While lectures and class work provide the foundational knowledge necessary for any good scientist, the true test of a student’s skill and competency lies in effective real-world application.
At Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT), this is part of its Beyond Education study experience.
One recent example is the ‘Nutrition Community Project for Orang Asli: Pinggan Ceria, Hidup Sihat’, where a group of science and nutrition students were tasked to run an interactive and educational programme for the local Orang Asli community as part of their academic coursework.
Through a series of activities like an interactive talk session, educational game booths, cooking demonstrations and a basic health assessment test, the students shared with the Orang Asli community on how to understand their own health better, increase their awareness towards nutrition and foster a healthier eating habit that centres around the community’s natural diet and locally available ingredients.
“Through an experiential learning process like this, students can practice relevant skills such as nutrition assessment and health education in real time and with a real target audience,” said Faculty of Applied Sciences (FOAS) assistant professor and programme leader Dr Zunura’in Zahali.
“Besides, students will be able to strengthen other important skills like ethics, professionalism and adaptability when faced with different nutritional challenges from different communities.
“On top of that, this nutrition community project is also part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), where TAR UMT plays an active role in promoting good health, wellbeing, zero hunger and sustainable communities,” she added.
Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Nutrition student Chew Xiaoxuan admits the project was quite a challenging undertaking, but the learning opportunity and benefits to the Orang Asli community far outweigh the obstacles.
“As the organising president, it was nerve-wracking having to plan and execute the campaign onsite for this project.
“However, after seeing how the community turned up and responded positively to the ideas and knowledge we shared, it was very heart-warming to see how our efforts can make a huge difference in their lives.”
Xiaoxuan added: “I believe projects like this are a very good opportunity for students to enhance skills and values that are not found in textbooks.
“By interacting with the local Orang Asli community, we are able to empathise with the current health issues they face, understand their cultural dietary habits and work on how to help them overcome their issues with solutions that cater to their lifestyle and eating habits.”
Another student Yong Zi Xuan said this project did wonders in allowing her to translate her academic knowledge into executable applications.
“For example, we took technical nutritional concepts like balanced diets, food groups and healthy eating guidelines and turned them into simple educational activities that are easily understood by the community.
“This was followed by a live cooking demonstration in preparing simple healthy meals like sandwiches and oat pancakes. This allows the community to understand the importance of a nutritious meal and how easy it is to incorporate into their diet.”
“Although we were the ones who were sharing a lot of information and knowledge with them, the process of engaging and interacting with the community has also taught us a lot about empathy and understanding another community’s culture and dietary habits,” Zi Xuan shared.
“In addition, conducting the activities in the village was an experience by itself. I, for one, felt fortunate to experience the hospitality of our Orang Asli friends and have the chance to share what I have learnt to help them improve their quality of life.”
To find out more about TAR UMT’s nutrition and other applied science programmes, visit them during their Open Day from May 16-17 and June 6-7 at TAR UMT campuses nationwide. Qualified students will receive their on-the-spot offers during TAR UMT Open Day at Kuala Lumpur campus (terms and conditions applies). You can also call 011-1075 8544 or email foas@tarc.edu.my and to apply online, visit www.tarc.edu.my. Various financial aid and merit scholarships are also available for qualified students.
