By: Dr. Mohd Noor Hisham Mohd Nadzir and Nurul Wahida Mohd Shuhaimi
SERDANG, March 7 – In an effort to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and to stay in touch with students, the Faculty of Science Student Representative Council, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and the Faculty of Science Students’ Association (FaSSA) in collaboration with the Faculty of Science and Student Affairs and Alumni Division, UPM have successfully organised the FaSSA Entrepreneurial Scientist 1.0.
The main aim of the programme is to educate students, especially students of the Faculty of Science on business and entrepreneurial knowledge that can be used as a main or secondary platform in planning survival strategies after graduation.
The programme attracted not only students from UPM but also from other educational institutions. A total of 1,149 participants were recorded, and 42 of them were participants from outside UPM.
Participations from UPM students came from various faculties, including the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, as well as the School of Business and Economics, while participations from outside UPM involved students from various IPTAs, including Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) and Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).
Among the activities held were ‘Scientist into Entrepreneur’, ‘Empower Your Business’ and ‘What’s Your Dream Business?’, which brought experienced guest panellists.
FaSSA Entrepreneurial Scientist 1.0 is also a suitable platform for students to plan survival strategies after graduation, especially in preparation for the workplace.
To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme had taken place entirely virtually using the FaSSA YouTube Channel platform i.e. FaSSA Studio, which is the main and effective virtual platform for communicating with others online.
The programme ended on March 7, 2021, with a closing speech by the Dean of the Faculty of Science, UPM, Prof. Dr. Mohd Basyaruddin Abdul Rahman. The participants responded positively to the programme and were satisfied with the contents of the programme, and they felt that the programme had guided them in planning survival strategies more systematically and effectively.
Programme adviser, Dr. Mohd Noor Hisham Mohd Nadzir, was very excited because the programme received encouraging responses from the live broadcast audience, which reached about 2,600 total views on FaSSA YouTube Studio. The programme may be continued in the coming semester.
Programme director, Aslam Faiz, said the preparation to run the programme virtually was very challenging, but it should not be an excuse for students to stop trying to adapt and showcase their potential in this new norm.
"I really hope that the FaSSA Entrepreneurial Scientist 1.0 could train UPM students, specifically UPM Faculty of Science students, to prepare themselves for the demands and challenges before entering the industry after graduation, especially in the current new norm," he said. - UPM
