Kuala Lumpur, 21 January 2014 – To enhance school children’s interest in Science and Engineering, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), the ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET), Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), and the National Science Centre will be co-organising The Kuala Lumpur and Engineering Science Fair (KLESF 2014), scheduled from 25 to 27 April 2014, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm at the National Science Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

The coming together of these five institutions to organise the KLESF 2014 is driven by the shared objectives of stimulating students’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and to encourage them to pursue future careers in these areas. In addition, KLESF 2014 aims to enhance public awareness on the roles and importance of STEM in the socio-economic well-being and sustainable development of our society.

The KLESF 2014 will be a platform to bring together the participation of the business and industry to assist in promoting learning and career development in areas related to STEM among school students and community and foster networking for schools, educators, public and private sectors to share information and experiences on projects, extra-curriculum and good practices in STEM education. UTAR has been appointed as the secretariat for KLESF 2014.

KLESF 2014 will see the participation of all schools; government and private, industry players, UTAR staff and students, institutional players and other parties & sponsors in the various categories which comprise the following:

1. Science Hands-on Demos and Experiments

2. Mathematics and Mental literacy Activities

3. School Science and Engineering Design Mentorship Programme

4. Schools STEM Projects Exhibition

5. Industry Science, Technology and Engineering Exhibition

6. Talks on STEM by Invited Speakers

7. Posters and Video Exhibition on STEM

A highlight is the Science and Engineering Design Mentorship Programme, initiated by UTAR and specifically designed to engage schoolchildren in science and electronic design projects. The commencement of the Programme is scheduled to coincide with the opening of the schools in January 2014.

The UTAR Science and Engineering Design Mentorship Programme is an educational model that involves the university community in the learning of science and engineering in schools. The aim is to stimulate students’ creativity and interest in science and technology through hands-on learning and involvement in project designs with the guidance from UTARian mentors who are lecturers and volunteer students from UTAR’s Faculty of Engineering & Science, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology and the Centre for Foundation Studies. Stressing on the importance of science and technology education for the progress of society, UTAR Vice President (R&D and Commercialisation) Prof Dr Lee Sze Wei said, “Science and technology is the fundamental of our understanding of the universe. What can be better than nurturing our future generations to venture into science and technology for the betterment of life and the environment?”

There are 2 tracks in this Programme; the Electronic System Track (EST) and the Science Track (ST). Both tracks will expose students to a rich mix of experiments, assignments, brainstorming, group work, and discussions. Students will learn by hands-on experimenting with the opportunity to explore their creativity in design. Each track will culminate with final projects that will be exhibited at KLESF 2014. Schools which have won awards at national level competitions will be invited to participate to showcase their projects.

The school mentorship programme is a pilot programme with 7 participating secondary schools listed given below. Mentors will go to the participating schools on the average of once a week over a period of 6 months to guide the lower secondary school students. If proven successful this programme could be expanded to more schools on a nationwide basis in the near future.

The Mathematics and Mental literacy activities of the KLESF 2014 will focus primarily on arithmetical and calculation skills. West Wong Woon Chieng, the bronze winner in the 2012 World Mental Olympics will be conducting talks and workshops for school children and the public to learn and understand more about the essentials of mental arithmetic. Key industry players and prominent speakers would be invited to participate in the Industry, Science, Technology and Engineering Exhibition and the Talks on STEM respectively.

Visit www.klengsc.net from time to time for more information on this event.

Sumber: Bahagian Komunikasi Korporat dan Perhubungan Awam UTAR