About Limkokwing University
From inception – in 1991 – the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology has been sensitive to market demands because it felt a strong responsibility to produce graduates who are able to make a smooth transition from classroom to workplace. Here is a synopsis of its development and eventual global expansion.
Fitting into a national scenario
The Sixth Malaysia Plan (1991-1995) accorded education as high national priority. The country was beginning to pick up pace in its development as it shook off the effects of the mid’80s recession. Export was identified as the engine of economic progress. To gain a competitive edge Malaysia needed skilled and creative human resources to design, to plan, to strategise.
Creative Emphasis and Industry Focused, from inception
The Limkokwing Institute of Creative Technology (as it was known then) was established to play an active role enabling much needed technology transfer in the area of creative education. The Institute had started to create strategic links with reputable and well-established universities and colleges in UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. At the same time the Institute had forged strong connections with industry to provide guidance and support to enable the right environment of learning to students.
Limkokwing works with its International Partners that enable students to spend a semester or two in a number of choice campuses located worldwide.
UK
USA
New Zealand
Australia
Canada
China
The Institute was the first step forward towards achieving a successful and rewarding career for students. For parents the Institute was an eye-opener as they began to see the wide-ranging possibilities in creative careers. For industry it gave them an opportunity to participate in nurturing much needed creative capability. For government the Institute was a primary resource in developing creative capital.
For the next ten years the Institute set the pace for the education community. The philosophy was simply to empower the individual. And in doing so the Institute grew. It expanded. It upgraded. It reviewed. It revamped.
Industry requirements and global trends were its yardsticks as the Institute introduced new studies that were relevant to the times and also in anticipation to the future needs of the nation. Designing itself was a major expansion – Graphic, Electronic, Product, Industrial, Interior, Multimedia, Information, Communication, and Animation.
Industry collaboration gave wonderful opportunities for students to engage their creative expressions in real work experience. These included work developed for restaurants, hospitals, manufacturers, resorts, publishers, humanitarian foundations, societies and clan associations, councils, public relations companies, municipal councils, government ministries, and non- government organisations. The work has been wide-ranging from the type of creative input needed to the type of organisation that required the input.