Embracing the Wave of Industry 4.0

Embracing the Wave of Industry 4.0

by | Mar 19, 2019 | Branded Content, Education

Thanks to new waves of technological disruptions and breakthroughs coupled with the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (all of which we will collectively refer to as Industry 4.0), we are now edging closer to living in the “futuristic world” that for decades we could only imagine in sci-fi movies. Intelligent talking robots, smart wearable devices, autonomous vehicles are just the tip of the iceberg of the potential that we can discover in the era of Industry 4.0. Technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), cloud computing are maturing and are going to radically transform the way businesses operate. Smart systems that are fueled by data and machine learning allow decisions to be made without the involvement of human beings, and it is only inevitable that mundane, routine jobs will be replaced as a result of automation and robotics.

Dell Technologies’ “Emerging Technologies’ Impact on Society & Work in 2030” report published in 2017 revealed that almost 40% of jobs ranging from entry levels to the C-levels will soon be replaced by 2030. This has far-reaching implications for students aspiring to join the workforce of tomorrow, and Institutions of Higher Learning have to play an increasingly pivotal role in Future-proofing students.

This is where we come in. At APU, regardless of discipline, we ensure that all students are empowered with the ability to keep up with the challenges within the world of Industry 4.0 and beyond, by upholding our Vision as a University of Technology and Innovation to nurture the world’s future innovators.

 

 

 

Embedding Revolutionary Elements in Higher Education

In line with Industry 4.0, with revolutionary technologies in place, new jobs titles emerge, and new talents are needed. While Industry 4.0 transforms our lives, it also transforms the way a university should deliver knowledge, as well as the forms of knowledge that should be equipped by the future workforce. Traditional degrees are becoming obsolete, where innovation provides the turning point and the catalyst for success.

Through the constant innovation and delivery of a wide range of programmes with Technology as a common core, APU constantly seeks to unleash the potential of Industry 4.0 education. This is done by developing Industry 4.0-relevant programmes that are first-of-its-kind, such as in Cyber Security, Data Science, IoT, Intelligent Systems and Cloud Computing. These programmes were carefully designed together with our industry advisory panels, to equip students with the latest technical and soft skills that are required by the future job market. While Industry 4.0 also impacts the global business, accounting and finance spectrum, our students who are currently undergoing their studies in Business Management, Accounting, Banking & Finance are also exposed towards Industry 4.0-relevant areas such as Financial Technology (FinTech), Digital Marketing, E-Business and Blockchain. We have re-designed the programmes to incorporate both traditional financial and business methods as well as innovative emerging technologies, ensuring that our Business, Accounting and Finance graduates are future-proof and Industry 4.0-ready as well.

 

 

Innovative Teaching & Learning

While a university campus serves as the arena for talent development, world-class facilities within the APU campus support the Industry 4.0-focused teaching and learning process by providing students with an ecosystem for their development. Creativity and Innovation are nurtured through the availability of discussion spaces, think tanks and Innovation Labs within APU’s iconic campus, which is strategically located in Technology Park Malaysia (TPM), Bukit Jalil. Industrial-grade infrastructure allows students to be exposed to real-time data and scenarios, training them to become competent technology professionals even before they graduate. For instance, the first-of-its-kind APU CyberSecurity Talent Zone features military-grade real-time cybersecurity monitoring software at the full-fledged Cyber Threats Simulation and Response Centre and Security Operations Centre, providing them real-life exposure and practical experience. Learning is no longer confined within the classroom; in the era of Industry 4.0, one’s practical knowledge becomes as significant as academic and theoretical knowledge.

Industry 4.0 adoption and development requires a high level of critical thinking skills. Apart from providing world-class facilities, a university is responsible for developing innovative teaching and learning methods, to produce graduates that can think critically, act innovatively and communicate ideas effectively. . Striding on our ICT strength, we have embraced technology clubbed with state of the art engineering practices to feed knowledge and practical skills to our students. All APU students go through strategically designed curriculums powered by innovation, and embrace advanced digital technologies and automation. As part of outcomes-based learning at APU, they are able to deal with complex, dialectical and exciting opportunities in current and future employment trends.

 

 

Industry-Academia Partnership

Industry 4.0 is all about the “industry”. While a university serves as a platform for developing talent, it is vital to ensure that the talents nurtured are in accordance with the expectations of the industry.

At APU, our industrial partnerships with innovative accelerators such as GrowthX Academy and Supercharger further enhances the platform for students to realize their world-changing ideas. The formula has proven to be a success, as APU students have been well-recognized through their victories in national and international level competitions organized by major industry players, such as FAMELab, Intel-CREST Industry-University Challenge, NASA Space Apps Challenge, World Asian Business Case Competition, SAS FinTech Challenge and many more. Under this formula, over 40,000 alumni are employed globally in reputable multinational companies such as Accenture, HP, IBM, Huawei Technologies, Astro, Maybank, Standard Chartered and more.

 

 

Nurturing Soft Skills in a Global Outlook

Being an Industry 4.0-ready Graduate also means that a student has to be capable of communicating effectively, in this era of globalization and multiculturalism. APU students operate within a globalized campus environment that houses a community of students from more than 120 countries. A global outlook, international understanding and respect can be nurtured through the continuous immersion in multicultural discourse, as events such as Independence Days, Multicultural Nights and other cultural celebrations take place regularly in the vicinity. In the era of Industry 4.0, where communication and business processes are conducted in a global scale, having a global outlook ensures that graduates are well-trained to engage in global conversations, international strategies and multicultural encounters. At APU, the continuous cultivation of global outlook within the campus builds our students’ confidence and equips them with relevant cross-cultural communication skills, making them workplace-ready even before they graduate.  

In line with our practical teaching methods, APU instills practical workplace skills within the curriculum, to build students’ confidence and eventually become workplace-ready. As a unique feature, our students proudly dress in professional attire, while adhering to a professional code of conduct on-campus.  Together with over 10,000 industrial partners and potential employers, we create an environment that simulates the future workplace, so that our students joins the future workforce confidently.

The transformation from a high school leaver to an industry-ready graduate is a crucial process in one’s life, where a university plays an important role to future-proof school leavers and transform them into industry-ready graduates. While combining our philosophy of providing professional education with the cultivation of Industry 4.0-relevant skills and global outlook, our students are fully-prepared to join the future global workforce with confidence, not just for their first jobs, but for lifelong careers.

 

 

About APU

The Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) is amongst Malaysia’s Premier Private Universities, and is where a unique fusion of technology, innovation and creativity works effectively towards preparing graduates for significant roles in business and society globally. 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.

APU was announced as among the Highest Rated Emerging Universities in Malaysia, being rated at TIER 5 (EXCELLENT) under the SETARA 2011 Ratings by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), and has maintained this Excellent rating in the SETARA 2013 Ratings and the latest SETARA 2017 Rating. Under the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) 2017 Ratings, APU was awarded 5-Stars in 4 categories of the QS Stars Ratings – Teaching, Employability, Facilities and Inclusiveness. The QS Stars rating is an international rating system that measures achievements and qualities of universities worldwide.  In addition, in 2017, APU was also announced as one of Malaysia’s Premier Digital Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), for its commitment in offering top-notch digital technology courses and ensuring highly-skilled graduates continue to flourish and fill future digital job demands locally and globally.

 

For more information, please visit our Website
Click Here

Contact:
Student services: +603 8996 1000
Hotline: 1 300 888 278
Email: [email protected]

To be connected, join us on APU Facebook
Facebook

BMW Malaysia unveils sexy new beast

BMW Malaysia unveils sexy new beast

by | Mar 14, 2019 | Auto, Branded Content, Education

The BMW Group Malaysia has introduced “The 8”, the newest member of the marque’s portfolio of luxury vehicles which it says combines powerful engine with BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system and BMW Efficient Lightweight design measures for new benchmarks in the luxury coupe segment.

“At the BMW Group, we’ve always had our sights on the future and the First Generation BMW 8 Series is testimony to that. First introduced in 1989, we are bringing this luxurious sports coupe into the modern era to set standards for the future,” said Harald Hoelzl, managing director of BMW Group Malaysia.

The supercar was launched in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday night (March 12) with two of the power machines on full display with their ‘double-bubble’ contouring, long wheelbase and wide track width plus the flap-controlled sports exhaust system.

The 8 comes standard with the ‘BMW Laserlight’, the slimmest headlights of any BMW model to date. The side view, meanwhile, is dominated by an interplay of surfaces using character lines to trace the flow of the air exiting the ‘Air Breathers’.

From the back, the twin exhaust tailpipes with a trapezoidal contour are positioned on either side of the rear apron’s lower section to send an unmistakable message to those wondering.

The ‘M’ performance model is identified by its exclusive exterior appointments in Cerium Grey, an M rear spoiler and illuminated door sills bearing the model name. It comes standard with an additional front spoiler to minimise the lift that occurs at the front axle at high speeds.

To reduce the aerodynamic drag of the 8’s streamlined body has an almost fully sealed underbody, active air flap control with adjustable kidney grille slats and ‘Air Curtains’.

Inside, all control elements are clearly arranged with leather trim for the instrument panel. In addition to multifunction seats and the M leather steering wheel, the M Sport package includes an anthracite BMW individual headliner, M pedals, M driver’s footrest and special floor mats to inject the cabin with a sporty flair.

The newly-developed sports seats are upholstered as standard in Merino leather. The rear backrest can be split 50:50 as standard and folded down to increase the capacity of the 420-litre luggage compartment.

For the first time ever, active seat ventilation is also made available where the cooled air is sucked in from the interior then guided along the body to the seats’ built-in fans for particularly effective temperature control of the seat cushions and backrests.

The 8’s power plant has a new V8 engine at its heart. The 4.4-litre eight-cylinder unit has been revised with two twin-scroll turbochargers, ‘High Precision Injection’, Valvetronic fully variable valve control and Double-Vanos variable camshaft timing all working together for a claimed top speed of 250 km/h.

The BMW M850i xDrive Coupe delivers a maximum output of 390kW/530hp which is on tap between 5,500 – 6,000 rpm. The maximum torque of 750Nm is available from 1,800 to 4,600 rpm for forward thrust. It’ll do the century sprint in 3.7 seconds and posts a fuel consumption of 10.4 litres per 100 kilometres (manufacturer’s figures).

The V8 engine is paired with an 8-speed Steptronic sports transmission which features increased ratio spread, new transmission management and optimised hydraulic control produce for more spirited gear shifts. Shift paddles on the steering wheel are standard.

BMW says the xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system operates more efficiently than before with the electronically controlled rear differential lock fitted as standard on the BMW M850i xDrive Coupe.

The locking effect generated by an electric motor limits speed compensation between the inside and outside rear wheel when cornering, making it possible to power out of bends with dynamic verve.

In addition to the Adaptive M Suspension, the 8 comes standard with ‘Integral Active Steering’ which reduces the car’s turning circle when manoeuvring, increases agility at moderate speeds and optimises control when changing lanes and cornering at high speeds.

BMW’s ‘Driving Assistant Professional’ is standard and features Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Warning, Pedestrian Collision Warning, Crossing Traffic Warning (front and rear), Emergency Stop Assistant, steering and lane control assistant, Lane Keeping Assistant with active side collision protection and Evasion Aid which now reacts to pedestrians.

Also standard is the BMW Live Cockpit Professional display running on the new BMW Operating System 7.0 which introduces the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, an intelligent, digital character that awaits the driver’s every command while providing casual conversation. And get this – you can name this digital character!

One unique feature over other digital assistant is that drivers can give it a name, for example, “Hey Jamie”, to lend even greater individuality and personality.

The Personal Assistant will be able to learn more preferences and favoured settings. It can even activate a combination of them to enhance well-being. For instance, “Hey BMW, I feel tired” triggers a vitality programme that adjusts the lighting mood, music and temperature, among other things, in order to make the driver feel more alert.

The 8 comes in Carbon Black metallic, Black Sapphire metallic, Sonic Speed Blue metallic, Barcelona Blue metallic, Sunset Orange metallic and Mineral White, matched with Black, Cognac or Ivory White BMW Individual Merino full leather trim sports seat.

The 8 on-the-road without insurance and with BMW Group Malaysia’s latest 5 Years Unlimited Mileage Warranty, Free Scheduled Service Programme and BMW Tyre Warranty Programme for The 8 is RM1,088,800.00

 

Selected highlights:

  • BMW M850i xDRIVE Coupé
  • Belt force limiter for front seats
  • Dynamic Braking Lights with Flashing Function
  • Knee airbags for driver and front passenger
  • Rain Sensor, Automatic Activation Control for Windscreen Wipersand Driving Lights
  • Driving Experience Control with ‘Adaptive’ mode for individual driving behaviour
  • Comfort Access System with contactless opening and closing ofthe tailgate
  • Soft-close function for doors
  • BMW Gesture Control, use of simple hand gestures to interact withthe infotainment system
  • Harman Kardon surround sound system with digital amplifier (464w,16 speakers)

Visit here to pre-book.

Click Here

Asia-Pacific Cyber Champs

Asia-Pacific Cyber Champs

by | Mar 13, 2019 | Branded Content

Kuala Lumpur, 4 March 2019: Four students from the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) brought pride to their university and the country as they emerged as the Champion Team at the 2019 Ernst & Young (EY) Asia-Pacific Cyber Hackathon Challenge.

The Hackathon took place in Hong Kong on 3rd March 2019. It was an international arena for top universities from across the Asia-Pacific to compete on strategic thinking, reasoning and technical programming skills. University teams from Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia were amongst the finalists.

All participating teams were required to work on a real-life cyber experience that challenges them to ‘capture the flags’ by completing various custom-made scenarios.

Team “FetchOrbis” from APU comprising Yap Chee Sing, Mun Chee Wah, Imran Esack Dawoodjee and Hassan Zayan Azzam from the School of Computing & Technology (SoCT) achieved the most points at the end of the challenge. They eventually championed the challenge and walked away with HKD20,000 (equivalent to RM10,380).

The students are part of the Cyber Security and Software Engineering programmes at APU. This is their first time participating in the EY Asia-Pacific Cyber Hackathon Challenge.

“This has been an incredible learning experience for us as we are still very new to the competitive scene. The competition emulated real world environments and scenarios really well and it certainly was challenging,” expressed Hassan Zayan Azzam, member of team “FetchOrbis”, as he recalled the memorable experience.

“Congratulations Team FetchOrbis! They made us proud by demonstrating not only knowledge and skills in cyber security but also the necessary passion, dedication, team-spirit, problem-solving skills and emotional intelligence to be able to withstand the demands and pressure which comes in any hackathon,” expressed Surpriya Singh, Head of School of Technology, APU.

APU is recognized with excellence in promoting cyber security education and awareness, as it was awarded the Gold Medal at the Cyber Security Excellence Awards 2019 – “Best CyberSecurity Education Provider” Category. The selection was done by cybersecurity insiders in partnership with the Information Security Community on LinkedIn, tapping into the vast experience of over 400,000+ cybersecurity professionals to honour the world’s best cybersecurity products, professionals and organizations.

APU students under the Cyber Security programme have been actively participating in various competitions, such as the KPMG Cyber Challenge and F-Secure CyberSecurity Competition, in which they attained championships in these competitions as well. Malaysia’s first Cyber Security Talent Zone at APU promotes practical learning experience, where students are exposed to practical learning experience through the sophisticated infrastructure, that generates real-time data for cyber threats and traffic monitoring. APU’s Cybersecurity Talent Zone is a clear and perfect example of how APU collaborates closely with industry leading organisations to expose students to best-in-class technologies and systems. In addition, a full-fledged Cyber Threats Simulation and Response Centre (also known as a Cyber Range) is also located within the Cyber Security Talent Zone.)

APU’s team FetchOrbis demonstrated outstanding problem solving skills and excellent technical skills at the EY Asia Pacific Global Hackathon held in Hong Kong.

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 Technology that aim to nurture students into professionals and prepare them for challenging careers and roles in business and society globally. The multi-cultural student community comprises 12,000 students from over 130 countries.  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 2011, 2013 and 2017 Ratings by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). Internationally, APU also achieved 5-Stars Ratings at the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) in four categories – Teaching, Employability, Facilities and Inclusiveness.

APU houses industrial-grade facilities to provide exposure to students under the real-time environment. The APU Cyber Security Talent Zone (pic) is the first-of-its-kind in Malaysia that trains students practically to handle cyber threats based on real-life cases.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)

Click Here
Financial FREEdom to owning a home

Financial FREEdom to owning a home

by | Mar 8, 2019 | Branded Content, Property

In response to the government’s efforts to stimulate the residential property sector, IOI Properties Group has unveiled a host of home ownership incentives under an unprecedented ‘IOI F.R.E.E. Ownership’ campaign.

Announced by Finance Minister YB Lim Guan Eng in January 2019, under the government’s Home Ownership Campaign (HOC), buyers are exempted from paying stamp duty on the transfer of property priced up to RM1 million and stamp duty on the loan documents for properties priced up to RM2.5 million.

Taking advantage of this, the ‘IOI F.R.E.E. Ownership’ campaign takes things one step further for greater savings.

Encapsulating the program’s benefits, the name ‘IOI F.R.E.E.’ is an abbreviation for Flexible financing options, Rebates, Extra rebates and Exemptions on stamp duties.

The best time is now to own your dream home!

Flexible Financing:

IOI Pay Later Buy Now helps prospective homeowners move forward with the next phase of their lives. Eligible prospects will enjoy a low down payment and an extended period of 5 years to settle their differential sum payments, free of interest!

With the flexibility afforded under this program, homebuyers will get extra cash in hand, and would be able to go ahead with their other plans, such as marriage, investment or renovating and decorating their new home during the 5 year deferment period!

Need more cash? There’s more! Free up some cash and reduce your monthly instalment payment by opting to service only the loan interest (without the repayment of principal loan sum) for the first 5 years of the loan tenure.

IOI Rent To Own as the name suggests, allows homebuyers to stay in a home of their choice now and own it later, and it also comes with a rental refund of up to 100% that goes towards offsetting the property purchase price. This campaign is specially tailored to give homebuyers a head start in owning their home. Homebuyers are presented with plenty of time to beef up their loan eligibility, save up for a down payment or even try out the development before committing.

Rebates:

This is the time for rebates and more rebates. For a start, homebuyers can enjoy a minimum of 10% discount. On top of that, IOI Properties has lined up a host of additional rebates for a host of award-winning developments just for this ‘IOI F.R.E.E Ownership’ campaign period. What’s more, IOI LiVO members get to enjoy a further discount on top of the additional rebates!

Exemptions:

In addition to the government’s waiver of stamp duties for both MOT & loan documents, IOI Properties is covering all SPA & loan legal fees. Collectively, the extra cash in hand, discounts, rebates and free legal fees add up to a hefty and neat savings for homebuyers.
Encouraging homebuyers to move fast, IOI Properties Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Jason Tie said “The best time is now. There is no better time to buy a property! It has been announced that the stamp duty exemptions are applicable to all buyers and not just for first time homebuyers. Homebuyers should act now before 30th June 2019 to enjoy all the incredible savings.”

For more information on the IOI F.R.E.E Ownership campaign 

Click Here

Refurbishment of water facilities to increase water supply storage for customers

Refurbishment of water facilities to increase water supply storage for customers

by | Mar 7, 2019 | Branded Content

KUALA LUMPUR: Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) has taken initiatives to refurbish 164 service reservoirs and 55 pump houses in stages from 2017 to 2026. 

The demand for potable water has been rising sharply with rapid development in the state of Selangor and to ensure the stability of supply in the distribution network, the inactive facilities had to be recommissioned.

These facilities were deactivated previously due to deteriorating conditions such as ageing, leaking and rusty tanks, as well as due to vandalism which led to missing critical equipment.

Air Selangor had identified all these inactive facilities and outlined a refurbishment plan in which these facilities were given a new lease of life to provide additional storage.

As at December 2018, Air Selangor has carried out the refurbishment of 35 inactive service reservoirs and pump houses to improve the storage volume of potable water in the distribution network. 

A total of 147.341 million litres per day (MLD) had been added to the distribution system in 2018 with the refurbishment of these water facilities.

The refurbishment effort will help to improve the sustainability of water supply, particularly in water stressed areas, where demand is always high. This will also provide more storage reserve in times of water interruption due to scheduled maintenance or emergencies. Simply put, the duration of water interruption for customers can be minimised as these reservoirs act as reserve supplies for the premises in the vicinity.

Since 2017, Air Selangor has allocated about RM30.6 million for the refurbishment of these facilities with funding from the State Government grant as well as internal funds from Air Selangor.

In 2019, Air Selangor is planning to refurbish approximately 45 inactive reservoirs and pump houses. This is another one of the many initiatives undertaken by Air Selangor to improve water supply service to its customers.

Some of the recently refurbished assets include the reservoir

Motor Control Centre panel for pump and motor operations

SIBS 2019 opens its doors to the Global Business Community

SIBS 2019 opens its doors to the Global Business Community

by | Mar 1, 2019 | Branded Content, Lifestyle

Invest Selangor Berhad will host its 3 rd Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) on 10-13 October 2019, at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Bringing together global brands and congregating industry players from the world under the patronage of State Government of Selangor. The four-day summit comprises four main components as follow:

• Selangor International Expo 2019, 5 th edition, 10-13 October 2019
• Selangor-ASEAN Business Conference 2019, 3 rd Edition, 10-11 October 2019
• Selangor Smart City and Digital Economy Convention, 4 th Edition, 11-13 October 2019
• Selangor R&D and Innovation Expo, 10-13 October 2019

“The Selangor International Business Summit is an annual international summit that caters specifically in positioning the state as a prominent catalyst in the South East Asian region”, said Yang Berhormat Dato’ Teng Chang Khim, Selangor State Executive Councillor (Exco) for Investment, Industry & Commerce and Small & Medium Enterprise (SME), during the Press Conference of Selangor International Business Summit 2019 today. “In the current situation, Selangor continues to play its role as the most competitive Gateway to ASEAN and the Global Trading Hub – where local and international businesses can build and strengthen their presence in ASEAN. Furthermore, SIBS provide the avenue as not only the gateway into the Malaysian market but more importantly, continues to serve as a springboard to tap into the broader ASEAN market, home for over 600 million consumers and more than 200 of the world’s largest companies”, Dato’ Teng further adds.

SIBS tagged as the largest state-wide trade summit aims to provide a platform for Malaysian and International companies in the industry to forge trade relations and exchange knowledge in business and product innovation. With this encouraging support from local and international companies, it is evident more companies across the globe are recognising the value of investing in Selangor International Business Summit, and this supported by the fact a higher number of renowned companies are interested in collaborating with SIBS this year. SIBS 2019 is also set to offer a broader range of opportunities and exposure. Get ready to expect more than just a diverse glimpse into international products and services as SIBS 2019 will host more than 700 booths from over 40 countries and is expected to receive more than 30,000 trade visitors for the four days event endorsed by Malaysia External Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Malaysia Airlines Berhad as the official airline partner.