Guiding, Inspiring, and Transforming Saudi Youth
to Become Global Citizens

Kuala Lumpur (KL) which means the ‘muddy river mouth’ in Bahasa Melayu, began as a mining settlement in the 1850s. KL has come a long way, both in years and physical development. KL has blossomed into Malaysia’s Federal Capital – a city poised to compete with the ranks of world-class cities. Known for the preservation of its heritage buildings, beautiful landscaped parks and gardens have earned it the reputation of a ‘Garden City of Lights’.

With a population of over 1.3 million, KL is the biggest city in Malaysia. Malays, Chinese and Indians comprise the main races among others in this multicultural backdrop. This diversity in ethnic has shaped the city over the years and is clearly seen in the various cultural customs and religious beliefs as well as languages, cuisines and architecture.

Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), located in the heart of the vibrant and ultra-modern city of Kuala Lumpur, is Malaysia’s first private technical university of higher learning licensed by the Ministry of Education and owned by the Universiti Teknikal MARA Sdn Bhd, a wholly subsidiary of MARA. As a unique English-medium engineering technology university, UniKL is totally dedicated to provide students with the best education and training in the fields of Engineering Technology, Information and Communication Technology and Medicine. Furthermore, with the state-of-the-art training equipment and facilities, made possible through the cooperation and assistance from the governments of Canada, United Kingdom, France, United States of America, Spain, and Australia, UniKL guarantees that students be trained in recent technical theories/concepts (know-why) and specialized skills and competency (know-how) to contribute their fullest in the workforce upon graduation. UniKL believes in generating quality students who are not only competent in technical skills and knowledge, but also ‘critical’ and ‘reflective’, with sound problem solving and analytical skills. In short, as UniKL strives to create holistic graduates, it is therefore the ideal choice for QANTARA in the similar mission of readying its students to function decisively in the global arena of international academic and business communities. Such aims are incorporated in the following programme curriculum framework.

The Curriculum Break-down

The curriculum helps the students understand that becoming global citizens is a continuous process of learning and discovery which extends beyond the program. The curriculum will incorporate this framework as much as possible into its four standard modules: outdoor activities, core programs, community service and practical on-site training. . Upon successful completion of the 4 Modules, students will be awarded a Diploma in Information Technology and have the chance to pursue a degree with UniKL in the related fields.

Module One: Outdoor Activities (5 week)

To kick-start the students to be prepared in terms of being university students, the orientation camp will incorporate programs on the learning and living aspects of campus life. The outdoor activities module is divided into two phases: orientation & team work, and life-planning.

1. a) Phase 1: Orientation & Team Work:
   Students will go through this phase of the module upon embarking on the program. It will be conducted at the famous Outward Bound School (OBS) for 4 weeks. The first week is purposefully designed to introduce the program to the Qantara students. Character building is central in this module, which attempts to inculcate and develop a strong sense of discipline, time management, punctuality, and perseverance among students’ through an assortment of intensive simulation activities. Students will be exposed to the learning and living skills of campus or university life, in which they will understand what is expected of them as university students. They will be examined and monitored in terms of their characters, i.e. uniqueness and differences, and capabilities in all kinds of skills and knowledge experienced. Here, profiling of students will be carried out and their performance will be carefully observed and assessed by the orientation camp and UniKL staff alike, via placement tests and other kinds of survey instruments. For instance, students will sit for an English Placement Test in order to assign them into a designated proficiency level for the English and Communication Skills subject in the core program. The results of the assessments and surveys are then compared with their performance at the end of the program to investigate changes and development among the students. This process is important as it will enable the handling of students’ differences in language skills or other skills like computing, as well as providing information to further enhance the quality of the program.
   During this Module, students will also get a chance to know themselves and each other better through intensive and effective teamwork or group activities. These are the key areas of concentration whereby, students will be introduced to problems and challenges, which require critical thinking skills to make informed decisions and judgements for the benefit of the team. The students will be confronted with rigorous, real and varied challenges and situations which challenge their endurance, commitment and comfort zones, at the same time, teaching them how to focus their energy on essential elements of themselves, the resources surrounding them, their interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and the task at hand. Students will face testing and wide-ranging situations of hardship that will equip and develop their character and attitude effectively and robustly. They will learn and understand the meaning of resourcefulness, initiative and teamwork and the basic attributes of an invaluable employee.
   Students will work alone and within a group to encounter challenges in the demanding and changing situations that involve the mountains, the seas and rivers and the rain forest. They will be involved in rock climbing, kayaking, sailing expedition, trekking, solo camping and other activities that will facilitate group dynamics, logic and problem analysis and solving. This 4-week ‘survival’ camp will orientate students’ mind, body and soul in order to get to grips with the demanding nature of the program and their stay in Malaysia throughout the months. In addition Module 1 will act as a preparatory stage for the students for the entire program. For all their efforts and participation, students will be awarded certificates of attendance at the end of Phase.
   To qualify for the next stage of the program, students will need to pass this outdoor Module. Hence it also act as a filtration stage in which failures will be eliminated from the program based on their detailed OBS reports and results. Otherwise, they have the option of, conditionally, attending the first semester of the core program in Malaysia at their own expense and risk, or returning to Saudi Arabia as a result of discontinuing their scholarship.

2. b) Phase 2 (Life-Planning)
   This Vision Camp, will assess students’ overall knowledge, skills and disposition in terms of team-work and leadership, methodical decision making, planning, organizing and implementation. Most importantly, this life-planning camp, serves as a crucial reflection session where students initiate, decide and plan their future life, i.e. career, based on what they have learned throughout the entire program. This relaxing and rewarding one week retreat will enable students to understand their important roles and responsibilities in relation to being critical, global yet balanced individuals in the real world. They will also listen to motivational talks and seminars in this camp where students learn to build their strengths and work on their weaknesses to maximize their potentials and responsibilities. They will secure a deep sense of purpose and objective and be highly grateful for having attended this life-changing program.
   Module Two: The Core Diploma Program (92 weeks)
   The Diploma Module forms the core part of the Qantara Program. The diploma runs for 92 weeks, and is designed along the lines of Qantara’s educational outcomes. The medium of academic and non-academic communication at UniKL is essentially and consistently English. This five-semester Module allows variety in students’ studies by combining classroom studies with a wide range of activities that offer ample interaction to practice English both on and off campus. These activities will take place on weekday evenings, weekends, and on public holidays. The students will have 2 types of activities: mental and physical. Mental activities include brain teasers and mind games, as well as educational games like sudoku and chess. Physical activities will involve students in swimming and martial arts courses, i.e. taekwondo. For taekwondo, students must at least attain a Green ONE belt level by the end of the course. Attention is focused on the formation of healthy dispositions related to sportsmanship, friendship, respect, responsibility, patience, compassion, determination, and enthusiasm for life. Other activities may include:

1. a) Islam and Modernization: Students will be introduced to the ethics of Islam and how Islam should be rightfully applied in this era. More importantly, it will emphasise the significance of the Islamization of knowledge by relating to the modules in the curriculum, i.e. stressing how a true Muslim should be a balanced yet productive member of the economy, and demonstrating how he/she should respect and understand others, irrespective of their race, gender or religion, and assume an educated, open and fair-minded persona. Students will attend talks on such issues by scholars from universities and will be encouraged to have open dialogues with the speakers.

2. b) Healthy & Proper Lifestyle: Students will be introduced to new habits of clean and healthy lifestyle including the importance and benefits of proper nourishment, good hygiene and regular exercise. They will also be taking grooming lessons in which they will learn about proper dining etiquette or table manners. Students will be exposed to talks on the food pyramid and calorie-counting, given by a qualified nutritionist, who will also help them plan their daily food intake, i.e. breakfast and lunch

3. c) Being Up-to-date: The students will be introduced to international and local current happenings and issues in order to develop an individual who is conscious and concerned, sensitive yet sensible to reading information, as well as inquisitive and reflective.

4. d) Arts and Crafts: Students will be introduced to the world of arts and crafts, as evidenced in buildings, paintings, sculpture, movies/films, dramas/plays, talks or concerts. This activity will not only help students understand art but also appreciate ones that are from alien culture and background. UniKL students’ Culture Club will come in handy for this purpose.

5. e) Keyboarding. Students will be introduced to the proper use and accuracy of using the keyboard, techniques and basic concepts of word processing, as well as computer ergonomics. Students will be doing typewriting exercises, as text-typing skills are a necessity in this ICT era. Not only that, as the students type the task given to them, they will also acquire ideas and thoughts independently.

Hence, apart from preparing students for the information technology sector, the program also offers them a life-enriching learning experience which aims to create holistically global students. Their performance throughout the program will be assessed and evaluated through academic assessments and monthly progress reports which will be handled by their respective mentors on an on-going basis. The students will attend classes together with the local UniKL students which allow plenty of healthy, cross-cultural interaction and learning. The subjects offered in the Diploma in IT program are customized based on the curriculum to ensure that graduates are equipped with the best and most appropriate skills, knowledge and disposition for entering the working world

DIPLOMA IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
COURSE OUTLINE

Additional Subjects for Saturdays

SUBJECT DESCRIPTION

SEMESTER I SUBJECTS

English and Communication Skills
This module integrates all 4 language skills - listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students will learn the basics of English grammar, as well as be exposed to critical English communication skills in relation to their future job fields. A secondary aim of this subject is to help engage students’ interest and stimulate them to discover the meaning of, and think critically about, the language they are exposed to. For instance, every day, students will be given a different reading exercise on newspaper article on a current issue of importance at the international level. Upon finishing the exercise, they would be asked to form, write and state their opinion on the subject in their own words. Here, students’ apply multiple skills like language i.e. writing and critical reflection, which are embedded in activities in all English-related subjects. Hence, the language to be taught will, as far as possible, be relevant to their studies and will equip them for their academic and professional needs. In addition, the course will virtually prepare students to sit for international assessments like TOEFL or IELTS, by incorporating lessons on test-taking skills and strategies. The courses for English and Communication Skills module run for 3 semesters. It starts with English and Communication Skills I.

English and Communication Skills I
The main objective of this subject is to develop basic communication skills and concepts needed at the interpersonal level and relate this to the broad information needs of an organization. The knowledge gained should be applied intelligently and effectively by students who in future will be computer practitioners in the real working world. By learning Communication Skills, students should be able to communicate with and relate to others subjects like computing and non-computing ones.

Introduction to Information Technology
Students will be introduced to the concepts of information technology. On the practical side, students will be exposed on PC maintenance. Student will be introduced to basic computer concepts, learn on the 3W, components of a computer system including the hardware and software. This module also provides an overview of communications technology and applications. Issues on the IP right, code of conduct and information privacy will be introduced in this module as well.

Mathematics I
Students will learn: simple arithmetic operations, the theories in Geometry Coordinate, the notations and concepts in Sets, solving Equality & Inequality, the rules of Indices & Logarithm and the theories of Circular Measure.

Fundamentals of Programming
The course gives an introduction to the basic concepts of program design using flowcharts, pseudo-code and structured charts. A high level language will be introduced. Emphasis will be put on well-structured and correctly designed programs.

Islamic Studies
The course discusses Islam as a religion and a civilization. Comparative analysis with other civilizations of the world will also be presented to understand the excellence of Islamic civilization itself. The epistemology of Islam, relating to the meaning of knowledge and hierarchy of knowledge in Islam, and reception of knowledge will be discussed. Issues on familial, social, learning, art, governance and ruling related to Islam are explored. Topics will also vary from global and current issues on the deterioration of morals among Muslims to the Islamization of knowledge in the modern world today.

Critical Thinking (CT)
Students will be introduced to the basic elements of criticality, i.e. knowledge, skills and dispositions. Students will learn the significance of being a critical thinker and thinking logically in today’s working world. Practical strategies for implementing these strategies in the classroom will be covered where students will learn the art of questioning and reasoning. Emphasis is placed on accurate comprehension through plenty of critical reading practices and mind games, aided by language as vehicle for developing a critical ‘self’. By using English as a tool for inquiry and thinking, students will become more successful in the academic setting and beyond as it helps them to better understand themselves as global learners and thinkers.

 SEMESTER 2 SUBJECTS

English and Communication Skills II
Emphasis is given on routes to communication and data gathering and also retrieval. The main focus is to develop the skills needed to communicate in an organization. The students are also exposed to group working so as to develop sense of belonging to a group in order to ensure the objective of the organization they serve is achieved. To further facilitate the understanding of group working concept, procedures and ethics of being in a meeting and negotiation skills are also developed.

Basic Computer Architecture
This subject covers the mechanisms used to implement a computer system, how a computer is designed and the architecture of a computer system.

Mathematics II
Students will learn how to differentiate, integrate several of functions and use the application of both differentiation and integration. The course covers trigonometric function, derivatives (differentiation) and integration.

Programming Language I
An overview of the Microsoft.Net platform, an overview of C# language, using value-type and reference-type variables, statements and exceptions, methods and parameters, arrays, object-oriented programming, creating and destroying objects, inheritance, aggregation, namespace and advanced scope, operators and events, properties and indexers and attributes.

Fundamentals of Accounting
Students will learn the concepts of accounting, accounting equation, ledger and accounts, balancing accounts and audit controls. Students will be able to prepare the necessary accounting transactions and classify the transactions into revenue, expense, asset or liability. In addition, they will also learn how to manage their assets, i.e. personal allowances, effectively and properly as well as plan their budget wisely.

SEMESTER 3 SUBJECTS

Communication Skills III
In Communication Skills III, students are able to acquire knowledge in mass communication, printed media, cross culture and research methods. The various skills they can achieve are to design notice board, advertisement, leaflets, information on press release and also about television and radio broadcast. They will also improve on effective writing, gathering news and editing for the media.

Java Programming I
This course introduces the student to computer programming through the Java programming language. Students will be able to design and code Java programs to meet simple requirements. They are also able to test and debug simple Java program.

Object Oriented System Analysis and Design
This subject is intended to expose students with the current technique of system analysis and design and they should be able to analyze and design system using the current technologies & understand how information technology supports operational business requirements in today’s intensively competitive environment.

Programming Language II
The course provides skills needed to develop code, debug and run Visual Basic applications including the use and manipulation of objects and procedures, build custom, multiple forms and variables arrays. It also provides skills needed to develop databases using data control.

Statistics
Students will learn: statistical terms, data types, representation of data in tables, charts and graphs, Central Tendency Measurements:-mean, median, mode; Dispersion Measurements:-range, quartiles, percentiles, standard deviation, variance, linear and rank correlations, linear regression, probability concepts and random variables, probability distributions; Normal, Binomial and Poisson distributions, sampling theory, hypothesis testing and confidence intervals.

Database System
Students will be taught on the theory and concept of Database Management. At the same time they will practice the theory by using a particular database management tool eg. Oracle, Informix or Access. Therefore, they have better understanding in database environment and application.

Research Methods
Students will be exposed to various research methods and concepts, i.e. qualitative and quantitative research, sampling, reliability of data analysis etc, as well as how to interpret data. Students will also learn the basics of conducting proper research, using appropriate measurements based on sound research questions and problems. Students will be introduced to basic statistical concepts. Here, SPSS package will be used as a tool to aid data analysis. Not only will students learn various data analysis tests like correlations or frequencies, but they will also learn to argue, state and justify themselves based on concrete and credible proof using factual data, rather than based on emotions or hearsay.

SEMESTER 4 SUBJECTS

Java Programming II
Programs and projects are designed to illustrate the use of inheritance and objects. The Abstract Windows Toolkit (AWT) will be examined in detail. The life cycle and use of applets (with graphics) will be reviewed along with screen management. Event driven processing, multithreading and exception handling will be demonstrated by class projects.

Data Structure
Students will be able to use any data structure they’ve learned to suit with the application that they are currently working on.

Operating System Concepts
This course introduces operating system concepts which cover the functions and characteristics of an operating system including computer system overview, Process Management, Storage Management, I/O systems and protection and security

Internet Programming
This course will cover fundamentals of Web application site implementation by using Microsoft ASP.NET. It focuses on using the Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET environment and the Microsoft .NET platform to create an ASP.NET Web application that delivers dynamic content to a Web site.

Malaysian Studies
This course aims to generate Malaysians who have strong sense of citizenship and identity, loyalty, love and faithfulness to the country, visionary and proud to be a Malaysian – able to face challenges to face the world and present Malaysia to the world..

Professional Work Procedures
Students will learn and understand professional work ethics, major ethical issues, i.e. principles of accountability, ethical issues in special settings, prevention of unethical behaviour and consequences and general ethics in various disciplines. Students will gain an understanding of their role within their work place and profession. This course is also designed to help them look at personal values and decision making in ethical issues. Typical work environment case studies will be used to expose students to what they have to expect and do when venturing into the real working world.

SEMESTER 5 SUBJECTS

Human Computer Interaction
This subject introduces students to the concepts of human computer interaction. It includes an introduction to the fundamental principles of screen and interface design including the basic principles of perception and instructional message design, and their implications for the roles and organization of screen elements, the implications of recent research from areas such as cognition, visualisation and mental model theory as they apply to the design and evaluation of multimedia navigation and guidance systems.

E-Systems
Management Information System is one of the derivations in computer science, which covers the fundamental concepts of management handling information system with the help from computer and computer applications. Students will be exposed to every perspective whether on the usage of hardware, software or applications in delivering the information to the user.

Entrepreneurship in Engineering and Science
The course will provide the necessary exposure to the fundamentals of business, while minimizing the use of business school jargon. The entrepreneurship will be viewed as a manageable process built around innovation, risk-taking and proactive. The course will also explore entrepreneurship as processes, as planning, as parts, and as people. The focus will not be on start-up companies per se (e.g., a new restaurant concept), but on ventures where the business concepts is built around either a significant technical advance in an operational process, or in the application of technology to create a new product or service.

Fundamentals of Network
Introduce students with networking field, focus on networking terminology and protocol, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN),Open System Interconnection (OSI), router, Ethernet and network standard.

Module Three: Community Service (2 weeks)
Apart from academic learning, to further develop students’ global character and identity, they will undergo the third module which is volunteer work. The ability to work with certain groups or communities will help nurture students’ social and moral values like selflessness, patience, responsibility, kindness, love and interest in conservation of life and community development efforts. Together with UniKL’s own students, Qantara students will engage with local communities and be exposed to a unique blend of cultures, and experience a dynamic international and inter-ethnic knowledge exchange. The experience will definitely develop students’ feelings of tolerance, commitment, compassion and camaraderie. Whether it is helping the less fortunate or even caring for the environment, students will experience hands-on work of the real world which renders life itself a richer, more meaningful experience.
Social awareness and responsibility is roused through a mixture of social activities and dialogues whereby students are encouraged to be critical of and explore their individual responsibility to the self and society. Most importantly, they will discover how to serve the community as agents for tremendous and positive change in their respective localities. The goal is to develop civic-minded and service-oriented youths by preparing and encouraging them to engage in local community activities. By doing voluntary work, both the cognitive and affective domains of students will be tapped and put to effective usage. Without a doubt, this will greatly benefit future employers in a sense of securing civilized employees. The students are expected to spend an entire month organizing and managing group activities concerning various communities and groups.

Module Four
Industrial Placement & Presentation of Report (16 weeks):

Students should be able to utilize what they had learnt in class, to experience the real working environment during this industrial placement subject.
To maximize the fullest potential of the students, students required to continue the remaining phases of project development where the working product must be produced by pertaining the project initiated during the Multimedia Project Management (DIM) or SADM (DIT) subject taken in semester 4. A practical on-site training at their sponsoring companies in Saudi Arabia will be the best way for participant’s to apply their learned skills, knowledge and dispositions based on the program. Here they will be directly exposed to the nature, system, procedures and rules of the designated job which instantaneously propel them to contribute to the working process. Students will be posted on their projects for 16 weeks with close supervision and mentoring by their supervisors or mentors while carrying out their job responsibilities. The supervisors will then write an extensive account of the performance of the students under his care and grade them. The results will then be used as part of the industrial placement assessment.