The UTP Familiarisation Programme was brought to a successful closure with the last batch of SRM University-AP students landing back from Malaysia. The familiarisation programme at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) Malaysia, was organised as part of Global Immersion facilitated by the Office of International Relations and Higher Studies at SRM AP. Students and faculty have participated in various on and off-campus programmes such as campus tours, training sessions, and cultural exchanges, organised as part of the programme that commenced in June 2022. The last batch of students was accompanied by Dr Uma Maheswar Arepalli on their educational trip to Kuala Lumpur and PETRONAS Twin Towers.
Several short courses centred on Data Analysis, Latex presentations, Finance and Economics for engineers were organised to acquaint students with the emerging engineering technologies. Students were also introduced to UTP’s facilities, programmes, research capabilities, and campus life. In the words of Shravani Vedantham, “The UTP Campus and its students were so welcoming that they made our journey an unforgettable experience”. While as far as Vishnu is concerned, the exposure to international teaching methodologies was the best part of the trip.
Students were also taken on study visits to cities such as Ipo and Penang to render them a brief cultural impression of the country. “The trip to Penang was my personal favourite. It is one of the best memories I have ever made”, exclaimed Payaswini. Other major highlights of the visits were Petrosains, the discovery centre, Batu Caves Temple, and KL Sentral. “The local tourist destinations, their architecture, culture, and street art were so mesmerising, and I am looking forward to more such experiences”, remarked Shravani. The UTP Centre for Student Development expressed its gratitude to SRMAP for being part of this global collaboration programme.