UCSI hosts exclusive Design Market event

KUALA LUMPUR: De Institute of Creative Arts and Design (ICAD) at UCSI University recently hosted an exclusive event titled, 'Design Market' on April 19, 2014 on campus grounds. 

Fully sponsored by ICAD, the event featured a drawing demonstration by Ivan Lam, Malaysia's most popular contemporary artist; insightful talks by creative industry guests like Silver Ant PPI Sdn Bhd production manager Raymond Seah and fashion expert Zaihani Mohd Zain; and fun workshops on fashion design, 3D animation and graphic design.

In essence, the talks highlighted the latest industry trends, job roles in the creative industry and the speakers' personal experiences, to name a few.

During his speech, UCSI vice-chancellor and president Senior Professor Dato' Dr Khalid Yusoff highlighted that such events "enabled students to learn, first-hand, what creative arts was all about."

He goes on to point out that the competitive industry today demands that employees be equipped with not just fundamental knowledge in their fields but also the skills and competencies to thrive in a dynamic environment.

"The onus falls on higher education institutions – UCSI University included – to expand their roles to ensure talents possess holistic, relationship-focused business skills that companies require. We believe academic mastery should be balanced with industrial application and that is what we emphasise here."

Notably, a special award – bursary of up to RM5,000 in tuition fee waiver for ICAD programmes – was awarded to the 'top designer'. Scholarships were also awarded to participants who demonstrate impressive talent and potential in creative arts and design.