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XMUM 10th Anniversary Special Feature | Everything Starts with A Dream
Living in a small town in southern Russia, surrounded by high mountains, I used to imagine what life was like out there, beyond those peaks. Back then, of course, these thoughts felt like something out of reach, and my parents’ encouraging words seemed merely indulgent. But deep down, I kept believing it would all happen—that a city I had only seen in photos was waiting for me. I had no idea what city it was, but that it was waiting was as clear as a bright, sunny day.Whenever people ask how I ended up in Malaysia, my answer is always simple and concise: by accident. It is fascinating and intriguing to watch people’s faces when they hear that. “You ended up in a country eight thousand kilometres away by chance?” Of course, I could use other words—fate, destiny, or even better, coincidence. But I prefer “chance”. There is something mysterious about that word.What was this “chance”? Nothing supernatural was happening during the spring break of my graduation year. But one evening, my mum called me and said there was a meeting in a neighbouring town where they would be talking about studying abroad. When I asked where she found the information, she said she had just wandered across a news portal by accident. I remember her saying it would just be interesting to listen. So, we went.We returned on the train with the firm intention of trying to apply to Xiamen University Malaysia. Just to try. The documents were submitted, time passed, and it became clearer and clearer that the dream wasn’t so far away after all. And then, in the summer of ’24, I received a letter from the university saying I was enrolled. There was so much joy. But there was also the realisation that everything familiar to me would be left behind.I faced a choice that was only an illusion: to go or not to go. It was an illusion because I already knew the answer. I had to go. Sitting on the plane heading toward my new life, I didn’t realise what my choice and the exit from my comfort zone would bring me. I—a girl who used to be afraid to even order at a coffee shop—was travelling alone to the other side of the continent. But curiosity and ambition took over.Yes, it was very hard at first. Being far from family, without their immediate support, and the simple feeling that you are “not under your own sun” make you doubt your actions. In those moments, you must remind yourself that “everything passes, and this too shall pass,” repeating it like a mantra.But this is university. There are many people like you: students who miss their families and feel like fish out of water. And students like that gravitate toward each other. That is how the university gave me my wonderful friends. It all started with a message about an iron. My future friend wrote to a student group about buying an iron, and I decided to message her because I was terribly lonely. She replied, and we decided to meet. Then she introduced me to her mates.We have been close friends for almost a year and a half now. We’ve been through so much together: the joy of passing exams, each other’s successes, the sadness of goodbyes, the fear of the unknown, and trips together. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t attended this university.Then there are the travels. If someone had told my fourteen-year-old self that at eighteen, she would take her first solo trip to Singapore and fulfil a dream by flying to Bali with a friend, I would have laughed in their face. To this day, I am still amazed by everything my foundation year has brought me.It also helped me define my path. I am a very multifaceted person, which can be a problem because you can’t always figure out who you really are or what you represent. Having an interest in everything, you ask yourself: what do I actually want from life? What do I want to bring to this world? I always had this idea in my head that I needed to do something great to be remembered. Not fame, but glory. Applying for a science stream, then switching to business, eventually led me to journalism.I could write for a long time about what has happened to me over the past year at university, but one moment stands out. At first glance, it might seem ordinary, even a bit odd. People might not understand why this is my most vivid memory. One morning, I went out for a run while it was still dark and cool, and I had a moment of pure existential realisation.Running to my favourite song at the time, I felt it in every fibre of my soul: I am studying abroad, I am studying a subject that interests me, not what society expected of me; I am friends with people from different cultures; and I saw the ocean for the first time. My skin broke out in goosebumps and tears came to my eyes. There was something magical about that moment, that air, that morning.Closing this reflection, I want to say that yes, dreams do have the ability to come true, and luck can look your way. Every person should feel this at least once in their life. No matter what the world is like around you, you must never stop believing in miracles. Remember that “accidents are never accidental”.This is the end of my story, but not my journey, because there is more to come. I am still in love with cities I haven’t been to and people I haven’t met. But the beginning of the path has been laid, and I am glad it happened in Malaysia, at Xiamen University Malaysia.By Gamakharova Mariia2025/09Journalism
XMUM Alumnus Publishes in Scientific Reports
The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Feng Junzhe, an alumnus from Electrical and Electronics Engineering programme, Asst. Prof. Ts. Dr. Kang Chia Chao and team from the School of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and S.M.A.R.T. Nexus Centre of Excellence, on the publication of their recent research article in Scientific Reports, an SCIE Q1 journal with a latest impact factor of 4.9.Feng Junzhe is the first author of the article. Titled “Fine grained reranking via caption bridging for knowledge augmented visual question answering”, the research focuses on solving the granularity mismatch problem within Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) frameworks for knowledge-intensive reasoning. Driven by the limitations of traditional RAG systems where coarse-grained retrieval units (like entire passages or global images) fail to align with the highly specific reasoning requirements of generation tasks, there is a critical need for localized visual evidence. To overcome this, the researchers engineered a Fine-Grained Retrieval-Augmented Generation (FG-RAG) framework that enhances the standard Contrastive Language–Image Pre-training (CLIP) architecture with patch-level contrastive supervision, allowing for explicit alignment between localized image regions and their corresponding textual fragments. Furthermore, the team introduced a joint retrieval-reranking optimization mechanism that unifies a dense retriever with a large language model (LLM)-based reranker using a shared relevance loss and a novel Score Alignment Strategy. By creating bidirectional feedback between retrieval precision and generation quality, this research maps out how to significantly enhance factual grounding and contextual coherence, reducing hallucination rates by 15 percentage points compared to conventional RAG systems.The published full article can be accessed at DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-57349-wThis work is financially supported by Xiamen University Malaysia Research Fund (XMUMRF/2025-C15/IECE/0059).Asst. Prof. Ts. Dr. Kang Chia Chao research lies at the cutting edge of sustainability, focusing on renewable energy, 5G/6G wireless communication, healthcare for sustainable development. Dr. Kang is currently seeking highly motivated Master's students to join his dynamic research team. If you are eager to work on impactful, sustainable technologies, please contact him directly at chiachao.kang@xmu.edu.my.
Tan Ann Ngee: Bridging Worlds Through Languages
In this era of booming AI technologies, many have begun to question the value of language degrees. To explore this question, we sat down with Tan Ann Ngee, a 2026 English graduate from Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM), to hear how language has shaped the way she understands people, work, and the world.Growing up in Malaysia’s multilingual society, Ann Ngee came to see language as a living fabric woven through everyday life. For her, language has never been merely a subject, but a way of connecting with others. “I have loved reading since childhood. Although I attended a Chinese independent high school, I read more English books, so I decided to follow my heart and pursue what I was truly interested in.”At university, she was guided and supported by Dr. Al-Saggaf Mohammadali Abdellah and Dr. Achoui Sana. “Whenever I had any ideas, the lecturers would listen carefully and then give practical advice from students’ perspective. Sometimes my thoughts were quite imaginative, but they never criticised me. Instead, they offered great encouragement. That feeling was very reassuring.”One of her most memorable university experiences took place beyond the classroom. As part of a second-year poetry module, she and her friends went beyond the syllabus by waking before dawn to watch the sunrise on campus, hoping to experience the poet’s imagery firsthand.“It was the first time I had seen XMUM at 5 a.m. Although we couldn’t watch a full sunrise due to the weather, we took turns reciting our favourite poems, which gave the moment its own charm.”In February 2022, Ann Ngee took part in a short-term brochure translation project for a tyre factory. Through the project, she began to see translation as a form of bridge-building between people from different backgrounds. “If you translate jargon with 100% accuracy but bore the readers, the brochure itself becomes meaningless.”For her thesis, she compared English and German by examining common errors among XMUM students and observing the differences between language systems. For instance, although English and German share some similar pronunciations, their spelling and grammar differ significantly.“Of course, we can get by with satisfactory language skills, but if you are willing to explore the history, context, and culture behind a language, it offers another way of understanding the world.”Her curiosity about language later led her to speech therapy. Her interest began when she learned about speech disorders caused by head trauma in an introductory linguistics class. It eventually brought her to a speech therapy internship, during which she participated in more than 200 therapy sessions.She admitted that the experience helped her grow from a student who felt unfamiliar with clinical settings into an intern who could independently interact with children and complete simple treatment tasks.The fast-paced work environment and the need to translate knowledge into practice were two major challenges. What impressed her most, however, was the importance of emotional connection between therapists and patients. “My work looks like playing with children, but it is actually using games to train their communication skills. Every response has something worth observing.”She added, “Building a good relationship with them takes consistent effort over many therapy sessions, but when they make progress, you feel it is all worthwhile.”Ann Ngee observed that although awareness of speech therapy in Malaysia has improved in recent years, the therapist-patient ratio remains severely imbalanced. This motivated her to learn more actively about the field and later take additional courses such as Phonetics and Phonology.Ann Ngee embraces the idea of “work-life integration”, believing that work should be part of life rather than something entirely separates from it. “Rather than deliberately separating work and life, I think it is more important to let them complement each other. Since language appears everywhere in daily life, the new inspiration and insights that arise from it can also enrich work itself.”As for the large language models (LLM) currently dominating the market, she remains optimistic. “The real value of a language degree lies in judgment, expressiveness, and the human touch.”After graduation, Ann Ngee entered the aviation industry. “I don’t think I should stick to one possibility. That is why I remain open to new challenges.”In her view, what matters more is to explore different industries and discover her true direction through real-life practice.
Public Space Operation Time During Semester Break (Degree)
Public Study Room Image *Public Study spaces are open for all XMUM students while no prior booking is required. LibrarySemester Break: 1 Aug – 24 Sept 2026Operating Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Monday – Friday)Closed: Weekends & Public HolidaysCanteen Image
R/V Tan Kah Kee Port Klang Open Day
Image Xiamen University's prestigious research vessel, the R/V Tan Kah Kee, will be docking at Port Klang Cruise Terminal (PKCT) this August.This is a unique opportunity to explore a state-of-the-art oceanographic research vessel, and we warmly invite everyone to join our FREE guided tours.Registration InformationFor participants who wish to take the complimentary bus between XMUM and PKCT, please sign in using your XMUM staff/student ID when making your reservation.Bus transportation is available only for the following two sessions (limited seats):16 August, 10:00 AM16 August, 2:00 PM17 August, 10:00 AM17 August, 2:00 PMIf you plan to drive to PKCT on your own or wish to join any other available tour session, please register using your personal email address and select PUBLIC during registration.Registration Link: https://events.xmu.edu.my/tkkrv/port-klang/Registration deadline: 13th August 2026, 12 PM About the R/V Tan Kah KeeThe R/V Tan Kah Kee is a global-class, 3,600-ton oceanographic research vessel equipped with cutting-edge marine science exploration technology. Known as the "Marine Campus of Xiamen University," it supports real-time observations and on-site scientific research across multiple disciplines, including hydrology, chemistry, biology, geology, geophysics, and atmospheric science.Spaces are limited, so register early to secure your preferred session.
The 22nd Cross-Strait “University Campus” Academic Symposium
研讨会简介About the Symposium海峡两岸“大学的校园”学术研讨会于 2001 年 12 月 6 日由北京大学发展规划部联合台湾沈祖海建筑文教基金会首次举办,旨在庆贺侯仁之院士九十华诞并开启两岸学术对话。二十余年来,研讨会秉持“校园承载大学精神、空间映照教育理念”的核心宗旨,围绕大学校园规划、建筑设计、文化传承、教育空间、人文精神与城市发展等议题展开深入讨论,逐步发展成为两岸大学校园研究领域最具影响力与持续性的学术平台之一。历届研讨会先后由北京大学、厦门大学、湖南大学、西安建筑科技大学、深圳大学、天津大学、沈阳建筑大学等高校承办,汇聚了海峡两岸建筑学、城市规划、教育学、文化研究及校园管理等领域的专家学者。会议不仅关注大学校园的物质空间与规划设计,更强调大学精神、文化积累、社会责任与区域协同发展的深层价值,持续回应全球化、数字化、生态转型与城市更新背景下大学校园所面临的新挑战与新机遇。2026年海峡两岸“大学的校园”学术研讨会将于2026年11月在厦门大学马来西亚分校举办,由分校图书馆承办。本届会议以“跨文化・数字化・新演进:大学校园的传承,发展与创新”为主题,结合跨境高等教育发展与数字时代校园转型的全球趋势,重点探讨大学校园空间演进、跨文化共生、校城融合、知识服务及学习环境创新等议题。会议旨在进一步推动海峡两岸及国际高校之间的学术合作与经验共享,深化大学校园研究的人文关怀与国际视野,并为未来大学校园建设、知识传播与教育创新提供新的理论思考与实践路径。The Cross-Strait “University Campus” Academic Symposium was established on 6 December 2001 through a joint initiative by the Department of Development Planning of Peking University and the Shen Zuhai Architectural and Educational Foundation in Taiwan. Originally organized to celebrate the 90th birthday of Academician Hou Renzhi, the conference sought to initiate sustained academic dialogue across the Taiwan Strait with university campuses as its central concern. Over the past two decades, the conference has upheld the principle that campuses embody the spirit of universities, while spatial forms reflect educational philosophies. Through continuous discussions on campus planning, architectural design, cultural heritage, educational space, humanistic values, and urban development, it has gradually become one of the most influential and enduring academic platforms in the field of university campus studies across the Taiwan Strait. Previous editions of the conference have been hosted by leading institutions including Peking University, Xiamen University, Hunan University, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Shenzhen University, Tianjin University, and Shenyang Jianzhu University. The conference has brought together scholars and professionals from the fields of architecture, urban planning, education, cultural studies, and campus administration. Beyond discussions of physical space and campus design, the conference has consistently emphasized broader concerns including university spirit, cultural continuity, social responsibility, and regional collaboration, while responding to emerging challenges and opportunities associated with globalization, digital transformation, ecological transition, and urban renewal. The 2026 Cross-Strait “University Campus” Academic Symposium will be held in November 2026 at Xiamen University Malaysia and hosted by the Xiamen University Malaysia Library. Under the theme “Cross-Cultural, Digitalization, and New Evolution: Heritage, Development and Innovation in University Campuses,” the conference will address global trends in cross-border higher education and digital-era campus transformation. Particular attention will be given to issues such as the evolution of campus spaces, intercultural coexistence, university–city integration, knowledge services, and innovation in learning environments. The conference aims to further strengthen academic collaboration and intellectual exchange among universities across the Taiwan Strait and beyond, deepen the humanistic and international dimensions of university campus studies, and contribute new theoretical insights and practical approaches to the future development of university campuses, knowledge dissemination, and educational innovation.会议主题与子议题Symposium Theme and Sub-themes主题:跨文化・数字化・新演进:大学校园的传承,发展与创新Theme: Cross-Cultural, Digitalization, and New Evolution: Heritage, Development and Innovation in University Campuses子议题:Sub-theme: (1) 数字时代:大学校园演进、变革与空间转型Digital Era: Evolution, Transformation, and Spatial Transition of University Campuses(2) 跨文化共生:跨境大学发展及区域贡献Intercultural Coexistence: The Development and Regional Contributions of Cross-Border Universities(3) 校城融合:大学空间边界、更新与遗产保护University–City Integration: Spatial Boundaries, Urban Renewal, and Heritage Conservation of University Campuses(4)知识服务:图书馆转型与校园学习环境创新Knowledge Services: Library Transformation and Innovation in Campus Learning Environments 主办单位与承办单位Organizer and co-host主办单位:海峡两岸“大学的校园”学术研讨会组委会Organizer: Organizing Committee of the Cross-Strait “University Campus” Academic Symposium承办单位:厦门大学马来西亚分校图书馆Co-host: Xiamen University Malaysia Library缴费方式: 请通过 https://epayment.xmu.edu.my/event-listing 完成缴费Payment via: https://epayment.xmu.edu.my/event-listing缴费时间: 2026年9月15日至2026年10月30日。Payment period: 15 September 2026 – 30 October 2026 Image


