Taylor's SOMAC Inked 1+2 Articulation Pathway Memorandum of Agreement with Cardiff University UK

School of Media and Communication (SOMAC) has signed a 1+2 Articulation Pathway Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Cardiff University, U.K. to promote cooperation within higher education and to enhance the opportunities available to students from SOMAC to transfer over to Cardiff University U.K communication programme. Students who complete year 1 of their Taylor's communication degree with an overall CGPA of 3.0 or above will be considered for admission to year 2 of the BA programmes at Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Culture.

Cardiff University U,K. is an ambitious and innovative university with a bold and strategic vision located in a beautiful and thriving capital city. It has been named Welsh University of the Year in The Times & The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022. Cardiff also remains the top ranked university in Wales, claiming 35th position out of 135 institutions across the UK. The Guide ranks UK universities nationally and in 70 different subject areas, using a range of different measures including student experience and academic performance. Cardiff University is ranked 25th in the guide coming out top in Wales for six measures: Research Quality, Graduate Prospects – Outcomes, Graduate Prospects – On Track, Student-Staff Ratio, Degree Completion, and Entry Standards.

Prominent Clinical Psychologist - Prof. Dr. Rahmattullah Khan Appointed as External Reviewer

Professor Dr. Rahmattullah Khan bin Abdul Wahab Khan K.M.N is a well-known name among clinical psychologists. He has a solid reputation and extensive experience in the field of clinical psychology, and he is regarded as one of Malaysia's pioneer Clinical Psychologists. The School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SLAS) is pleased to have him as an External Reviewer for the Master of Clinical Psychology programme from 2021 to 2023.

Professor Dr. Rahmattullah Khan has held a number of key positions in the advancement of clinical psychology. He is a member and co-chairman of Malaysia's first Allied Health Council (Anggota Majlis Profesyen Kesihatan Bersekutu Malaysia). He also serves as the chairman of the Malaysia Qualification Agency (MQA) review committee for Psychology programme standards (2021 to 2022). He is also a Professor (Clinical Psychology) and Senate Member at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris until October 2021.

In addition to his academic contributions, he works as a visiting clinical psychologist at the National Heart Institute and KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital in Petaling Jaya. On June 4, 2011, HRH The Yang Dipertuan Agung bestowed the Kesatria Mangku Negara (K.M.N.) upon Professor Dr. Rahmattullah Khan. He will serve on the School Board of Examiners and conduct programme reviews for quality management and enhancement, such as reviewing examination scripts, module contents, balance and structure, and curriculum. We believe that with his review and contributions to the programme, the programme can be significantly improved to achieve high standards and quality.

Sustainable Homestay Project for Tourism Among Indigenous Tribal Community (Mah Meri Tribal Group)

Social Innovation Project (SIP) module centers on developing innovative ideas and solutions which are in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that supports a chosen community. These innovative projects can be in the form of products, concepts, or programmes with the intention to provide benefit to the community or end users. This semester 30 students from multi-disciplinary schools within Taylors embarked on a sustainable homestay project for tourism purposes among an indigenous tribal community namely, Mah Meri tribal group at Pulau Carey in Selangor.

This SIP initiative will see these students working in teams and with hands-on activities designing sustainable environmental, friendly homestays using the resources available. Through this sustainable homestay projects, the students have identified opportunities for the Mah Meri community to partake in Community based Tourism which will supplement their household income. Through this community-based project, students create value and manage risks through systematic research, constructive thinking and designing skills, and they propose enterprising projects as solutions for a real-world deserving community.

The selected SDGs for this collaborative project are Innovative Infrastructure (SDG 9) and Sustainable Communities (SDG 11). As part of this innovative sustainable homestay tourism project for the Mah Meri orang asli community, a talk with two prominent speakers were organized on 10th September 2021 at 2pm. The objective of these talks was to expose the students to the idea of homestay tourism to encapsulate the economic and cultural values which will be a great advantage for the indigenous community.

The first talk was presented by Mr. Keng Bee Cheng, Head of Integrity in Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, about homestay tourism in Malaysia. He shared Ministry’s homestay projects and how the Ministry contributed financial aid to chosen communities to cultivate tourism among rural areas. He also shared the aim of these community development is to engage participants and homeowners to entrepreneurship capacity building and also empower them to sustain the environment and economic improvement.

The second talk was by Dr. Puvaneswaran, Senior Lecturer, Taylors University who did his PhD within this same Mah Meri Community. He shared insights about the community, their livelihood and their involvement in tourism with wood craft and traditional dances. In addition to that, Dr. Joaquim Dias Soeiro, Head of School of Hospitality, Tourism and Events, Associate Professor Dr. Seyyed Mostafa, Head of CRiT, Ms. Leela Panniker, Director of NGO, Trees also shared their expertise and inputs in doing this sustainable tourism project among the Mah Meri projects.

It was agreed that sustainable tourisms three pillars of economic, social and environment aspects should be imbibed into this community project which will cultivate community’s tourism enhancement. The seniors from the five Mah Meri villages looked forward to such tourism projects to encourage their youth to stay in the village to continue their culture and indigenous practices.