SUBANG JAYA: Last year, the #IMadeTheSwitch campaign by Monster.com found that 87 per cent of Malaysian professionals embrace the challenge of moving industries as they want to be employed for a position that is the best fit for them.
Taylor’s University deputy vice chancellor and chief academic officer Prof Dr Pradeep Nair said this trend of challenging the status quo and moving careers or industries is becoming the norm in today’s age.
“A study by the Institute of the Future found that when someone retires in the future, they would have had 19 jobs and not all the positions would be in the same field or sector.
“Recognising this, Taylor’s University re-engineered its approach to teaching and learning in 2016 by looking at what today’s students place significance on. After listening to students as well as our industry partners, we launched Taylor’s Curriculum Framework in 2018.
Prof Dr Pradeep Nair
“With this unique platform, our students have the flexibility to mix and match electives and graduate with a degree that is catered especially to their knowledge quest,” he said.
With Taylor’s Curriculum Framework (TCF), students at Taylor’s will start their education journey by choosing their core discipline.
They will then select modules from the other 14 schools that interest them or would enhance their industry knowledge when they graduate.
Prof Pradeep said that the options are limitless for Taylor’s students as they are able to fully utilise the expertise of the academics within each of the schools.
He added, for example, a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Mechanical Engineering student can explore his love for food by signing up for an extension offered by the School of Culinary Arts and Food Studies.
He could also choose to delve deeper into an area within his own course of study by signing up for the Robotics Design extension.
Alternatively, if he wants to study two fields, a double major, he can enrol in the Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Mechanical Engineering programme, with a double major in Entrepreneurship.
Taylor’s aims to instil transdisciplinary skills in its students so that they have the EQ for success once they graduate.
“We realised that today’s learners want to be more involved in the process of their education; they want the flexibility of choosing what they will learn. By providing them this flexibility, Taylor’s is equipping its students with the soft skills and technical knowledge they need for their professional life.
“In the 21st century and beyond, our students will work and live in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world.
“We must help develop our students’ the ability be self-aware and to self-regulate emotions through skilful management of their personal goals, intentions, responses and behaviour. We must also develop their social intelligence, especially the ability to empathise with others, interact positively with them and foster stable and harmonious relationships,” he said.
Prof Pradeep explained that with the introduction of TCF, all students beginning their degree studies will take two university life skills courses: Life Skills for Success and Well-Being and Team Dynamics and Relationship Management.
“Among others, these modules focus on emotional literacy, emotional navigation and grit during performance, behavioural flexibility, stress management, empathy, social awareness, conflict management and leadership.
“These life skills are becoming as important as discipline specific knowledge and skills and are an integral part of the 21st century skills, as announced by the World Economic Forum,” he said.
Students get to co-curate their education at Taylor’s, giving them the flexibility to mix and match their passion with their course.
Taylor’s University’s aim for educational excellence has been a journey that is 50 years in the making.
The private higher education provider has made it a mission to continuously strive to provide access to quality education to more and more Malaysian youths in order to provide them the platform to realise their full potential.
Committing to the next 50 years and beyond, Taylor’s aims to break barriers as a Malaysian higher education institution and see the next 50 years of its growth through the development and implementation of innovative teaching and learning pedagogy that is relevant to today’s
learners to ensure students are able to enjoy the best education experience that is relevant to their needs.
Looking ahead, Taylor’s will continue with its commitment to growing globally by creating a diverse and inclusive community – both through the empowerment of its students with a global mindset as well as its growth agenda in its global footprint.
For more information about finding distinctive strengths and discovering full potential with Taylor’s, visit Taylor’s Lakeside Campus on June 29-30 or July 6-7 July from 10am to 5pm.
Contact 03-56295000, email [email protected], or go to www.taylors.edu.my for more information about the degrees offered.