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Subang Jaya, 11 July 2018 – Taylor’s University, the Klang City Rejuvenation (KCR) committee and Think City formed a strategic partnership to help revitalise Klang town through the KCR programme, an urban design plan to address the needs of the Klang community.
As part of Taylor’s University’s flagship research project ‘Rejuvenating Forgotten Waterfront Settlements in Malaysia, with Specific Reference to the Royal Town of Klang’, the university is committing to research into possible transformational needs of Klang town. Taylor’s’ multidisciplinary researchers, headed by the School of Architecture, Building and Design, will assist the KCR committee to develop a sustainable strategy to revitalise Klang town. The students and academia will engage in research that focuses on five components to inform their design process for the city, namely, identity and belonging, inclusive education, urban walkability, water management, as well as food and place.
The collaboration was cemented with the launch of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) witnessed by Selangor State government Senior Executive Councillor, Dato’ Teng Chang Khim, and Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry President, Tan Sri Dato’ Lim Kuang Sia at the education institution’s Lakeside Campus.
(From left) Taylor’s University Faculty of Built Environment, Engineering, Technology and Design Executive Dean, Dr David Asirvatham; Selangor State Senior Executive Councillor, YB Dato' Teng Chang Khim; KCCCI President, YB Tan Sri Dato’ Lim Kuang Sia; and Think City Programme Director, Ms Lee Jia Ping.
Speaking at the event, the School’s senior lecturer, Dr Camelia Kusumo, who is leading the entire programme, explained, “We want Taylor’s University students to learn how architecture can become a solution to the questions posed by real-world issues in the domains of sustainable developments. That is why we found the KCR programme to be most appropriate for our students to gain real-life learning experience. Through direct interaction with stakeholders and an applied urban research that has an impact on the community, the students can learn how to put into practice their lessons to rejuvenate a local town or city. We also hope that our works at the university will go beyond academic publication and extend to truly impact the local community.”
The KCR programme is an initiative spearheaded by the Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCCI), the Malay Chamber of Commerce for the State of Selangor, and the Klang Indian Chamber of Commerce to inject new life into the city and make it more liveable. In line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal number 11, “Sustainable Cities and Communities”, the programme will ensure sustainable development in Klang by addressing social, environment and economic issues through the eyes of various disciplines.
Sharing on the unique heritage of the city, KCCCI Secretary General, Ir. Ter Leong Leng said, “The royal town of Klang has an extensive history and used to be a bustling hub of commerce. Over the years, it has lost some of its attraction in comparison to larger cities in the Klang Valley due to a growing population and rapid urbanisation. We would like to see Klang being repurposed and revitalised while maintaining its beautiful cultural and food heritage. Hence, the KCR programme aims to rejuvenate Klang town and turn it into one of the most liveable and sustainable cities in Malaysia, as well as help boost growth of local businesses. We believe Taylor’s University students and academia, with the help of Think City, has the relevant knowledge and research capability to transform Klang through this project.”
(From left) Selangor State Senior Executive Councillor, YB Dato' Teng Chang Khim; KCCCI President, YB Tan Sri Dato’ Lim Kuang Sia; Taylor’s University Faculty of Built Environment, Engineering, Technology and Design Executive Dean, Dr David Asirvatham; and Think City Programme Director, Ms Lee Jia Ping, at the MoU signing ceremony at Taylor’s Lakeside Campus.
The KCR programme is supported by Think City, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, who is technical advisor to the project. Through their baseline study of Klang, Think City provides relevant expertise and vital information to aid the urban regeneration effort and promote sustainable living. Think City empowers the business community to rejuvenate their own city through knowledge exchange and capacity building programmes.
“The KCR programme requires the collaboration of all parties to bring the revitalisation of Klang town to fruition; and students play an important role in contributing their ideas for reviving this city. Think City hopes to spur deeper thinking about sustainable urban living spaces through our youth and community engagement programmes. We hope to impart an understanding of how sustainable living in the city is so important and we want to encourage the next generation of leaders to be actively involved in city rejuvenation,” said Think City Programme Director, Lee Jia Ping.
The KCR programme will run for three years and tap the ideas of Taylor’s University students and academia from five schools, namely its School of Architecture, Building and Design; School of Education; School of Liberal Arts and Sciences; School of Hospitality and Tourism; as well as School of Engineering. Moving forward, research will look into factors such as education accessibility, living affordability, local tourism, river pollution, and flood management to name a few.
About Taylor’s University
Since its inception in 1969, Taylor’s has continuously provided excellent services for its students in terms of diverse study options, relevant curriculum and teaching methods, ongoing partnerships with leading universities worldwide, strong industry linkages, up-to-date facilities and well-equipped campuses. Taylor’s University offers a myriad of courses in tertiary education, from foundation and diploma, to degree, post-graduate and professional programmes. Students can choose to enroll in courses encompassing fields such as Medicine, Pharmacy, Biosciences, Architecture, Computer Science, Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Law, Business, Communications, Design, Hospitality, and Tourism & Culinary Arts.
The quality of the undergraduate teaching and learning at Taylor’s was acknowledged when it garnered a ‘Tier 5: Excellent’ rating in the Rating System for Malaysian Higher Education (SETARA) by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia in all four audit exercises. Taylor’s University is ranked at no. 150 in Asia in the QS Asia University Rankings 2018, and listed in the top 1 percent of universities in Asia. Taylor’s University was also awarded 5-Star rating in five (5) categories of the QS Stars Rating. Taylor’s University was also recognised as the number 21 university in the world for Hospitality & Leisure Management by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018. Most recently, Taylor’s was listed in the top 2% universities in the world by QS World University Rankings. These achievements are important milestones for Taylor’s, in line with its aim of becoming one of Asia’s leading universities.
Taylor’s has also received numerous recognitions locally and internationally from professional bodies such as the CDIO Initiative (Conceiving, Designing, Implementing, Operating), National Academy of Engineering in the USA and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to name a few.
Taylor’s continues to play a strong role in developing Malaysia’s human resource capital, and boasts a 100,000-strong alumnus, many of whom have become leaders in their respective fields.
About Klang City Rejuvenation (KCR)
Klang City Rejuvenation (KCR) is a project mooted and driven by the Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCCI), with Dewan Perniagaan Melayu Malaysia Selangor (DPMMS), and the Klang Indian Chamber of Commerce (KICC) as project Partners. It is an initiative to rejuvenate the Klang city and turn it into one of the most liveable and sustainable cities in the country and one of the most preferred tourist attractions centred on its rich cultural heritage.
VISION
·To make Klang into one of the most liveable & sustainable cities in Malaysia
MISSION
·To encourage sustainable development and the creation of a more liveable environment in Klang
·To promote activities on the protection and development of living heritage, culture and architecture in Klang
·To contribute towards the promotion of Klang as one of the most popular tourist attraction locations in Malaysia
About Think City
·Think City is a community-based urban rejuvenation organization and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad that seeks to increase the wellbeing of the communities by creating more sustainable and liveable cities. Established in 2009 to spearhead community based urban regeneration in Penang, its impact and successes in Penang allowed Think City to expand its mandate into Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Butterworth.
·Think City works with local government and the corporate sector to implement projects that will improve liveability and public amenities in the areas of arts, heritage, culture, environment and economic resilience.
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