first prize from the Tan Sri Omar Harmony Award – a competition held annually at UCSI University that aims to promote United Nations SDGs – under the Booth Display Category for their project titled “Feel and Heal – School Adoption Hydroponic Project”.
While there are more achievements to note, these are some of the accomplishments that reflect UCSI University’s emphasis on applying classroom knowledge to the real world.
Apart from its acclaimed Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Aquatic Science as well as Diploma in Aquaculture with Entrepreneurship, UCSI University’s Faculty of Applied Sciences also offers Bachelor programmes in Biotechnology, Food Science with Nutrition, and Nutrition with Wellness; PhD in Applied Sciences; Master’s programmes Biotechnology; as well as Foundation in Science (Applied Sciences), among many others.
For more information, click here for online counselling or send your queries over to info.sec@ucsiuniversity.edu.my.
