UNIMAS

Tuesday March 1, 2011

Design and innovation institute at Unimas this year

By ZORA CHAN
zora@thestar.com.my

 

How it’s done: Applied and Creative Arts second-year student Tang Hung Moi showing Fadillah (third from right) and Housing and Urban Development Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg (right) an animation that he is working on.

KUCHING: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) will set up Institute of Design and Innovation this year under its Applied and Creative Arts Faculty. 

It is part of the university’s efforts to complement and support Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry’s efforts in promoting design and innovation in the country, said its vice chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid.

“It will allow students to learn in a real industrial setting and work on something that can be commercialised in the future,” he said at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Unimas near here.

Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof witnessed the ceremony yesterday.

The MoU was between the Applied and Creative Arts Faculty and Aizo Digital Works Sdn Bhd, a company based at SME Technopreneur Centre Cyberjaya, that develops and produces original creative content in the animation and computer game industry.

It would pave the way for a collaboration in the field of 3D computer graphics and animation.

Aizo Digital Works Sdn Bhd chairman Abang Abdillah Izzarim Abang Johari said, among other things, students would be provided with industrial training in 3D animation and multimedia production.

The collaboration would also create a collaborative system, optimised for computer animation production with the industry; develop custom software tools and techniques for use in a large scale animation production pipeline; and produce a showcase 3D animated short film, loosely based on local culture and indigenous folklore to be marketed to a global audience.