wHEN a nation is keen on growing and moving forward towards achieving a sustainable environment for all, economic and environmental challenges will most definitely be faced.
Education is a key way that one can equip oneself to continually stay afloat.
Students can be found all over the world indifferent age groups. The choice of educating these individuals sufficiently can either make it or break it for the future of any given nation.
Right here in Malaysia, a massive student community has formed due to the huge demand created by youth members, originating from Kuala Lumpur.
The need for a well-equipped educational establishment has resulted in the creation of UCSI University Kuala Lumpur Campus, nestled upon a 20-acre land mass in the heart of Taman Connaught, Cheras.
Formation of UCSI
University College Sedaya International (UCSI), was conceived from humble beginnings and was popularly referred to as Sedaya College before it was granted a university status in the year 2003.
Sedaya College was set up in the year 1986 as the Canadian Institute of Computer Studies. It received college status in 1990 and international status a decade after.
Sedaya College spent its teething years in Petaling Jaya, and it later moved to Taman Segar, Cheras. Now UCSI is at its crowning glory having commenced operations in 2003 in Taman Connaught, Cheras.
The location in which UCSI proudly stands today was built to cater to the growing student population, and was chosen due to its proximity to Kuala Lumpur as several students were commuting from there at that time.
UCSI is located near the Cheras Central Business District (CBD) and the Bandar Tasik Selatan integrated transportation terminal. The existing location is also ideal for future campus expansion.
The university is dubbed an education hub in Cheras as it is able to accommodate up to 15,000 students with its current impressive list of facilities.
Creating a Youth Lifestyle
Aside from basic academic facilities such as labs, auditoriums, lecture halls, recital halls, ballrooms, book stores, cafeterias, fashion design hubs, residential halls and a library, UCSI also provides an array of sports facilities for students to consistently keep fit, while realising ones potential.
Some of the active lifestyle offerings provided include a gym, futsal court, basketball courts, squash courts, dodge ball courts and a swimming pool.
Besides that, the Student Affairs and Alumni Division through the Students Activities and Recreation provides the youth members of UCSI with dynamic experiences at the campus by offering an eclectic range of clubs, co-curricular activities and sports. Some examples of recent activities include forums on mental health, mini marathons and motivational talks.
In line with efforts of making the campus more youth friendly, the campus has also forged its very own Youth Beyond Boundaries (YBB) fraternity led by students that turn game-changing ideas into consequential outcomes.
The purpose of its establishment is to empower scholars with holistic leadership development that addresses various issues related to youth and development, environment, community and entrepreneurship.
YBB since its formation in 2015 has addressed 13 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through various community efforts.
This university also places emphasis on giving back to the community through its students that lead multiple initiatives on and off campus.
Some of these efforts include educating underprivileged children, empowering the refugee community and championing the United Nation’s Sustainable Goals (UNSDG’s).
The university has been recognised globally for these efforts and three of its alumni have made the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list for social entrepreneurship.
Campus Expansion
Along with the thriving of Cheras, UCSI has also experienced significant growth. The increase in student numbers as well as the introduction of new programmes has led to the demand for more facilities over the years.
Back in September 2003 the university only took up 14 acres of land and today it has acquired a total of 20 acres to accommodate new blocks for class rooms, labs, eateries and offices. The growth of the student body in UCSI required a campus expansion and two new high rise academic blocks to be built, improving the university’s operational capacity by more than 1mil sq ft.
With the recent construction of Block E and Block G within the University’s compound earlier this year, it is estimated that both blocks would be able to house an additional of 2,000 staff and students.
UCSI has also made upgrades to its parking facilities, eateries and other on campus amenities, with another phase of the campus expansion expected to soon commence.
These enhancement taking place within UCSI promises that bigger plans are in place for the Cheras locale.
Property Catalyst
UCSI is clearly a catalyst with regards to a boom in property offerings and development within Cheras, as property prices and rental rates within this suburb have shown a positive correlation with the establishment and expansion of the University.
This was clearly noticed predominantly from the year 2003 onward, after UCSI University and UCSI College relocated to their current campuses situated in Taman Connaught and Taman Taynton View respectively.
The relocation created an influx of students, while those hailing from other Malaysian states sought to find lodging options close to the university.
One popular development within walking distance to the university is Altitude 236 by IJM Land Bhd. The leasehold property completed in 2014 encases 236 condo units sized between 1,389sq ft and 1,808sq ft. Altitude 236 sold from RM915,000 when it was first launched.
Additionally the campuses existence in the area has also led to an increase in commercial activity surrounding the campus, most notably at Taman Connaught.
Ikon Mall was constructed to attract the student crowd and as a result, more upmarket shops now call the vicinity home.
The recent construction of the Taman Connaught and Taman Mutiara Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations also highlight the importance of Cheras as an education hub.
Connectivity Options
UCSI offers a free shuttle service that operates between 6.40am and 8.20pm on weekdays, and 7.20am to 1.20pm on Saturday, from the South Wing (UCSI University KL) of the campus.
The shuttle service route plies between the South Wing and North Wing (UCSI College) and to the Bandar Tasik Selatan transport hub.
The campus can be accessed via a number of popular highways which include the Salak Highway, Middle Ring-Road 2 (MRR2) and the Federal Highway.