INGENIEUR
team members and course instructors . The entrepreneurship element is also covered in the second year under Plantation Machinery and a fourth year course , Engineers and Society . The students are not only taught skills in business strategy but also skills in business planning and management .
Industrial Linkages
Other than the inclusion of IR 4.0 elements in the curriculum , the department is also strengthening its industrial linkages to ensure that the programme is relevant to current needs . Main players in agriculture-related industries are appointed to the Faculty Advisory Committee and the Programme Education Committee to review the programme from time to time , based on current needs and the performance of the students every semester . Other types of industrial engagement are through the Alumni Committee , the Final Year Project Evaluator , Industrial Talks , Industrial Visits and Industrial Training .
The Industrial Training course is offered after Semester 6 and runs over 10 weeks . During industrial training , students are exposed to the work environment in related fields . It provides students with different kinds of industrial challenges as solving industrial problems is different from in-class solutions . Students have a chance to apply their engineering knowledge in equipment operation , troubleshooting , and other related skills . The industrial training also provides the students with exposure to communication in an industrial organisation , project planning , work ethics and relevant working activities such as procurement , financial planning , and dealing with private and Government agencies .
The programme encourages students to be enthusiastic and motivated in their study . Visits to relevant sites are arranged . Guest speakers from the industry are also invited to introduce the students to special topics beyond the syllabus and / or to develop and give a professional perspective to some of the topics learned in class . These provide students with opportunities to experience engineering in real situations and interact with practising engineers which in turn helps to illuminate linkages between what they study in class and real-world applications . As a result , students gain a better understanding of what will be expected of them in their future careers .
Linkages with industries not only provide inputs to the programme to produce future-proof graduates , but also help the department to be aware of the industry readiness to adapt new digital dependencies . This will help the department to understand the actual scenario where there is a need for innovation and agricultural technology development to help transform and grow the agricultural sector .
Beyond Technical Skills
The success of Agriculture 4.0 does not just depend on fundamental knowledge , theories and practical work . Social activities such as competitions and student clubs develop and sharpen the soft skills of students especially in terms of teamwork , communication and leadership , critical thinking and problem-solving so that graduates can confront the rapid changes in the industry and manage their own learning . The Malaysian Society of Agricultural Engineers – Student Chapter ( MSAE-SC ) is the main club for students in this department . Each year , MSAE-SC actively initiates industrial visits and organises talks by experts and industry representatives . MSAE-SC also has an annual programme known as the Annual Regional Convention ( ARC ) in which representatives of agricultural engineering students in Southeast Asia will gather and undergo planned activities . Activities held include a mini-tractor competition , presentations on universal agriculture issues , cultural performances and technical visits .
The students are also competent in that they manage to win many competitions , either at national level or at the international level , in design competitions and exhibitions that involve critical thinking , communication skills and require solving complex engineering problems through engineering activities . Some of the competitions participated by the students at the national level are the Advanced Innovation and Engineering Exhibition ( AINEX ), Science & Engineering Design Exhibition ( SEDEX ) and The Great Lab Precision Farming Hackathon . At the international level are International Competition on Palm Oil
38 VOL 84 OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2020