JOHOR BAHRU, 17 September – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has taken a step forward in the field of equestrian sports when it became the first local public higher institution to offer Bachelor of Science in Equine Management.
The first announcement of the program was made in June 2013 and the first cohort of student intake commenced in the 2014/2015 academic session, placed under the Faculty of Biosciences and Medical Engineering (FBME).
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) of UTM, Prof. Dr. Azlan Abdul Rahman at a press conference held at the university’s Equine Centre said about 27 students have enrolled in the 2014/2015 academic session that began in August 2014.
“The Bachelor of Science of Equine Management programme at UTM, consists of 126 credit hours of core subjects and 20 credit hours of elective subjects.”
“The core subjects include courses on horse riding, health care and diseases, equine performance and nutrition, while the electives consist of courses on farm and stable management, equine business management and event and competition management,” he said.
This programme will be conducted by experts from the Sports Innovation and Technology Centre (SITC), FBME using facilities available at the UTM Equine Centre.
Also present at the press conference session were FBME Dean, Prof. Dr. Jasmy Yunus and the Director of SITC, Prof. Dr. Abdul Hafidz Hj Omar.
Throughout the entire period of the programme, the equine students will be given full access to all facilities available at the UTM Equine Centre including 17 horses, 2 main arenas, riding equipment, grooming kits and other necessary equipment.
“Students will be given hands-on experience throughout the programme, implemented through daily practical sessions conducted at the stables.”
“Students will also visit local equine centers to expose them to the equestrian industry. In the third year of study, they will be given the opportunity to undergo practical training, “he said.
According to Prof. Azlan, UTM also has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with several renowned overseas institutions used as benchmarks by UTM, such as Hartpury College, England and Northern Melbourne Institute of Technology (NMIT), Australia. These institutions will also be UTM partners in collaboration activities such as twinning programmes and study tours.
Commenting on the career prospect, Prof. Azlan said the programme will be able to meet the demand of a growing equine industry in Malaysia.
“This programme also highlights aspects of management and entrepreneurship as an added value to the students, thus helping to enhance students’ employability and career opportunity ,” he said.
