Student Mobility Programmes enrich students’ learning experience by exposing them to the economic, political, cultural, educational, and ecological aspects of other countries. The program allows them to build a global mindset that will help them advance in their careers and succeed in any kind of environment.
Global Education & Experience (GEE) successfully conducted a Biodiversity EcoAqua Summer School program from the 2nd to 5th of June 2022 in Terengganu. This program, in collaborate with International Buddies from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) aim to expose the beauty of sea life in Terengganu and introduce Malay cultures through various activities.
This program was proposed by Manager of Student Inbound Mobility, Madam Zetty Raihan binti Hj Mohd Yassin, and was approved by Prof Madya Dr. Mohd Ariffin bin Abu Hassan. Around 41 participants joined the whole trip of the program.
On 2nd June, all participants gathered at UTM International at 10.00 pm to hear the briefing and depart from Johor Bahru. The trip took over 10 hours to Terengganu and upon arriving, all of us settled down at Am Transit Inn. The participants had breakfast and an ice-breaking session prepared by International Buddies UMT.
Various activities such as Kahoot games and charades were held during this session as the students and staff needed to cooperate and create bonds. After that, all of the participants checked in and prepared to go Terengganu City
We went to the main tourist attraction known as Crystal Mosque and Terengganu Drawbridge. The participants learned that the mosque is fully made of steel, glass, and crystal. The mosque is located at the Islamic Heritage Park on the island of Wan Man. The bridge is the fourth bridge in the Kuala Terengganu City area that straddles the river after Sultan Mahmud Bridge, Manir Bridge, and Pulau Sekati Bridge.
On the third day, the itinerary was fully aimed at Redang Island, known as a magnificentunderwater environment and captivating scenery. From the hotel, we straight away go to Jeti Merang as the boats were already waiting. There were 3 boats prepared for the attendees and it took an hour to reach the island.
A briefing took place at Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU), and the supervisor exposed the knowledge about the turtle. The participants had a chance to see real-life experiences of baby turtles hatching at the station. SEATRU was under the supervision of UMT itself and the university took care of the turtles and which are endangered animals in Malaysia.
Then, the participants went snorkeling, the most awaited activity, at a few places such as Batu Kokang Cave, Long Beach (Baby Shark), and Nemo Point. We had lunch at Marin Park Redang and spent our remaining time by playing at the beach. At 5 p.m., the participants went back to the land to recover their energy back.
On the last day, we went to Lambong Sari, a place famous for its Terengganu traditional culture and arts. It is also an interactive center and provides a space for batik weaving, applying, and dyeing activities. The participants participated in each activity and learned how to make traditional kuih and tepung bunga, and had taste tests.
After lunch, the participants went straight to Pasar Payang in the city. The place is famous for batik clothing, keropok lekor, and souvenirs. After a while, we departed back to Johor Bahru at 4.30 p.m. and reached UTM International in the early morning.
Biodiversity EcoAqua Summer School (BESS) was indeed a success. We received positive feedback from the participants and the majority of them were grateful to have had this experience.