INTRODUCTION
The rapid development of public and private institutes of art in Malaysia reflects the importance of the field of art and design in the development of the nation. In this context, Universiti Teknologi MARA is proud to have the oldest such faculty in the country. The Faculty of Art and Design (FSSR), founded in 1967, has brought fame to the university and to the country through various artistic activities and achievements. As a matter of fact, the faculty is the only Faculty of Art and Design in Malaysia to have obtained the ISO 9001 : 2000 certification.
Initially known as the School of Applied Arts, the Faculty of Art and Design was originally adjoined to the School of Architecture, Planning and Land Survey. Its temporary studios and classrooms were located at Petaling Garden, before moving to Section 17, Petaling Jaya in 1970. It started with three full-time lecturers and two part-time lecturers. The first batch counted 33 students enrolled in the foundation course.
The following year, three programmes of specialization were created, namely Fine Arts, Graphic Design and Textile Design. Twenty-six students attended these courses, while forty students enrolled in the foundation course. In 1973, as several more programmes were added, the School of Applied Arts seceded and became known as the School of Art and Design (Kajian Seni Lukis dan Seni Reka, or KSSR). Nevertheless, KSSR still used part of the School of Architecture complex when it moved to the Shah Alam campus in 1974. Finally, in early 1982, KSSR moved to its own building which it still occupies today.
Initially known as the School of Applied Arts, the Faculty of Art and Design was originally adjoined to the School of Architecture, Planning and Land Survey. Its temporary studios and classrooms were located at Petaling Garden, before moving to Section 17, Petaling Jaya in 1970. It started with three full-time lecturers and two part-time lecturers. The first batch counted 33 students enrolled in the foundation course.
The following year, three programmes of specialization were created, namely Fine Arts, Graphic Design and Textile Design. Twenty-six students attended these courses, while forty students enrolled in the foundation course. In 1973, as several more programmes were added, the School of Applied Arts seceded and became known as the School of Art and Design (Kajian Seni Lukis dan Seni Reka, or KSSR). Nevertheless, KSSR still used part of the School of Architecture complex when it moved to the Shah Alam campus in 1974. Finally, in early 1982, KSSR moved to its own building which it still occupies today.
PHILOSOPHY & PRINCIPLES
Ever since its creation, the School of Art and Design has espoused the philosophy of Institut Teknologi MARA, namely the belief that talent and interest, if nurtured properly and openly with the instillation of Islamic values, will produce individuals who are valuable to themselves, to society and to the country. In line with this principle, Institut Teknologi MARA upholds the objective to produce Malay graduates of calibre who are independent, knowledgeable and religiously educated, and who can thus compete in the world of business, science and technology.
Today, the foundation principle has evolved to encompass UiTM’s vision of becoming a world-class university by its fiftieth anniversary that will fall in 2006. In this context, FSSR, while forming Malay students to be well-rounded professionals who will play a role as agents of change and contribute to nation-building, also endeavours to fulfill the vision of becoming a world-class reference centre for local and global arts.
Today, the foundation principle has evolved to encompass UiTM’s vision of becoming a world-class university by its fiftieth anniversary that will fall in 2006. In this context, FSSR, while forming Malay students to be well-rounded professionals who will play a role as agents of change and contribute to nation-building, also endeavours to fulfill the vision of becoming a world-class reference centre for local and global arts.
AIMS
From only three programmes at its creation in 1967, FSSR has undergone an impressive evolution and now offers not only diploma and degree courses, but also BA Honors, Master and Doctorate programmes. The diploma and degree courses offered are in the fields of Graphic Design and Digital Media, Textile Design, Fine Metal Design, Industrial Design, Ceramics, Fashion Design, Photography and Creative Imaging, Fine Arts, Footwear Design and Technology, and Printing Technology. Meanwhile, the courses offered at the Master and Doctoral levels comprise Art History and Cultural Management, Fine Art and Technology, Design Technology, as well as Visual Communication and New Media. Apart from the Printing Technology and Footwear Design and Technology programmes, the other diploma courses are offered in the branch campuses of Melaka, Perak, Kedah and Kelantan.
The goal to become a world-class reference centre for local and global arts has motivated the entire faculty to strive harder and more creatively to achieve success in the fields of design and creative art. Adopting the slogan “Creativity is the Core of Quality” as the axiom for the faculty’s activities, they have prospered under the leadership of the Dean, Associate Professor Dr. Baharudin Ujang. Various strategies have been organized to strengthen and enhance the faculty’s services to the community in general, including in the aspects of academia, students’ affairs, research, culture and social issues.
The goal to become a world-class reference centre for local and global arts has motivated the entire faculty to strive harder and more creatively to achieve success in the fields of design and creative art. Adopting the slogan “Creativity is the Core of Quality” as the axiom for the faculty’s activities, they have prospered under the leadership of the Dean, Associate Professor Dr. Baharudin Ujang. Various strategies have been organized to strengthen and enhance the faculty’s services to the community in general, including in the aspects of academia, students’ affairs, research, culture and social issues.
STRATEGIES
In addition to placing several art and design disciplines under core study centres in post-graduate studies, the faculty is studying new possibilities to review its curriculum at the diploma and bachelor levels in order to keep abreast of new global developments. The aspiration to become a world-class university has always existed in the faculty, all the more since it is a unique art and design institute that offers a wide variety of courses under one roof, something rarely seen in any other university in the world.
Among various strategies devised to strengthen the faculty was the creation of the International Institute of Design Excellence (IIDE), a vehicle to elevate the level of local designers in general. Through this institute, various activities of an intellectual nature have been carried out in the form of seminars, exhibitions, workshops, research projects and journal publications. In December 2004, the institute organized the International Conference on Environmental Design for Living Excellence and published the International Journal of Design Excellence. IIDE incorporates several other units based on art and design education and research such as Batik International Research and Design Access (BiRDA) that aims to promote and develop the national batik industry, besides developing new approaches in pattern design and batik quality in general.
Moreover, FSSR has a well-established Art Gallery that displays works by graduates and organizes world-class exhibitions, among which is the annual ILHAM exhibition by the faculty’s academic staff. In 1970, the faculty established the Creative Centre (PDC) to encourage the involvement of Malays in business based on the results of artistic creation. Since its creation, PDC has become a vehicle for the academic staff to contribute their expertise to society in a wide variety of consultancy jobs based on art and design, including the designing of logos, the creation of corporate images, and many more. Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s confidence in PDC in the early 1980s enabled the centre to implement many major projects for which it received national recognition, including the conception of the new identity of Kereta Api Tanah Melayu, MAS, and Telekom.
Among various strategies devised to strengthen the faculty was the creation of the International Institute of Design Excellence (IIDE), a vehicle to elevate the level of local designers in general. Through this institute, various activities of an intellectual nature have been carried out in the form of seminars, exhibitions, workshops, research projects and journal publications. In December 2004, the institute organized the International Conference on Environmental Design for Living Excellence and published the International Journal of Design Excellence. IIDE incorporates several other units based on art and design education and research such as Batik International Research and Design Access (BiRDA) that aims to promote and develop the national batik industry, besides developing new approaches in pattern design and batik quality in general.
Moreover, FSSR has a well-established Art Gallery that displays works by graduates and organizes world-class exhibitions, among which is the annual ILHAM exhibition by the faculty’s academic staff. In 1970, the faculty established the Creative Centre (PDC) to encourage the involvement of Malays in business based on the results of artistic creation. Since its creation, PDC has become a vehicle for the academic staff to contribute their expertise to society in a wide variety of consultancy jobs based on art and design, including the designing of logos, the creation of corporate images, and many more. Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s confidence in PDC in the early 1980s enabled the centre to implement many major projects for which it received national recognition, including the conception of the new identity of Kereta Api Tanah Melayu, MAS, and Telekom.
CONTRIBUTION & RECOGNITIONS
Recognition of the academic staff and graduates of the Faculty is reflected through the many art and design awards that they have won at the national and international levels, in competitions organized by the National Art Gallery, Bank Negara Malaysia, the World Intellectual Property Organization, Rado, Philip Morris, and many other corporate bodies. Among such awards are the Young Contemporary Award, Salon Malaysia, the Kijang Bank Negara award, and the Oita sculpture award in Japan. Graduates have made a name for themselves as influential artists, besides being involved in major national projects such as the Proton Saga national car project. Major art exhibitions in the country always feature graduates of the Faculty, in addition to the various solo exhibitions held throughout the year.
Beside their commitment to artistic creation, graduates and academic staff of the Faculty are also involved in writing and art criticism and have produced major reference books. The Faculty itself has been publishing Inti, the pioneering journal in art and design education, since 1979 and started publishing the International Journal of Art and Design in 2001 through the Liberal Studies Department. The Faculty has also published the international journal AIM in cooperation with Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) of Indonesia and Curtin University of Australia. In the context of art education, apart from qualified art teachers in Malaysian schools, almost all of the foremost art and design educators in public and private institutes of higher learning are FSSR graduates.
The contribution and dedication of FSSR to the development of art and design in the country is evident. Armed with success and relying on carefully planned strategies and an ever-upgraded infrastructure, this Faculty of experts keeps on growing to realize the aspiration of becoming a world-class reference centre for Asian and International art. In this context, FSSR strives hand in hand with the rest of the University to achieve the vision of establishing UiTM as a world-class university.
Beside their commitment to artistic creation, graduates and academic staff of the Faculty are also involved in writing and art criticism and have produced major reference books. The Faculty itself has been publishing Inti, the pioneering journal in art and design education, since 1979 and started publishing the International Journal of Art and Design in 2001 through the Liberal Studies Department. The Faculty has also published the international journal AIM in cooperation with Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) of Indonesia and Curtin University of Australia. In the context of art education, apart from qualified art teachers in Malaysian schools, almost all of the foremost art and design educators in public and private institutes of higher learning are FSSR graduates.
The contribution and dedication of FSSR to the development of art and design in the country is evident. Armed with success and relying on carefully planned strategies and an ever-upgraded infrastructure, this Faculty of experts keeps on growing to realize the aspiration of becoming a world-class reference centre for Asian and International art. In this context, FSSR strives hand in hand with the rest of the University to achieve the vision of establishing UiTM as a world-class university.
No comments:
Post a Comment