Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology’s recent victory at the Animex Student Animation Awards is the biggest so far by a university, and speaks volumes of the quality of training the four victorious students must have received.

The success of Quaik Choon Seng, Gan Sze Ching, Lim Kin Kwan and Dennis Wong was announced by Teesside University International Officer, Heidi Cummins when she visited the Limkokwing campus in Cyberjaya. Teesside is the organiser of the awards, part of the Animex International Festival of Animation that creates a platform for industry and academia to share knowledge and skills and promote the art of animation.

Cummins presented the students with their awards. In the Animation Stills category, Quaik won first prize for A Sleep in the Wild, while Gan and Lim were both runners up – for Abandoned House and Dragon Slayer respectively.

Wong’s victory in the 3D Computer Animation for Games Award category was for his work, Apocolyptic. It is his second Animex victory, having won in the same category for his project Land of Promise last year.

Michael Choong, programme leader of the Advanced Diploma of Multimedia School, is understandably happy with the victory, saying it reflects that the university college is on the right track.

The uniqueness of Limkokwing’s multimedia programmes lies in the fact that students get to pursue their projects individually as opposed to working in a team, he said. “The victory points to the quality of these students’ training. Each entry was an individual project, made possible by the training that emphasizes independent work. It’s like a one-man machine able to see things to completion, from A to Z. As a result, the student gets to learn to be effective in every area.”

Choong believes there is no question of whether these students are able to work in a team later on – a belief shared by the four students. “Obviously, you have to work in a team later on when you join the workforce, and I believe having been trained to wear many hats works to their advantage. They are versatile and can easily adapt.”

Ability to work independently appealing

In echoing Choong’s thoughts, Quaik said employers would find the student’s ability to work independently appealing. “When you attend an interview, it comes across as a strength the fact that your portfolio contains works done completely by you. On the other hand, if you present a project done by a team, the person would question your contribution towards it – in terms of level of involvement and knowledge.”

Quaik, who spent six months to complete his project, said he derived inspiration for it from a documentary on nature. “The documentary was on yaks, which I think are graceful creatures. My project focused on a little yak going through a journey of self-discovery. The message is simple – the best thing a parent can give their child is to allow them to discover life on their own.”

Quaik said the victory was a pleasant surprise, and that he was grateful for the support given by his parents and Choong (his lecturer).

Gan, in explaining his project that focuses on filial piety, said, “Abandoned House is essentially about building relationships. It tells the story of a grandfather who practices strict discipline with a boy, all in the name of love.”

He said he would have given up halfway through the project if not for his friends and lecturers. “My lecturers, Michael Choong, K.H. Tan and Kerry Khoo were always there, providing support and making sure I remain focused.”

As for Lim’s Dragon Slayer, it is a fairy tale focusing on a warrior’s quest to save a princess from a dragon. Winner of Limkokwing’s President’s Gold Award and Young Achievers Award 2004, Lim said the international environment at Limkokwing was beneficial to his training.

“I made friends with students from many different countries and it’s good because there’s always healthy exchange in terms of ideas. It’s a stimulating environment.”

Helping the country promote innovation

Commenting further on the victory, lecturer Choong said, “We hope to play a bigger role in creating content for Malaysia in line with the goals of the MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor). We look at creativity and innovation in relation to how we design information for the mass audience in light of K-economy. Raw information cannot be digested just like that; it has to be designed effectively.”

Wong, the second-time Animex winner, is similarly encouraged by Limkokwing’s efforts in driving the multimedia field through innovative concepts. “It’s encouraging how the university college is helping the country promote creativity and innovation,” he said, adding that he is confident the unique concept of industry within university that introduces business units on campus will help produce graduates with that extra edge.