Developing ICT and business skills

KNOWLEDGE and information is key for businesses to strategise and forge ahead in the market today. To get to strategic knowledge and information, it is now becoming imperative for managers to be apt in using information and communications technology (ICT) tools and solutions within their business environments.

Recognising this need, Sunway University College's School of IT, Telecommunications and Multimedia is offering e-business as a new specialisation in its Information Systems (IS) course which is geared towards training students in the technological, analytical and managerial skills necessary to develop as hybrid manager- technologists.

According to the school's director Kanendran T. Arulrajah, the course is positioned to motivate students to present business ideas, identify business issues that are critical to the successful application of ICT and the usage of IS within a business environment with current tools, techniques and state-of-the-art and emerging technologies.

To introduce students to industrial, Kanendran said a business incubator is set up as part of the industrial attachment subject to enable students to apply concepts of business IT.

"The e-business specialisation encompasses academic and industrial certifications endorsed by distinguished organisations such as SPSS, MYOB- LCCI and EC-Council to enable students to be in- demand in the competitive job market. In addition, the e-business students are automatic members of the Malaysian Institute of Management, a reputable business-industrial- oriented organisation," he elaborated.

"Students under the e-business major are taken to task with application- based assignments such as organising a mini PC bazaar with the involvement of various business entities and producing business ideas for competition where students are to develop their ideas into reality within the business incubator as part of their industrial attachment," he explained.

Kanendran added that a student development programme is offered as a value-added certification to equip students adequately with the soft skills required in the job industry.

Graduates of the course, Kanendran said, will be able to find employment as hybrid executives and managers with both knowledge in ICT and business, and will be able to apply new ICT technological advances to business problems.

In terms of cost, the fees at diploma and degree levels are around RM25,000 and RM40,000 respectively.

"The cost is reasonably affordable for students as the course is embedded with recognised professional certification and memberships of many distinguish organisations worldwide. Students are able to join the diploma programme with three credits in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia whereas students with at least two passes in Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia or equivalent can join the degree course," said Kanendran.

Apart from the e-business specialisation, another specialisation that is also offered at Sunway University College is the Bachelor of Multimedia Systems specialising in multimedia programming.

Students pursuing this programme will be exposed to both the creative and technical aspects of multimedia.

"Multimedia practitioners are normally very artistic and spend a lot of time on content development but they normally lack the skills in programming multimedia applications. These course seeks to address this weakness," said Kanendran.

In addition to picking up skills in graphic design, animation and drawing, students are exposed to audio and video production, creating a documentary and basic programming and scripting skills.

"There is an industrial attachment part to this course where students are sent to various production and advertising companies to work on real- life projects. This is an important part of their course which becomes the foundation of a project that they would be required to do individually," Kanendran said.

He stressed that both the courses mentioned are industry- and market- driven, and are very applicable in nature.

"Students are not only exposed to the academic concepts but also given a chance to apply these concepts in real-life."