Geography Field Camp to Penang & Ipoh, Malaysia (21-26 May 2019)
3 Jun 2019
The 2018-19 Field Camp for Year 3 geography students took place 21 to 26 May in Ipoh and Penang, Malaysia. The trip, led by Dr. Barber, assisted by Mr. Johnson Yeung, and accompanied by Miss Joanne Leung, Dr. Chun and Dr. Hao, featured visits to a wide range of field sites providing valuable opportunities to learn outside the classroom. We were very fortunate to be hosted by the Geography Section at Universiti of Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang where we took in seminars about water issues and transport planning by Prof. Chan and Dr. Sharifah. Our students then partnered with USM students to explore the campus museum and experience a Malaysian-style campus lunch. In the afternoon a local filmmaker and a research officer from an NGO shared their important work with us. We are eager to build on our partnership with USM and thank Dr. Asyirah for facilitating the visit. Other highlights of the trip included a visit to Gua Tempurung cave, where many students experienced a challenging route featuring narrow sections along an underground river, while others opted for a dry route through cavernous spaces populated by bats. Also near Ipoh we visited a tin dredge where we learned about the history of the resource industries in the area. In Penang we explored issues of heritage conservation, tourism and gentrification, and the local Chinese community on a fascinating walking tour. A visit to a Wonder Wilderfarm generated thought-provoking comparisons and insights on sustainable agriculture and grassroots entrepreneurship. We also visited Penang National Park where we learned about local ecology on a hike to an isolated beach where we had a BBQ lunch. An overnight stop in Ipoh provided additional time for student field work and a final chance to taste Malaysian delicacies before our flight home from Kuala Lumpur.
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