UNIMAS News

Kota Samarahan, 3 July 2018- The closing ceremony of the Community Service Learning Programme between Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FCSIT), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and Vrije University (VU) of Amsterdam was held yesterday at Rumah Universiti, UNIMAS, Kota Samarahan. The closing ceremony was officiated by the Vice Chancellor of UNIMAS, Profesor Datok Dr Mohammad Kadim Bin Suaidi. It was attended by representatives from government and private sectors, communities, students and academicians from higher institutions. The Community Service Learning Programme started on 6^th June 2018 until 2^nd July 2018 with the participation of eleven (11) Masters Students and five (5) Academic Staff from Vrije University (VU). Among the partners are the Department of Agriculture Asajaya, Kampung Pinggan Jaya, Kuching, farmers from Kampung Sador Hilir, Kota Samarahan, Industry Partner from Banana Factory and SK Muhibbah. The aim of this program is to provide a platform for VU students to apply their knowledge and skills in ICT to a local community through field-based approach. The ICT development of projects must be User-Centered Design (UCD), project requirements and goals are mutually agreed between local users and developers. The VU students have developed three (3) ICT products namely APPong-Information Systems for Gula Apong farmers, BannaTree-Information System for Banana Farming and EDUCOMX-English Learning App for school children. The VU students who involved had the chance to learn a new culture, customs, traditions and to experience Kampung life, including helping preparation for Raya Festival, cooking local foods and joined Raya visits in the village.

Recently, on the 8^th June 2018, the MoU was signed between FCSIT, UNIMAS and Vrije University (VU) of Amsterdam to collaborate in research and education in the field of Information and Communications for Development (ICT4D).

Also present were Professor Dr Fasihuddin Bin Badruddin Ahmad, Dean of FCSIT, Associate Professor Dr Johari Bin Abdullah, Anna Bon, Coordinator ICT4D in the Field, Vrije University (VU) of Amsterdam, ISITI Director, Professor Narayanan Kulathuramaiyer, Director, Bahagian Keterlibatan Industri & Transformasi Komuniti, Puan Noraziah Abdul Wahab, Head of Sarawak Region, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Mr Roslan Bin Mohammad and Head of Infrastructure ICT, ICT Sector, Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, Puan Puspa Diana Bt Jawi.