LIM Ben-Jie, 24, graduated with a Bachelor of Business (Hons) Finance & Economics from Taylor’s University and the University of the West England (UWE).
Lim said graduating with two degrees from two different universities will carry more weight and value for when he enters the workforce.
“I applied to Finance & Economics at Taylor’s University through the Taylor’s World Class Scholarship award platform. The degree is a good combination of finance and economics and only a few universities were offering it at the time.”
Lim said there was equal emphasis on assignments and written exams which allowed him the opportunity to gain from a well-rounded education.
“My studies was a balanced one. I learnt how to navigate tight deadlines as well as how to work in a group environment. I was also active in extracurricular activities which helped improve my soft skills such as communication, collaboration and innovative thinking. At Taylor’s, I learnt to excel at both my studies and activities, thanks to time management.”
For Nurlynnie Azzureenie Abdullah, 23, who graduated with a Bachelor of International Hospitality Management (Hons) from Taylor’s University and University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurës, said having a dual degree was like obtaining the qualifications for half the cost.
But putting money matters aside, Nurlynnie said having a dual degree definitely adds value to her academic qualifications and gave her an edge over others — especially where almost everyone has a degree nowadays.
“Because it is a degree accredited from two different but equally prestigious universities, the coursework and results are scrutinised by academics from two institutions. Employers can be assured of the strength of your academic qualification, ” she added.
The two degrees, she said, gave her a better launching pad mainly because both universitites are well-known within the hospitality sector.
Nurlynnie said she chose her course of study mainly because of passion.
“I have always loved the hospitality industry — the idea of not just travelling in the course of my employment, but being able to provide other travellers with the level of service that I would expect to experience is satisfying to me.
“My life as a student wasn’t exactly a breeze because I was active both in and out of the classroom. Being enrolled in a dual award programme meant that we had a couple more units to complete than our peers,” she said.
Lim and Nurlynnie were among the many students who took the dual degree award programme at Taylor’s University and its partnering universities.
UWE is the dual award partner for three Schools at Taylor’s University, namely Taylor’s Business School; Taylor’s School of Communication; and Taylor’s School of Computing and IT. Students who enrol in programmes at Taylor’s Business School will graduate with certification from both universities after meeting the requirements set by both universities.
Students have the option of finishing the studies here in Malaysia at Taylor’s University or in the UK.
Taylor’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts has been awarding degrees with its dual award partners, the University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurës and the Academie de Toulouse for more than 30 years.
According to University Malaysia Pahang’s (UMP) final-year undergraduate, Samad Rahin, dual degree programmes benefit the involved universities, students and the industries.
The 23-year-old who is undergoing his Bachelor Degree in Automotive Engineering in collaboration with Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HsKA), said Germany is famous for the quality of its education as well as their great achievements in automotive technology.
“This programme is the best platform for me to gain knowledge from both the education systems of Malaysia and Germany besides getting more exposure to the German culture and language.
“Based on the past three years, the knowledge gained and courses provided by the programme have prepared me to be ready to join the industry.
“Being able to attend lectures held in German and taught by professors from HsKA exposes me to a different learning style.
“The flexibility of the course structure for this dual degree programme provides a good mould for the students to meet the industries’ requirements in these tough and challenging days,” he added.
UMP’s German Academic & Career Centre director Dr Muhamad Mat Noor said the Dual Degree Programmes at UMP is in collaboration with HsKA and Reutlingen University whereby students will obtain two degrees from two universitites at the end of their studies of nine semesters.
“In order to develop this programme, UMP and our partner universities worked together to construct the coursework, syllabus and learning modules. Students are taught by teaching personnel from UMP and German professors throughout their studies,” said Muhamad.
The programmes offered are Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Mechatronics and Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Automotive, both in collaboration with HsKA, and Bachelor of Business Engineering with Honours in collaboration with Reutlingen University.
Students will benefit by mastering German language (with 1,000 hours learning time) and working culture, as well as improved soft skills and industrial exposure which will help them to perform in actual working environments.
Dual Degree
· A programme in which students receive equal recognition and certification from two awarding universities.
· Works towards satisfying the academic requirements for two institutions in an integrated fashion.
· Academic qualifications assessed by two institutions, which provides them extra merit and recognition in the eyes of their future employers.