HWUM is gearing up its engineering students to be industry-ready.
MECHANICAL Engineering student Rajiv William Rade found that his time at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (HWUM) helped him to decide on a career path by aiding him to obtain self-awareness through his strengths and weaknesses.
He opined that his degree and guidance from educators pushed him to sharpen his problem-solving skills, which in turn prepares him for when he joins the workforce.
“The many coursework and assignments given by the university have sharpened my problem-solving skills. In addition to that, the focus on industry problems in assignments has exposed me to industry level problems and the ways to solve them.
“This was done with the assistance of lecturers and their advice throughout the degree on how to handle ourselves and problems when we are working,” he said, adding that his time pursuing his degree has prepared him well for his career.
He also found the university’s many events with industry companies such as career expos opened doors.
“Companies come to the university to recruit graduates. Other than that, one of my courseworks was done in collaboration with an industrial company. This has definitely helped me develop links with the industry,” he said.
“The many coursework and assignments given by the university have sharpened my problem-solving skills,” said Rajiv William Rade.
Heriot-Watt University has a strong track record for producing highly employable graduates and shaping tomorrow’s talent, since its establishment as the world’s first mechanics institute in 1821.
On the local front, HWUM has scaled to greater heights since 2014 in offering excellent British education with a global outlook and global study opportunities, which is in line with the futuremade university’s commitment to future-proof its students.
Currently, the university ranks in the top 250 worldwide for Engineering and Technology, according to Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021. Heriot-Watt University is also ranked in the top 10 in the UK in the same fields, based on the Complete University Guide 2022.
With positive education at the forefront, the university has instilled initiative such as the EmPOWER programme for its undergraduate students.
This programme encourages its students to hone their soft skills, aimed at future-proofing graduates and create purposeful leaders. It also aims to transform ideas into a complete innovative solution, while also promoting industrial collaboration and projects with commercial value.
Student-led project and an EmPOWER-funded Bio-Sekitar Enterprise is a prime example. The team participated in MaGIC University Startup Challenge 2020 and snagged fourth place in the Judges’ Selection Award (Social Innovation Track) and third place in the Public Voting Award (Social Innovation Track).
The team of engineering students came together to create Bio-Digester with the aim to recycle food waste into either fertilizer or methane gas - better yet, this device is partially automated.
“My degree has prepared me with good understanding of underlying theories of chemical engineering principals,” said Nur Syahira binti Mohd Yahya.
As for MEng in chemical engineering with oil and gas technology graduating student Nur Syahira binti Mohd Yahya, she found that HWUM was a great place to meet people from all over the world and obtain a British degree all while being close to home.
Besides that, she also felt that her education has prepared her for the real world.
“My degree has prepared me with good understanding of underlying theories of chemical engineering principals, while at the same time prepared me with the soft skills required to better handle myself working with other people.
“It also widened the scope of work that I could aim for, although studying a degree that has oil and gas elements to it, it contains the principal foundation that can be applied in other fields as well,” she said, adding that the university’s mandatory internship programme aided her in developing links to the industry.
The university aims for graduates to be shaped for tomorrow’s world of work as programmes are developed to match industry needs.
HWUM offers world-class engineering programmes in various disciplines, such as electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering and civil engineering.
Students interested in pursuing a future as an engineer are encouraged to apply for the university’s September intake.
For more information on programmes, visit https://intake.hw.edu.my/engineering. Heriot-Watt would be organising webinars and hosting a special live Instagram Q&A with graduates for its upcoming open day from Aug 21-22, 2021. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/hwumvirtual
