The Limkokwing University of Creative Technology is looking to a future where its students will check timetables, access assignments, and experience mobile learning on the iPhone 3GS.

This follows a new partnership between Limkokwing and Maxis which will see the integration of the iPhone into the university curriculum to grow mobile learning at tertiary level.

“With the growth in uptake of advanced mobile devices and data services - the way we exchange and connect is being rapidly transformed,” said Maxis vice-president Mohamed Fitri Abdullah who is its enterprise and carrier business division head.

“Our alliance with Limkokwing will give tertiary level students greater participation within this expanding borderless landscape,” he said, adding that Maxis was pleased to be a pioneer in the use of the iPhone 3GS for the creation of knowledge and youth opportunity.

Under the partnership agreement, Maxis will provide special pre-paid and post-paid packages for Limkokwing students and teachers, who will also benefit from free calls to each other.

“Current students will be able to purchase the phones at a heavily discounted price of RM990 instead of the market rate of RM2,490 for a 16GB iPhone 3GS,” said Maxis account manager Nicholas Chua, adding that there are plans for the university to distribute iPhone to all new students, the cost of which would be absorbed by school fees.

“From its inception, our university has looked towards being a ‘global university’ with local strengths, and to having a ‘global classroom’ , so this partnership enables us to further connect students to their wider community,” said Limkokwing founder Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Lim Kok Wing.

“With the iPhone 3GS Maxis has shown itself committed to expanding the range of the device’s applications, to be a medium of communications, commerce, entertainment, and also a tool of education.”

“What our students will gain from this partnership, they will contribute in return, in the form of mobile content development for the expanding capabilities of mobile device,” said Lim added.

Indeed, projects on developing iPhone specific applications would be included in the syllabus for both its technology and arts students.

“Project will bring together students from the games design, games technology and games art courses to make up a development team, similar to what happens in the real world where teams from different specialist areas combine to work on projects,” said Pan Jan Lik, a lecturer and one of the pioneers the Faculty of Multimedia Creativity’s Games Department.

Meanwhile, Limkokwing international development vice-president Datuk Dr Jayles Yeoh said about 40% of the university’s students are in the areas of creative studies and need to download files quickly.

Beginning next month, Limkokwing’s courses of at least one year in duration will incorporate the iPhone 3GS with its powerful connective capabilities and its platform for limitless applications.

“Anywhere I go, if i see a design I can just snap it on my phone and email it to my lecturer and discuss what I think,” said professional design course student Aigerim Sakiera, 20, from Kyrgyzstan.