KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has undertaken a special initiative aimed at promoting and creating excitement among the young people about mathematics, science and technology education.

This, said vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang, was aimed at enhancing students’ interest as well as served as motivation for them.
He added that in line with rising competition worldwide, there was a need to expose students in schools as well as institutions of higher learning to innovative and creative ways of learning.
“UTM will collaborate with MIT (Massachusetts Institute Of Technology) under an educational project aimed at high school classes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“The implementation of this programme will give a boost to the status of UTM as being one of the top global universities”.
Zaini said this at the launch of the programme yesterday.
The programme, called Blossoms (Blended Learning Open Source Science or Math Studies), shows connectivity of science and mathematics, and developing consciousness, understanding and appreciation for other culture.
The Blossoms videos are free and available worldwide. The videos are produced in three- to four-minute sections.
There will be also a cut scene where a teaching baton is passed to the in-class teacher, signifying that both the teachers and students will solve the problem together.
With this project, Malaysia, through UTM, will join other Blossoms countries, such as Jordan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Brazil.

Source: NST 9 Jan. 2013