DYMM Raja Permaisuri Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim officiated the opening of The Tuanku Zara Teaching Centre at The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) on 22 September 2016. The Tuanku Zara Teaching Centre is the newest teaching block designed to cater for growing student numbers and to also accommodate the changing patterns of teaching and learning.
An alumni of The University of Nottingham UK, HRH Tuanku Zara Salim had graduated with first-class honours in Chemical Engineering.
HRH Tuanku Zara was hosted by The University of Nottingham Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir David Greenaway and UNMC's CEO and Provost Professor Graham Kendall, along with the senior management team of UNMC.
“We are very proud to have Her Royal Highness open the building which bears her name and are grateful to her that she has bestowed this honour upon us,” said Professor Graham Kendall.
“The idea of this building was conceived some three years ago for our teaching and learning requirements. Our emphasis is on enhancing student experience, to provide modern spaces for learning and to have a balance of study and social life on campus,” Professor Kendall added.
The Tuanku Zara Teaching Centre
The Teaching Centre has flexible learning spaces and permits technology enabled learning within the campus. It caters for small group teaching and workshops and also social learning spaces, which epitomises modern teaching practices.
Dedicated Foundation Support Space provides a focus point for foundation students, which includes engaging students and staff on issues relating to transitioning into university and also providing pedagogy support to foundation staff.
The Drama Studio was created to facilitate teaching and for theatre performances. It has essential features such as an open ceiling with sound-reflective covering, spot lights and a sound mixer. The studio was showcased during the Nottingham Tri Campus Arts Festival which was held at UNMC in June. The festival held theatre performances from Nottingham campuses from Malaysia, UK and China.
Workshop & Low Tech Space are innovation learning space within the teaching centre which focusses on rediscovering student engagement by replacing projection space with writable walls.
The general teaching rooms have wall-to-wall whiteboard spaces and motion sensor lights to support UNMC’s commitment to a sustainable environment.
The visit by Tuanku Zara also included a tour of the UNMC campus, including the Perhentian student accommodation halls, engineering laboratories, Centre of Excellence for Post-harvest Biotechnology and student registration centre where she met many students who are just starting their studies at UNMC.
(Article image caption: Tuanku Zara, meeting new students at the registration centre. Also seen is Dato’ Dr Afifi Al-Akiti, Privy Counsellor to the State of Perak and Professor Sir David Greenaway)
(Thumbnail image caption: Tuanku Zara during the campus tour with Professor Graham Kendall. Also seen is Dato’ Dr Afifi Al-Akiti, Professor Sir David Greenaway, Vice Chancellor of The University of Nottingham and Professor Fon Sim, Ong, Vice-Provost (Teaching & Learning)
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More information is available from Josephine Dionisappu, PR & Communications Manager at The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus on +603 8924 8746, josephine.dionisappu@nottingham.edu.my.
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham has 43,000 students and is ‘the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with a “distinct” approach to internationalisation, which rests on those full-scale campuses in China and Malaysia, as well as a large presence in its home city.’ (Times Good University Guide 2016). It is also one of the most popular universities in the UK among graduate employers and the winner of ‘Outstanding Support for Early Career Researchers’ at the Times Higher Education Awards 2015. It is ranked in the world’s top 75 by the QS World University Rankings 2015/16, and 8th in the UK by research power according to the Research Excellence Framework 2014. It has been voted the world’s greenest campus for four years running, according to Greenmetrics Ranking of World Universities.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest-ever fundraising campaign, is delivering the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future.
Posted on 23rd September 2016