Advanced Networking Workshop Gives A Taste Of New Master's To Come From Sunway

Sunway University College recently held a 4-Day intensive master’s level workshop in Advanced Networking conducted by Dr Chris Edwards, a lecturer from Lancaster University’s Computing Department. Dr Edwards teaches and researches in the field of telecommunications, networking and operating systems and has been with Lancaster since 2001. Dr Edwards was joined by his Lancaster University colleague, Dr Nicholas Race who was one of the facilitators.

This workshop is part of the ongoing collaboration between the School of Computer Technology at Sunway University College and the Computing Department at Lancaster University aimed at strengthening undergraduate and graduate level courses at Sunway. One of the first fruits of this collaboration is a Master's in Network and Mobile Systems which is slated to be launched in early 2009 pending approval from the Ministry of Higher Education and accreditation from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). The Master’s is a two-year part-time programme aimed at IT professionals in the industry.

The Advanced Networking Workshop will be one of the 6 modules in the Master's. Some of the other modules are in the area of fixed and mobile communications, mobile computing and ubiquitous computing. “The Advanced Networking workshop looks at practical perspectives such as actual computer networks in the UK and Europe and how they may evolve in future” said Dr Edwards.

Professor Rodger Lea, a visiting research fellow from Lancaster University, who has been attached to Sunway since January 2008, is assisting Sunway to build on its research and post-graduate programmes at the School of Computer Technology. Prof Lea has been the consultant and initiator of this new Master's programme which will combine lectures, coursework and a mini thesis. Students of the Master's will be jointly supervised by academics from Lancaster and Sunway and is an example of academics from the two institutions working closely together.

Lancaster’s Computing Department has an international reputation for systems research, was given a 5* rating in the last UK Government research assessment exercise and is currently ranked 7th in the UK for Computing research.