“Most are unaware of the good public transport options available for getting to UNM.”
TEO HAO WEN (JASPER)
MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering
“It takes me about four hours in total daily, to and from uni …” Looking at aghast faces, Jasper explained further with a map of his journey from Bandar Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur via the MRT train and the free shuttle bus provided by the 188体育网址_188体育在线-【唯一授权网站】@ of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM).
He is grateful for this commute as it has given him patience, resilience, and ample time to reflect on and complete his studies. It has become an advantage, not an obstacle. “Most are unaware of the good public transport options available for getting to UNM”.
Jasper appreciates the vast UNM campus, especially after being a transfer student to UNM in the beginning. Unlike city universities built vertically without a true campus, UNM fosters a strong sense of camaraderie, as students tend to stay on after classes rather than disperse elsewhere.
Further, the engineering courses offered at UNM made more financial sense since he will graduate with an accredited Master’s degree whilst completing the whole course here in Malaysia.
He maintains a strong academic record, on track for a First Class Honours and it is not compulsory to study in the United Kingdom for two years for the same outcome.
UNMs Careers Advice Services (CAS) was instrumental in helping initiate and update Jaspers ' LinkedIn profile and also arranging industry exposure including workshops, talks and competitions he participated in.
The objective is to encourage students to maintain a professional online presence. Jasper believes this directly led to his internship at SBM Offshore, a company selling systems and services to the offshore oil and gas industry.
Inspired by his time during internship, Jasper is now focused on a career in the oil and gas industry and UNMs CAS gave him the tools to navigate the different options.
He was initiated into social impact issues and volunteerism. During his third- year design group project, Jasper partnered with ‘Engineers Without Borders Malaysia’, aiding a rainwater harvesting system for rural and Orang Asli communities. He also led a team to win 1st Place in the Health to Wealth Pitching Competition, and managed Project Notebook (Enactus UNM), delivering quality education to underprivileged children.
Jasper is inspired by UNM’s multicultural environment and student support system that have helped him realise a vision of engineering as a tool for social change.