It was indeed uplifting when one of WOU’s recent graduates, Chee Siew Chean, 41, from Bayan Lepas, Penang, was motivated to give back to her alma mater. “Giving back to WOU is the best way to appreciate and thank all of them.” She singled out Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Lily Chan, School of Science & Technology Deputy Dean (Industry & Outreach) Dr Teoh Ping Chow, and the tutors for special mention.
In gratitude for their support, encouragement and guidance, Chee, presented RM1,000 cash to the WOU library, where she had spent countless hours studying and revising. She had no hesitation in donating her share of a prize to the very University responsible for her academic success.
CHEE WTH DR TEOH (RIGHT) AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE WOU LIBRARY.
Chee received her MBA in Manufacturing and Production Management (MBA-MPM) at WOU’s virtual graduation on 28 November 2020.
She together with her mentor, Dr Teoh, and Universiti Sains Malaysia’s lecturer Dr Teh Sin Yin and student Ng Wei Chien, had jointly produced a research paper titled “Factors Affecting the Implementation of Industry 4.0 in Manufacturing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)”. They presented their findings at the Industry 4.0 Regional Conference (i4RC2020) on “Synergising AI, Engineering and Economy towards I4.0” in September 2020.
CHEE ENJOYED THE CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT OF THE LIBRARY FOR STUDYING.
They won the Best Paper Award (RM1,000 award) and the Best Impact Paper Award (RM3,000) out of the 66 papers presented in the ‘Business & Operations’ category. The online conference was organised by Sustainable Industrial Revolution and Innovation Sdn Bhd (SIRI), Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) and Electrical and Electronics Productivity Nexus (EEPN), in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
The i4RC2020 had gathered academics, researchers, engineers, scientists and scholars from around the world, offering a platform for the discussion of the latest innovation, invention and research findings in technology-engineering and applied sciences.
CHEE WITH HER MENTOR, DR TEOH, WHO WAS PART OF THE RESEARCH TEAM.
Chee, who obtained her Bachelor of Science (Environment Engineering) from Universiti Malaya in 2005, has been working in the engineering field for 15 years. She is currently a lead engineer in a multinational company. She liked the flexibility of part-time, open distance learning at WOU since she is a working mum. She pointed out, “Never stop learning, if you want to never stop growing in life.”
She was able to apply what she learnt from the various courses under MBA-MPM to her job. “They are relevant to the real-world. The tutors related real-life examples and factual case studies when teaching, and are professional, experienced and patient.”
