Kuala Lumpur, 27 January 2023– The SMJE 4212 – a subject unique to Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), namely Ningen Ryoku, which translates to ‘human skills’, focuses on instilling quality individuals with heightened leadership, willpower, assertiveness, cooperativeness, and adaptability to prepare them for their journey in engineering. Through special lectures and industrial visits, students are exposed to Japanese and global electronics and electrics industries through which the famous KAIZEN- a Japanese business philosophy- and quality control (QC) tools are demonstrated and explained. The course aims to familiarize students with the practical concepts of engineering industries and the challenges that exist therein, making it the most tactical method of preparing skilled individuals. The class of semester 1 session 2022/2023, consisting of 65 students, was allowed to learn and witness the Japanese work culture through several sharing sessions from experienced speakers as well as visits to renowned Japanese companies in Malaysia.
During this venture of enriching students with lifelong skills and a productive mindset, MJIIT receives support and continuous cooperation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), whose knowledge and expertise have made smooth the process of liaising and securing quality visits with the industries. The faculty sees the visits as necessary to provide a better practical vision of global companies’ practices which otherwise cannot be visualized in lectures.
On January 5th, Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad (PMMA) warmly welcomed the students with the accompanying lecturer, Dr Fauzan bin Ahmad for a fruitful and detailed walkthrough of the factory’s standard operating procedure from which the students saw first-hand how KAIZEN is applied to their working style. From the interactive briefing to the factory tour, students learned how KAIZEN effectively saves cost, increases productivity, ensures quality and assures the safety of the workers. Enthusiasm was painted on the students’ faces as they enquired about the technologies and explored the workplaces on their tour. Besides excellent work conduct and the technologies that left students in awe, they also observed and experienced Japanese hospitality as offered by the hosts themselves, strongly linked with the business philosophy of the company’s founder, Mr Konosuke Matsushita, which has become the driving force behind the success of the global company. The Matsushita Philosophy emphasizes the need to serve society and promote the general welfare of the people through seven principles: contributions to the community, fairness and honesty, cooperation and team spirit, untiring effort for improvement, courtesy and humility, adaptability, and gratitude. The managing director, Mr Mori and his close colleagues carefully planned the whole tour, making each hour spent there bounteous without a single moment of idleness.
The students could also visit another notable industrial giant, Sumiden Electronic Material Sdn. Bhd. (SEMS). The memorable one-day visit was packed with knowledge sharing and industrial innovation from the electronic industry expert. Students were enriched with insights into the internal working environment, how every part of production produces risks to the workers and how the company’s working style helps avoid and reduce such risks. Throughout the day, students closely observed the steps taken in the plating method, the production of coated wires, and the process of braiding them to be used in other industries, such as automotive. Another crucial take from the visit must be the astute advice from the managing director, Mr Maeda, who embodies Japanese loyalty and a diligent working style, having climbed from the bottom to be in his current position. Besides the virtue of diligence, Mr Kotaro Maeda stresses passion and ambition as the key to success in any career path.
eMoovit Technology Sdn. Bhd. Was chosen as the final destination for the largely beneficial industrial visit. The company, which specializes in autonomous and robotic technology, has developed component-based driverless software solutions as their focus. As a student of electronics engineering, the drive-by-wire, mapping and localization, perception, and navigation technologies were of magnanimous interest. The CEO himself, Ts. Dr Hairi Zamzuri has cleared his schedule to brief the students and enlighten them about the industry career path and working methods which would help them prepare to secure a position of their desired job in the future. The highlight of the visit was the test and ride around the company inside the company-engineered autonomous vehicle, which resembles a futuristic electric vehicle.
SMJE 4212 of 2022 class ceremoniously ended on 27th January 2023. The class was attended by the representative from JICA, Mr Isamu Hamada and Ms Emiko Hamada, who we humbly thank for all their procedural and continuous support throughout the entire Ningen Ryoku journey of MJIIT students. The class summarized and concluded the program with insights and perceptions of the students about the course and how it will help them better understand and prepare themselves for the industrial world.
Prepared by,
Siti Nur Izzati Binti Sanosi
Athi Shankhara A/L Velusamy
Mohd Sizal B. Sidek
Dr Siti Nur Fatin Bt. Zuikafly
Dr Fauzan B. Ahmad
Source: UTM NewsHub