The MoA signed by Fusionex Vice President, Chen Keat Ming (left) and APU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ron Edwards (right) marks the initiatives among both parties to address the shortage of big data specialists in Malaysia.
The Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Fusionex, global software solutions provider specializing in big data analytics (BDA) and internet of things (IoT), in conjunction with the University’s Data Science Week that was held in its campus in Technology Park Malaysia, Bukit Jalil.
Through the MoA with APU, Fusionex-developed BDA platform GIANT will be incorporated into the syllabus at APU to give students real-world experience using full-fledged BDA software. With access to GIANT, students will be able to deepen their knowledge in big data, in order to be able to enter the industry with better understanding of the emerging field. Besides, Fusionex will also be offering internship and industrial training opportunities for APU students, in which they are able to be exposed to real-life data processing environments, to gain first-hand experience within the industry.
As part of the MoA, APU lecturers and students will also gain access to real-world case studies by Fusionex to be used in their research activities, to gain experience in tackling real-world problems.
The collaboration is in line with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation’s (MDEC) aim to increase the number of Malaysian data scientist by 2000 and data professionals to 16,000 by 2020.
APU is among the pioneering universities in Malaysia to establish the BSc (Hons) in Computer Science with a specialism in Data Analytics and the MSc in Data Science and Business Analytics programmes. APU has ensured that the content delivered in these courses are up to the industry standard, in which efforts in programme review and course contents have been developed through collaboration with technical giants such as Fusionex, SAS, IBM, Hilti, Microsoft and more. Upon graduation, students of the MSc in Data Science and Business Analytics will attain a Globally Recognised Professional Industry Certification from SAS, apart from being a member of one of the most sought-after professions in Malaysia. The establishment of Asia Pacific Centre of Analytics (APCA) at APU also provides staff and students a platform to conduct industrial-based analytical researches in the field of Data Science.
Students of the related disciplines have excelled in various competitions and activities; in 2014, APU’s students achieved as the only student team who managed to clinch a spot at the Big App Challenge 1.0 – a competition that saw participation from Big Data industry professionals. In 2015, the students continued the legacy to enter as finalists for both Cyberjaya City Hacks and OpenGov Hacks of Big App Challenge 2.0.
Remarkable successes in external competitions have established an excellent track record for APU in Big Data Education.
About Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)
The Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) is amongst Malaysia’s Premier Private Universities. APU offers a wide range of degree programmes in collaboration with Staffordshire University, UK with Technology as a common core. These programmes nurture students into professionals and prepare them for challenging careers and roles in business and society globally. Professionalism, problem-solving skills, and creativity & innovation are some of the key attributes of APU graduates. The multi-cultural student community comprises both Malaysian students as well as International students. APU was also Rated No.1 in Asia and Malaysia for Multicultural Learning Experience by the Student Barometer Wave 2015, ‘Studying with people from other cultures’.
APU has earned an enviable reputation as an award-winning University through its achievements in winning a host of prestigious awards at national and international levels. It was announced as among the Highest Rated Universities in Malaysia, being rated at TIER 5 (EXCELLENT) under the SETARA 2013 Ratings by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) on 1st November 2012 and has maintained this Excellent rating in the latest SETARA 2013 Ratings announced on 17th November 2014.