Involving Children and Young People in Research: What Needs to be Considered and Why?

by webmaster FAB | Nov 2, 2010 | event, News, Uncategorized

Dr Kate Bishop
Date: Friday, 10th December 2010
Time : 3.00 -5.00 pm
Venue: Seminar Room, Faculty of Built Environment

Participatory research with children and young people has increased dramatically in the last 15-20 years.  Previously, children’s research largely consisted of research on children rather than with them as is common today. This change reflected a new respect for, and understanding of, childhood as a distinct social period in its own right and not simply a step along the way to adulthood. Researchers became interested in understanding this period of life from children’s perspectives, recognising that they themselves would always be outsiders as adults.

This new approach to researching children’s experience, now well established in social science research, brings with it remarkable methodological, ethical and practical challenges. These challenges need to be negotiated with understanding to ensure the experience of research is a positive one for children and young people and that the research results are robust, rigorous and credible.

The lecturer will draw on her experience of participatory research, identifying some of the challenges, their implications and possible solutions, using recent research projects to illustrate the discussion. The aim of this lecture is to be thought provoking and promote further discussion around the issues raised as there are always a number of solutions to any challenge in research.

This lecture would be of interest to anyone who is thinking of carrying out a participatory research project with children and young people and those who are more experienced.

Lectures by Professor Kim Sung Kyun

by webmaster FAB | Oct 23, 2010 | event, News, Uncategorized

Prof Kim from Department of Landscape Architecture and Rural Systems Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, is a visiting professor to Faculty of Built Environment. From 30th October to 13th November 2010, he will be visiting Department of Landscape Architecture to deliver lectures and to attend a viva-voce for a PhD candidate. The title of the PhD candidate thesis is Effects of Experiential Contacts with Green Infrastructure on Wellbeing of Residents in a Small Town. The supervisor of the candidate is Dr Ismail Said.

The topics and date of his lectures are as follows:

• 1st November 2010 Monday: Siheung Tidal Channel Ecological Park Project
• 3rd November 2010: A Sustainable Landscape Design for a High Rise Residential
  (Remian Apartment) Complex in Seoul, Korea
• 8th November 2010: Han River Waterfront Landscape Management Project

All lectures will be held in Seminar Room Block B05 Faculty of Built Environment from 9 am to 11am. All academics and undergraduate and postgraduate students are invited to attend the lectures.

Iftar Ramadan 2010

by webmaster FAB | Aug 24, 2010 | event, News, Uncategorized

In conjunction with the celebration of the holy month, Ramadan, on 13th August 2010, the Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, UTM held its 2010 Iftar, successfully organized in collaboration with EARTH society.  The Iftar was held to also inculcate the spirit of togetherness among the students and the landscape staff within the department and landscape community. The event started at 6.45 pm whereby all guests were gathered at Block B11 Gallery Hall. While waiting to break fast, Associate Professor Dr. Mohd Zin bin Kandar delivered a short ‘tazkirah’ regarding  “Fasting and Ramadan”.
The Break Fast was initiated at 7.19 pm when all guests were served dates and ‘bubur lambuk’ (porridge) before the main course which is the awaited dish, Mak Jah’s Nasi Briyani, from Kempas. All students and Iftar’s Committee members worked hand in hand in making this event successful. The brisk but interesting event provided an insight regarding Malaysian culture and Muslim events for the international students. The delicious food and the events went smoothly as planned. After the break fast event came to an end, the men performed the Magrib’s prayer and the event ended at 8.30 pm.

5th ESCAPE 2010

by webmaster FAB | Aug 24, 2010 | event, News, Uncategorized

Venue:  Teluk Gorek, Penyabong, Johor Darul Takzim
Date: 29-31 July 2010
Theme: Indigenous

On 29-31 July 2010, the Department of Landscape Architecture from Faculty of Built Environment UTM with the cooperation of EARTH society hosted the 5th ESCAPE 2010 at Teluk Gorek, Endau, Johor Darul Takzim. All first year students and the seniors from second until final year  participated in the 3 days 2 nights event.

The Head of Landscape Department, Associate Professor Dr. Ismail Said, launched the opening ceremony with a brief and interesting introduction especially for the first year students.  The activities held on the first day were “Ice Breaking” whereby the first year students were required to introduce themselves and they were given a warm welcome by the whole department.  On the second day, “Aerobic” as well as ‘pocho-pocho’ dances invigorated the morning session and the other activities held there after were “Heartscape” and “Naturescape” whereby all the participating teams working spirit and creativities were put to test. Fun and laughter filled the air when the students were required to present their artworks in a showcase. After the delightful lunch (white rice + salted fish + variety of ulams) the heart stomping event of ” Explorescape” was launched. Lecturers and students had to race against time in completing one task performing station upon another meaning exploring the whole bay. The events ended when team number nine declared their victory. “Sportscape” was cancelled due to the utter exhaustion but was replaced by a more awaited and refreshing activity, that was, swimming in the sea.

The night event was interesting when two senior students who did their industrial training in Shanghai happily shared their overseas experience with the rest of the department. The highlight of the night was “ Culturescape” when  again every group was  tested on their  ability to work creatively in coming  out with a performance within a short time given.  The lecturers did not disappoint the students when their representative,   Associate Professor Dr. Mohd Sarofil Abu Bakar performed a singing duet that night with an international student, Pan Mae Bao. Later, the lecturers staged a short entertaining drama portraying “Kasim Selamat”.  The activities continued through the night even after midnight. The barbeque session was late and the lecturers were worn out with the day’s events.  The students were left to enjoy the rest of the night.
No “Aerobics” was performed the final morning because all students were worn out from staying up late for the barbeque. The final day ended with the students’ questions and answers session, prize giving and closing ceremony. Quick clean-up chores were done around the site before a photo session took place by the beach. Due to a technical error the students and lecturers departed almost two hours late from the event venue and reached UTM at 6.00pm. In all, ESCAPE 2010 was successful and very memorable as the students had fun while gaining knowledge in this event.