KUALA LUMPUR: Students and parents turned up in droves at the Star Education Fair 2024 to explore various tertiary and postgraduate study options available to them.
Identical twins Riana Kaur Sandhu and Risha Kaur Sandhu, both 15, were among the early birds, arriving at 11am just as the doors were opened on the first day of the fair held at the Pavilion Bukit Jalil Exhibition Centre here on Saturday (Aug 24).
Riana and Risha who travelled all the way from Sarawak were keen to check out the programmes offered by some of the country’s top institutions to get a better understanding of their future prospects.
“We just want to have a better understanding of what we can pursue once we finish school. It’s better to have a clearer understanding of what matches our interests.
“We’re preparing ahead to see what are the professions sought after by the job industry,” said Riana.
Their father, Satinder Singh Sandhu, 46, who is a lawyer, said this was the first time the family was attending the fair.
"We knew there were going to be a number of reputable universities exhibiting here today.
"University options in the east can be limited so I wanted to bring them both here to explore their options and see what would suit them both best," he said.
Liu Jin, 19, who also came along with his relatives all the way from China, was eager to find out more information about the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) undergraduate course at Universiti Malaya (UM).
"My dream is to be in the teaching industry and I love English.
“I think the fair is a great opportunity for me to get more insight about the course I am interested in,” he said.
Shweeta Kumar, 23, who was among the early attendees at the fair, said she was looking to explore scholarship opportunities in her pursuit to earn a postgraduate degree.
“I graduated in computer science majoring in cybersecurity last year and this fair could be a good avenue for me to see what are the available postgraduate programmes in cybersecurity.
“I'm also looking into the scholarship offers, there’s a lot of benefit from listening to the university representatives giving information about their courses,” said Shweeta, a first-timer at the fair.
Organised by Star Media Group for the third time this year, the two-day fair offers various tertiary study and technical vocational education and training (TVET) options, as well as financial aid including study loans and scholarships.
The fair, which ends tomorrow, features a total of 40 institutions, occupying 60 booths.
Among the main exhibitors are MAHSA University, Management and Science University (MSU), SEGi University & Colleges, and City University Malaysia.
Visitors can also expect to see exhibitors from institutions such as, Meritus University; Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM); CAE Kuala Lumpur, ELMU University; Asia Aeronautical Training Academy (AATA); and a cat grooming academy with TVET certified programmes — JM Academy by Just Pets megastore.
Meritus University provides a range of new undergraduate programmes, including maritime business and finance (investment strategy). They also offer postgraduate programmes in areas like shipping, trade and finance, as well as wealth management.
ELMU, on the other hand offers undergraduate programmes in fields like international law and disaster and emergency management, while its postgraduate courses include intelligence and surveillance, forensic investigation and criminology and criminal justice.
Additionally, there will be two new local institute exhibitors, The Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (MAICSA), and Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah (USAS).
Besides the various local institutions, the fair also boasts of international exhibitors, namely Career Start Baden-Württemberg (Germany); Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; NXTChapter Education (Singapore); and Kyoto University Graduate School of Management (Japan).
Among the fair highlights are the many exciting prizes up for grabs.
Participants stand a chance to win the Realme Pad (RMP2102), Buds T100, Watch 3 and smartphone (C51) during the Register & Win sessions.
Don’t miss out on the interesting talks happening today including insights into the future of the workforce and the journey to becoming a cat groomer.
There will also be a session on choosing the right educational path for the best career and an inspirational talk by an influencer.
The fair is open from 11am to 7pm. Admission is free. Door gifts await the early birds.
The Star Education Fair, which is in its 37th year, is one of the country’s pioneer education exhibitions. It has continuously provided visitors with educational programmes ranging from pre-university, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate to professional and vocational courses from various local and international institutions.
For details on the Star Education Fair, visit facebook.com/stareducationfair or email edufair@thestar.com.my.
