THE STAR, TUESDAY 14 AUGUST 2018
COURSE FOCUS
WHEN you study artificial
intelligence (AI), you will come
across terms such as machine
learning, deep learning and
Internet of Things, among others.
As part of a rapidly evolving
industry, it is important for you to
understand each aspect of AI and
determine which area you want to
specialise in. Your options are
limitless, as AI graduates can
further their studies in wider areas
such as e-commerce, psychology
and marketing.
In Malaysia, there exist spaces to
create tangible impact with AI.
Below are several fields in which
AI can bring or has brought about
improvements.
l In transportation –
Autonomous cars are already a
reality. Though we are still in the
early stages, these cars have the
potential to reduce accidents,
global fuel consumption and traffic
congestions.
We could also see remote-
controlled ships and trucks in
future, which will redefine
multiple industries and trade
routes.
l In communication – Think
about the movie The King’s Speech,
but imagine King George VI’s
speech therapist to be a robot
helper that knows exactly how an
audience reacts to certain words,
tones and gestures.
A machine like this can improve
ENGINEERING & ARCHITECTURE
Designing automated minds
how we communicate on an
interpersonal level and would
be especially useful for
leaders.
l In education – AI
development has contributed to
new applications that are changing
the way schools are run.
There are programmes that help
automate and speed up tedious
administrative tasks, allowing
educators to spend more time on
teaching and less on filling out
paperwork.
l In finance – Modern
financial fraud detection
systems can, thanks to AI,
learn and adapt to potential
and current security threats
instead of depending heavily
on preprogrammed rules.
While still based on these rules,
these detection systems employ
machine learning to identify
irregularities in a database and
alert security teams to the possible
threat.
AI-major courses used to be few
and far between, but you now have
more diverse options.
For now, if you are unable
to find a suitable course that
focuses solely on AI, you can
explore programmes in computer
engineering or computer science
that include AI studies as a
minor.
No matter what you choose,
make sure your options cover the
modules listed below.
l Human-computer interaction
l Machine learning
l Autonomous robotic systems
l Image and language
processing
l Pattern recognition
l Expert systems
You may want to focus
on developing certain skills
and exploring relevant areas
of study to increase your
employability as a fresh
graduate.
Several in-demand skills in
the current job market are:
l Python
l R (programme for statistical
computing)
l Data science
l Hadoop
l Big data
l Apache Spark
l SAS analytics
l Data warehouse design
l Data mining
l Knowledge of business
intelligence technologies
l SQL queries
l SQL Server Reporting Services
l SQL Server Integration
Services
Your potential future
As someone with
qualifications in AI technologies
and its applications, it is likely
that you will be eligible for
many jobs in the same field.
Someone with a background
in AI is also suited to advocate
for ethical measures regarding
its growth and management.
While jobs in the field of
ethics do not yet exist, it is only
a matter of time before the
industry needs them as calls for
“robo-ethics” have been around
since 2004. In the meantime,
here are some commonly listed
jobs that you can aim for:
l Knowledge engineer
l Machine learning engineer
l Data scientist
l Business intelligence
developer
l Internet of Things
architect
l Robotics designer
l Blockchain engineer
l AI ethics researcher
2 Course Focus
Good returns on studying economics
CHOOSING to pursue a degree in Dr Teo Wing Leong, head of School
economics from the University of of Economics at University of
Nottingham gives you three key Nottingham Malaysia, this perk is
advantages – access to some of the true for many of the university’s
highest-paying jobs, a wide range
of career options, and a chance to
graduates.
A 2018 research report titled The
study at a global top 100
economics department.
relative labour market returns to
different degrees published by the
Who does not Institute for Fiscal Studies, which
want a job that
pays well,
collected data from more than
463,000 individuals in the United
especially after
spending
Kingdom, ranks economics degree
returns as the second highest after
years pursuing medicine and dentistry.
challenging Economics graduates earn a
study median annual income of £40,000
programmes? (RM211,464.83) five years after
According to graduation.
The Hamilton Project, which
collected data from more than
three million individuals
in the United States, also
ranks economics as one
of the highest-paid
degrees.
Dr Teo Wing Leong. The most popular job
areas in economics are investment
banking, management consulting
and commercial banking.
Some graduates may prefer
jobs with greater impact on the
economic agenda of a region
such as in humanitarian causes
(World Bank, International
Monetary Fund or United Nations)
or government agencies (Bank
Negara Malaysia, Finance Ministry
or Securities Commission).
In the QS World University
Rankings 2019, University of
Nottingham was placed among the
top 100 universities in the world.
The Nottingham School of
Economics (NSE) contributed to the
university’s placement among the
top 100 economics subject
providers globally, according to the
QS World University Rankings by
Subject 2018.
Other than that, the university
is ranked 34th globally in The
Tilburg University Top 100
Worldwide Economics Schools
Research Ranking, thanks to
NSE’s performance from 2013 to
2017.
As a University of Nottingham
student, you may be studying with
Nobel Prize winners. Nottingham
graduate Clive Granger, who also
worked at NSE, won the 2003
Nobel Prize in Economics.
All staff members of NSE
Malaysia hold doctorates from
renowned universities worldwide
including from University of
Nottingham, and have taught
in universities around the world.
NSE Malaysia offers the BSc
(Hons) Economics and BSc (Hons)
Economics and International
Economics.
NSE Malaysia will be hosting an
MBA preview on Aug 16 from 7pm
to 8.30pm and its Information Day
on Aug 18 from 10am to 4pm.
Introduction to MSc Finance
and Investment, MSc International
Meeting demand
in construction
CURTIN University Malaysia
is introducing a new course in
construction management.
The course is management-
orientated and prepares students
for a wide range of professional
roles in the building and
construction industry.
The four-year Bachelor of
Applied Science (Hons) in
Construction Management is
expected to meet a growing
demand for a comprehensive
construction management
course. It was designed in
collaboration with industry
professionals and goes well
beyond the scope of quantity
surveying.
Taught by a dedicated team of
professionals, the course focuses
on a broad range of interrelated
disciplines including domestic,
commercial and civil
construction. Its core subjects
include construction technology,
quantity measurement and cost
estimating, project planning and
management, contract
administration, and building
law.
As communication is
fundamental to construction,
students will be taught critical
communication and computer
skills (Building Information
Modeling).
Students are required to
complete 80 days of work
experience before
graduation. They will
undertake supervised
research projects in their
fourth year and complete
assignments throughout
the course. In
addition, they
will have the
opportunity to
participate in
supervised
visits to
construction
sites and
international
study trips.
“The
course is
one of the
most
popular
ones at our
THE STAR, TUESDAY 14 AUGUST 2018
The most
popular job areas
in economics are
investment banking,
management
consulting and
commercial
banking.
Business, MSc Business and
Management and MSc Professional
Accountancy will be held on Sept 5
from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.
n For more information,
e-mail study@nottingham.edu.my
or visit www.nottingham.edu.my
main campus in Perth, and we
expect it to be equally popular
here in Malaysia.
“Graduates will be able to find
employment as quantity
surveyors, building surveyors,
building contractors, contract
administrators, project
managers, construction
managers, estimators and
property developers,” says Assoc
Prof Muhammad Ekhlasur
Rahman, head of Curtin
Malaysia’s Department of Civil
and Construction Engineering
under its Faculty of Engineering
and Science.
According to JobStreet.com’s
2018 Salary Report, construction
ranks among the top five sectors
in Malaysia for highest
maximum entry-level salary.
The course is recognised by
the Higher Education Ministry
and professionally accredited by
Australian Institute of Quantity
Surveyors, Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors and Board
of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia.
It is currently being considered
by the Australian Institute of
Building.
Two more new courses that
have been introduced at Curtin
Malaysia are Bachelor of
Science (Computing)
(Software Engineering)
and Bachelor of
Science (Computing)
(Cyber Security).
Enrolment for
Curtin Malaysia’s July/
August semester is
now open.
n To learn
more, e-mail
enquiries@
curtin.edu.my
or visit
courses.
curtin.edu.
my
Assoc Prof
Muhammad
Ekhlasur
Rahman.
THE STAR, TUESDAY 14 AUGUST 2018
LAST year, tech experts at the
Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers revealed
what they believe will be the
biggest trends in technology for
this year. Among them are
machine learning, cybersecurity,
artificial intelligence and additive
manufacturing.
It is without a doubt that the
fields of computing and
engineering have become a huge
part of society – think mobile
gadgets, anti-lock brakes and the
software on your devices.
As the world enters the Fourth
Industrial Revolution and
undergoes technological
disruptions, it is no wonder that
the aforementioned technology
trends will require a merging of
professions from computing and
engineering. How, then, can we
help shape the future with the
combining of these gargantuan
fields?
Most would be inclined to start
with education. Accordingly,
Taylor’s University has engineered
its curriculum to provide a broad-
based education that allows
students to pursue
multidisciplinary studies.
The newly launched Taylor’s
Curriculum Framework lets
students choose minors outside
their field of study. For instance,
business students can choose to
minor in information technology
while engineering students can
pursue a business or marketing
minor.
Programme pairings such as
these make for powerful
combinations that can enhance
graduate employability as the
demand for graduates with
multidisciplinary skills continues
to grow. By offering courses in
engineering and computer
Innovation crucial to success
Janice Chau, a recent graduate from Taylor’s University School of Computing & IT, builds, programmes and prepares a
robot with her team to fight its opponents at the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship Retreat in Shanghai,
China.
sciences, Taylor’s University
recognises the need to empower
today’s students with the ability to
meet the needs of tomorrow’s
society.
In its quest for ultimate
excellence, the institution has
propelled its School of Engineering
and School of Computing & IT to
adopt a holistic approach in
grooming students to become
leaders, innovators and
technopreneurs.
Since its establishment in 1996,
Taylor’s School of Engineering has
set the benchmark for engineering
education and served as a role
model for other institutions within
the region.
It is the first engineering
school in South-East Asia to
adopt the CDIO initiative. Short
for “conceiving, designing,
implementing and operating”
real-world systems and products,
the CDIO curriculum combines
conventional and modern
techniques that provide students
with valuable real-world
experiences by undertaking
actual engineering projects.
Taylor’s is also the first
university outside the United States
to be accepted into the NAE Grand
Challenges Scholars Program.
Students enrolled in this
programme will receive similar
opportunities as students of top
engineering schools in the US such
as Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Duke University and
Stanford University.
Taylor’s School of Computing
& IT was established in 1998 and
offers a range of career-focused
programmes through which
graduates continue to meet
industry standards, filling out the
Course Focus 3
talent pool in information and
communication technology.
In line with its motto, “Driving
Innovation through Technology”,
the school aims to provide students
with ample opportunities to
influence the future of the modern
world as well as push the frontiers
of computing and information
technology.
New specialisations that have
been introduced include data
science, blockchain, cloud
computing, mobile computing and
cybersecurity. Students are
encouraged to form their own
start-up companies before
graduating from Taylor’s
University.
The industry-relevant
curriculum is a result of
implementing comprehensive
practical content using relevant
learning technologies and
providing an environment
conducive to forming strong
collaborations with the industry,
professional bodies, government
agencies and academia.
These valuable partnerships
helped place Taylor’s University
among the top 1% of institutions
globally in the QS World University
Rankings 2019 for employer
reputation.
The schools aim to continue
encouraging and enabling students
to undertake innovative projects in
line with the university’s quest to
nurture budding technopreneurs.
n For more information,
call 03-5629 5000, e-mail
applications@taylors.edu.my
or visit www.taylors.edu.my
4 Course Focus
Master the world of mechatronics
INDUSTRY 4.0 is a popular concept
today. With the attention the new
industrial revolution is gaining, the
mechatronics industry is growing
rapidly.
The innovative area of
mechatronics is facilitating huge
advancements in technology to
drive Industry 4.0.
Tunku Abdul Rahman University
College (TAR UC) is a leading,
industry-relevant education
provider that offers programmes in
mechatronics at diploma and
degree levels.
Relevant programmes at TAR UC
aim to equip students with
knowledge to solve real-world
problems in the field with proper
application of mechatronics
principles.
Furthermore, TAR UC’s priority is
to teach students to design and
develop solutions for the future.
Students learn to apply their
technical expertise through
laboratory, project and research
activities.
Shawn Daren, who is in his third
year of the Bachelor of Engineering
(Hons) Mechatronic, shares his
experience studying mechatronics
at TAR UC.
“Mechatronics is a challenging
but fun field. What I studied at
diploma level strengthened my
understanding of the degree-level
subjects I am taking now.
“On top of that, I got to build a
robotic arm for my diploma
Mechatronics students and lecturers during their visit to the Sony Malaysia
factory as part of TAR UC’s immersive learning experience.
assignment. The task was
challenging but I enjoyed
configuring and troubleshooting
processes with my team,” he says.
Lim Hui Yan, who is a Bachelor
of Engineering (Hons) Mechatronic
graduate, shares that her study
experience at TAR UC was not only
interesting but kept her abreast of
technological developments.
“What I studied in the Diploma
in Technology (Mechatronics)
helped me tremendously in my
degree. My degree programme
kept me up-to-date with
advancements in the mechatronics
field.
“I especially enjoyed assignments
with problem-solving requirements
such as when my group built a
drone. I also completed two
research assignments on the
relationship between Industry 4.0
and mechatronics. The findings I
gained from them were not only
informative but exciting as well,”
says Lim.
The TAR UC Mechatronic Society
is an academic club every mecha-
tronics student at the institution is
automatically enrolled in.
“Besides picking up a thing or
two about event management and
fundraising, I befriended many
students over common interests,
especially other girls, as not many
girls study mechatronics,” adds Lim.
Attractive scholarships such as
academic merit and sibling
discounts are available to eligible
students.
Find out more about TAR UC’s
mechatronics programmes from
TAR UC representatives at major
education fairs.
n For more information, visit
www.tarc.edu.my
(From left) Dr Madhavan, Dr Kamal and Dr Alpha are playing their parts
in pushing AI research and applications forward.
Creating
intelligent
workers
TODAY, data are no longer mere
information – they can be used
by artificial intelligence (AI) to
make large-scale decisions that
the human mind cannot.
As one of Malaysia’s premier
centres of higher education, AI is
at the forefront of Monash
University Malaysia’s research
efforts.
Dr Abdus Samad Kamal,
senior lecturer at Monash
University Malaysia’s School of
Engineering who is currently
working on the use of AI in the
production of corrugated boxes,
sheds light on the challenges
faced by the box-making
industry and the solutions that
he and his team are working on.
The complexity of the process
is due to the size of the boxes,
mass-manufacturing process
and labelling that involves inks.
“Some of the sheets are two or
three metres in size. The
problem we face in the process
is that you need the perfect
temperature to ensure adequate
levels of moisture in the
production line, which ranges
from 50 to 100 metres.
“Instead of using a human, we
propose installing a system that
is able to detect minor changes
in colour and alert us so that we
can adjust the density of the
ink,” says Dr Kamal.
These subtle changes are
nearly impossible for humans to
spot, yet a tiny slip-up comes at a
great cost for the manufacturer.
The role of AI in the rise of
automation is highly publicised.
In western countries, driverless
cars are being rolled out in
droves and put to use in
e-hailing services.
Dr Madhavan Shanmugavel,
lecturer at the School of
Engineering, has been involved
in a long-standing working
relationship with Recogine
Technology Sdn Bhd, which
specialises in intelligent
transportation systems.
They are jointly developing a
traffic system to monitor, count
and classify vehicles based on
make, size and shape for various
weather conditions where
visibility may be affected.
Meanwhile, Dr Alpha Agape
Gopalai, another senior lecturer
at the School of Engineering, is
THE STAR, TUESDAY 14 AUGUST 2018
designing a smart shoe that is
aimed at reducing injuries by
monitoring human walking
patterns.
“We want to predict injuries/
abnormalities in walking at an
early stage. When a person is
seen to limp, the injury could be
at an advanced stage. However,
when an injury is just beginning
to set in, the human body
compensates by altering its
walking pattern.
“By using artificial intelligence
to recognise these subtleties, we
will be able to detect injuries
and abnormalities early on,”
explains Dr Alpha.
Fears that AI will result in loss
of jobs are often expressed by its
detractors. Industry leaders,
however, stress that AI is crucial
in developing a more skilled
workforce.
“As we strive towards
becoming a developed nation,
we must seek to equip our
workforce with skill sets to
handle their jobs efficiently and
intelligently.
“The aim is to mitigate the
exposure of our workforce to
the 3Ds (dangerous, dull and
dirty jobs). These measures
improve the workplace
environment and subsequently
employees’ quality of life,” he
adds.
The school’s discipline head
(mechatronics) Assoc Prof Edwin
Tan Chee Pin acknowledges that
while there will be loss of jobs, a
myriad of new jobs will be
created as well – to create,
implement, monitor and
troubleshoot these intelligent
systems.
Echoing Dr Alpha’s sentiment,
Assoc Prof Tan believes that AI
will only work to the advantage
of workers as they will learn
new skills that prepare them for
the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
AI is offered as an elective for
fourth-year students of the
Bachelor of Mechatronics
Engineering and Bachelor of
Electrical and Computer Systems
Engineering programmes at
Monash University Malaysia.
n For more information
on the programmes, visit
www.monash.edu.my/
engineering