University of Malaya (UM) hosted its first ever Asian University Alliance (AUA) activity – the AUA-UM Tropical Camp from 5 – 12 August 2018 in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 19 participants from 10 AUA member universities – Chulalongkorn University; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay; Nazarbayev University; Seoul National University; The University of Tokyo; Tsinghua University; Universitas Indonesia; University of Yangon; and University of Malaya participated in the program, designed to promote better understanding about Malaysia, including its biodiversity, environment, and heritage.
After a briefing about the AUA-UM Tropical Camp on the first day, participants were introduced to Malaysia, University of Malaya, and the Malay language, setting the stage for the rest of the program. They then visited several cultural sites in Kuala Lumpur, namely the Federal Territory Mosque, Batu Caves, and Thean Hou Temple, which showcased multiethnic society, heritage and culture in Malaysia, as well as Central Market, and KLCC.
Throughout the week-long program, participants explored different locations, namely the UM Field Study Centre in Ulu Gombak,Rimba Ilmu(the Forest of Knowledge) - a tropical rainforest located in the UM campus, and Sungai Pisang, where they set up camp for 3 nights. Outdoor activities were the highlight of this program where participants used Malaysia’s natural environment as a classroom. Participants were able to deepen their knowledge on Malaysian biodiversity through activities such as stream sampling, frogging, setting up pitfall traps and ecological plotting, besides adventurous activities such as jungle trekking, abseiling, flying fox, and an archery war game.
During the camp, participants also engaged with the local indigenous community where they learned about the art of blow piping and traditional crafts. The program came to a close with a final presentation by participants on the knowledge they had gained through the camp, as well as sharing their experiences and takeaways from the AUA-UM Tropical Camp.
Besides fulfilling its aims of promoting better understanding of Malaysian culture and heritage, expanding participants’ knowledge on Malaysian biodiversity, encouraging a healthy lifestyle through various sports activities and teaching them survival skills in the jungle, this event also stimulated multi-cultural exchanges between the participants, nurturing friendships and communication across borders.
