TAWAU: The Institute of Science and Management (ISM), Tawau had held an annual Info Day recently and introduced its new course in Diploma in Agribusiness Management (DAM).
Many students, visitors and parents attended the Info Day and benefited from career talks conducted by ISM Alumni, industrial experts, career consultants, on scholarship and science experiments as well as programme briefing and entrepreneurship exhibition booths by ISM students.
The new course of DAM is an addition to other existing diploma programmes offered by ISM such as Diploma in Business Studies and Diploma in Accounting.
This locally tailored diploma programme was initiated by the ISM Board of Directors who sees the need to have a proper education in agriculture and business management skills to fulfil the industrial demand for the agricultural sector in the state, especially in Tawau.
The chairman of the board, Jap Pang, said Tawau itself has a massive potential in the agriculture industry, especially in oil palm plantation and other high end farming such as hydroponics, animal husbandry and fisheries.
He said students who had graduated from this programme, not only could work in the plantation sector, but they could also become agriculture entrepreneurs and manage their own business.
During the Info Day, the lecturers and students of DAM had prepared a booth that highlighted one of the soil-less planting techniques in agriculture, called “aquaponics”.
Aquaponics is a planting technique which combines the hydroponics and fish-rearing.
Hydroponics is a way of planting the vegetables without soil, but rather, the roots are suspended in water solution which has been added with all the nutrients needed for a proper growth.
In aquaponics, the water is circulated from the fish tank to the vegetable beds and it will return again to the fish tank.
The source of nutrients for the plants comes from the fish waste in the water. Not only it provides sufficient nutrient for the plant, but it is also environmental friendly-free of harmful chemicals, saves water and tastes better.
Many students and visitors were generally impressed by the Aquaponics and other displays at DAM booth and had their interests sparked for agriculture and also for this course.
According to Miss Carol, the lecturer and programme tutor of DAM, the students would not only acquire their knowledge in class but they also go out to the field and experience it themselves in planting vegetables and learning other advanced technique in agriculture.
For future planning, they will develop the vacant land besides the ISM building to become an agri-farming land which could be used for teaching purposes.
It’s hoped that this programme will attract more students to enroll and nurture graduates who are independent and equipped with the necessary skills for their future endeavor in the agriculture sector.