KDU Design School

I've held up this posting for quite some time now. The major reason is I was waiting for miracle to happen. And if the management did the right thing, then there is no need for this posting anymore. Unfortunately, the contrary appears to be the case. However, I'm not going to elaborate on what went wrong in this posting, rather I would like to highlight some of the things that we did right in the past.

Name of School
There were many names being proposed for our department, first we were parked under CPAC together with Mass Comm Department, then we went our separate way and was called Instituto di Design (a name that was proposed by PJ people which I didn't quite agree). The Italian name was inappropriate because we are a Malaysian art school and should project the asian image. At one time I was proposing George Town School of Design. This was the time when George Town was not yet being enlisted as World Heritage Site. I knew that the name will have big impact in the future anticipating the approval from UNESCO. However for whatever reason, the top management in particular Dr. Chia just kept silent about the proposal as if nothing has ever mentioned (by the way she was the one who suggested that our school needed a new name). In the end, I just liked to call it Design Department and it appeared under my name whenever I sent out emails to coworkers or university partners.

4th Floor
But this posting is not about the school's name either. What I want to mention here are some of the spirit that most of us possessed in the past that have made this young school a force to be reckoned with in the education industry. This takes me back to November 2005 when I first stepped into KDU for an interview. I was interviewed by Dr. Tan Toh Wah and Mark Stephen Felix. I was then taken to a tour at 4th Floor - the site of the future design school. I have to clarify that the department already exist at that time, just that it was still attached with Mass Comm and was located on the 2nd Floor.

When we went up there, I saw a relatively empty floor with long corridor. It was strange that I was not dissapointed with what I witnessed. In fact, I was actually happy to see the place. The empty space told me the potential of the school. If we are to make a difference in art education, it has to be here and nowhere else throughout Penang. Another thing that attracted me was Dr. Tan's vision of turning the school into the 'Cultural Center of Penang', and I thought to myself - what a noble and holistic idea! I decided instantly that I would quit my job as an architect and hop into KDU as a full time academic.

My Objectives
A lot of people couldn't understand my decision then but I was very sure what I was doing. At that time I was frustrated with the development of the architectural industry in Penang. People were concerned more on costing above anything else. The key persons in the profession only interested in enriching their pockets in the expense of design excellence. Architecture in Penang became merely duplications of design from elsewhere, KL in particular. I realised that I was surrounded in a very commercially driven environment and I was the minority in the group. I couldn't possibly change the profession alone. I need to duplicate more people with commitment in design and teaching is the best way to do it! I believe some of the lecturers also have the same ambitions like me, we all want to educate our students hoping that they would one day become a trend setter in the industry, not just a follower. I don't know how successful I am in realising my dream but I am contented to know that people like Jerry, Eilis, Kai Shyuan and Yi-Wen will be an example of a new breed of designers in Penang. Yes, I believe they will be the trend setters!

My Memorable Moment
The thing that I missed most of KDU was during students' presentation (or 'Crit' Session) with the panel of fellow lecturers. I liked the interaction between the students and lecturers although I have always hope for a more heated debate. Sometimes the students took it personally but I'm sure that one day they will realise how important those sessions are to their career when they have to confront a real life client to sell their ideas.
The Team
I know I have said this many times but allow me to say it again here: I really had a wonderful team in KDU. Wonderful in the sense that we all share the same vision and commitment. We all want to grow the school to become the premier art school in the Northern Region and we want our students to succeed. Tribute goes to Ellison, Shirley, Maizul, Stella and Jenny. It took 3 years to gather all of us together into this 'family'. The word 'family' was first used by Maizul and I was touched to realise that he treats us as his family.
Future of the School
The prospect of the school depends largely on the new Academic Department Head that is going to take over. If he shares the same vision like all of us do, then the school will continue to prosper and excel. The road ahead will be tough but I'm not a fortune teller either. I don't know how it will turn out, or maybe I do know but I'm not going to reveal the picture in my crystal ball here. All I can say is that we did had magic moments together as a team before and we actually had achieved our vision with all the winnings in major competition and so on. More importantly, we have inspired a handful of young people to become true designers. Let us feel contented and grateful that we were given the opportunity to make a difference!