BE WAY AHEAD
Graduate from First City University College and be Way Ahead
Empowering Students to be Globally Competitive
First City University College Director Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr) Teo Chiang Liang shares:
Every year without fail, First City University College will organize a graduation showcase for each of our Faculties and a career fair for the graduating batch of students. These are great platforms for our students to showcase their abilities and the knowledge they acquired to companies and professionals who are invited to attend. We have a number of students who were offered employment at the graduation showcases even before graduation. We strongly believe that such graduation showcases are very useful platforms to facilitate our students’ employability and chosen career.
Innovation Day is the graduation showcase that we organize annually for the graduating students from the Faculty of Engineering and Computing. Students are given the chance to showcase their innovative and creative final year projects to professional bodies or organisations who are potential employers of our graduates.
SEQUENCE is our annual graduation showcase for students of the Faculty of Design and Built Environment and is held in 1 Utama Shopping Centre. Since the Covid-19 pandemic we have held the last two SEQUENCE events online in order to comply with the Government’s SOPs for the prevention of the spread of the virus.
Besides that, First City University College has collaborated with organizations, professional bodies and companies, such as the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID), Graphic Design Association of Malaysia (wREGA), KL and Selangor Furniture Association (KSFA), Iconix Consulting Sdn Bhd and so on. Such collaborations provide relevant opportunities for students to learn and keep abreast of current industry trends and practices during their internship which will be useful when First City UC’s graduates join the workforce.
First City University College was the first and only private higher education institution to collaborate with IBM on 26 November 2008, wherein our students were trained under IBM’s Z Systems (IBM’s Operating System) at no cost to our students so that they are industry ready upon graduation. We were also the first private higher education institution to purchase the Mentor Graphics software for design of electric circuits and was subsequently appointed by the company to be its authorised trainer for Malaysia.
I’m proud to mention that through student internships, graduation showcases and our collaborations with professional bodies and organizations, a significant number of our students received job offers even before graduation, Tan Sri Teo adds.
To further expose our students, First City UC encourages its students to participate in local and international competitions. Tan Sri Teo added, “We have students who have won competitions in Japan, Singapore, China, and etc.
Provider of Industry relevant and Professional Accredited Programmes in multi-disciplines
In terms of fields of study, First City University College offers programmes in Business, Finance, Marketing, Hospitality, Mass Communication, Design and Built Environment, Engineering and Computing, and English Language All First City UC’s programmes are accredited by the Malaysian Accreditation Agency (MQA). Professional bodies, for instance, ACCA, CIMA, CIM, MIM, MIID, EAC, and BEM have also provided recognition to the University College’s relevant programmes.
Adopting internationally recognised curriculum
First City University College’s international recognition and collaboration includes Anglia Ruskin University, Nottingham Trent University, The London Institute (now known as University of the Arts), Sheffield Hallam University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Teesside University and Switzerland’s Hotel & Tourism Management Institute. Learning and adopting best practices and globally recognised curriculum will benefit our students as we train them to be global citizens.
First City UC was among the first batch of private higher education institutions to be given the approval by the Minister of Higher Education to conduct foreign degree programmes under the 3+0 mode after the Asian Financial crisis. This was to provide opportunities for Malaysians who wish to enrol in a foreign university-based programme without the need to leave our shores or pay high tuition fees. This also saves the country’s foreign exchange out-flow.
A group of outstanding students from our Faculty of Business, Hospitality & Communications, Edmond Yap, Ryan Chin, Ong Zhi Ee & Alaa Adil Ahmed Elbaz did us proud by winning the Chartered Financial Analyst competition in Malaysia, and subsequently winning 3rd place in the same competition held in Singapore.
Our student, Zoe Tham Zhi Ming from the Faculty of Design & Built Environment, won the Japan Foundation Award at the Asia Student Packaging Competition (ASPaC) held in Tokyo in 2018. In 2019, another student, Lim Hong Cheng won the ASPaC Outstanding Award, while Loh Qiau Yu won the Japan Foundation Award and was also the 3rd place winner for the OLYMPAC event organised by ASPaC. She was also the only Asian winner.
Life on campus is not just about studying. First City University College also encourages students to be members of the UC’s clubs and societies. Participation in the activities allows students to interact, equip themselves with various soft skills, and of course, engage in networking among local and international students.
Impact of the Government’s Movement Control Order and Lockdowns
During the Covid-19 pandemic when the Government enforced the Movement Control Order (MCO) and Lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus, First City UC continued to provide lectures to its students online to avoid disruption to the students’ education. “At First City UC, we use a combination of technology resources to enhance our students’ learning experience with the help of our well-qualified lecturers. Our efforts will always be in the best interest of our students!” stated Tan Sri Teo.
The Government had to adjust time tables for the schools and this will impact the availability of students for all universities and colleges. Tan Sri Teo added: With the announcement of the SPM / STPM / UEC examinations being delayed, this will not only affect the intake dates of all the higher education providers but also the parents’ financial planning for their child’s education. Like many, we hope that this pandemic will end soon and students can continue their studies at campus without any further interruption to complete their studies and embark on their chosen careers. Parents in particular had to review their financial resources for their children’s education which is challenging for many.
To give them a helping hand, I would like to announce that for 2022, First City UC will be offering Special Tuition Fee waivers for all students as part of our corporate responsibility although this will impact our revenue and meeting our operating costs.
List of Special Tuition Fee Waivers:
- 50% Tuition Fee Waiver
– Foundation (Entire Programme)
– Diploma (1st Year) - 30% Tuition Fee Waiver
– Diploma & Degree Engineering (Entire Programme) - 20% Tuition Fee Waiver
– All other Degree (Entire Programme)
