10 Completely Insane Things You Can Do With Heriot-Watt University Malaysia’s Go Global Programme
Heriot-Watt Malaysia’s Go Global Programme gives you more than just the run-of-the-mill university experience. Here are 10 insane things you can do with their programme!
Updated 23 Nov 2017
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Any graduate will tell you that while getting a degree is anything but easy, your time in university will be among the best years of your life.
Heriot-Watt University Malaysia is taking university life up a notch with their Go Global programme, which allows you to easily transfer from its Putrajaya campus in Malaysia to their campuses in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Edinburgh, Scotland.
So, if you’re looking to enjoy an affordable United Kingdom education with an emphasis on global learning (while satiating your wanderlust!), look no further than Heriot-Watt University.
Here are some awesome activities you could experience if you’re game to Go Global.
First stop: Heriot-Watt’s Putrajaya campus in Malaysia
Begin your extraordinary journey at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia’s sprawling green campus located in Putrajaya, one of our country’s 3 federal territories.
If you’re hailing from bustling Kuala Lumpur, you might yawn and go, “What’s there to do in Putrajaya? There are only government buildings there.”
Well, we can assure you that there is a lot to do if you know where to look!
#1. Propel into the sky like Iron Man
Fancy flying above the water like a superhero? Then make a trip to the Maritime Centre at Putrajaya Lake to enjoy flyboarding, an extreme water sport that's increasingly popular all around the world.
Here’s how flyboarding helps you defy gravity — your feet is strapped to a board with water jet packs that can thrust you in the air up to 15 metres high and dive into the water to a depth of 2.5 metres. The water comes from a jet ski that the flyboard is attached to with a long hose.
With some practice, you'll soon be carving through the air Iron Man-style and diving headfirst into the water like a human dolphin. Who says you can't be a superhero?
#2. Climb, jump and fly at an apocalypse adventure park
District 21 is the place to be if you’re game for an apocalypse-themed adventure park. Located in IOI City Mall in Putrajaya, this place will get you climbing, jumping, sliding and flying (though, not at the same time) — all in the name of fun!
From large trampolines to wall climbing, there’s a range of activities for you to enjoy. Experience the g-force of a roller coaster combined with the gravity thrill of a zipline, navigate your way through a vertical maze and experience freefall that’s similar to a parachute jump out of a plane.
You’ll be sweaty, but happy, at the end of the day’s activities.
#3. Feel the thrill of flying in the sky
Get a treat for the eyes and senses by taking to the skies via hot air balloon!
AKA Balloon Sdn Bhd has been organising the annual MyBalloonFiesta, which is a hot air balloon festival, in Putrajaya for the past 8 years. Here, you can either ride these quirky and colourful balloons or simply experience them up close and watch them take to the skies.
While this year’s event was held at Desa Park City in Kuala Lumpur, several activities were still held in Putrajaya, such as the morning mass flights where scores of hot air balloons lift into the sky. The event also attracted over 20 balloon pilots from 12 participating countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Japan.
DID YOU KNOW
Hot air balloon festivals aren't the only ones with international participation. Heriot-Watt is committed to an international outlook, with 29,500 students studying its programmes in 143 countries! In fact, the Malaysia campus hosts over 60 students from the UK and lecturers from various campuses often travel to Malaysia to teach.
#4. Jump off the KL Tower
If you’ve exhausted all the fun in Putrajaya, then KL city centre is a mere 40 minutes away by car.
For more adrenaline rush and death-defying stunts, secure front seats to the annual KL Tower International Jump Malaysia, which sees jumpers from all around the globe leaping off the tallest telecommunication tower in Southeast Asia for fun.
These thrill-seekers run down a runway perched at the ledge of the KL landmark before free-falling for more than 1,000 feet towards the ground, pulling a parachute just in time to secure a safe landing.
If you’re an experienced jumper, you can participate too! But be warned, this isn’t your typical university student stress therapy.
Next stop: Transfer to Dubai, UAE, the land of the rich
Where Lamborghini police cars and gold-dispensing ATM machines are the norm, there is no better place to experience life in the fast lane than in one of the richest cities in the Middle East.
Here are some outrageous things you can do if you pursue a semester at Heriot-Watt University Dubai.
DID YOU KNOW
Heriot-Watt University guarantees placements for all of their courses, as long as the programme is offered at the campus you wish to transfer. You’ll also be able to transfer at any time during your studies and can choose to graduate there too!
#5. Drift across the world’s largest sand mass
Take a break from your books by going sandboarding down the Big Red dune in the Rub al-Khali desert, which is a mere 40 minutes outside of Dubai. Also known as sand-surfing, this extreme sport involves sliding down a sand dune while standing with both your feet strapped to a board.
If you can’t imagine yourself navigating these sandy slopes on your feet, hop on a quad bike and speed into the sunset on your uber cool ride. Alternatively, dune bash around the desert terrain as expert drivers perform stunts with big off-road vehicles while you hold on for your dear life.
Think Fast and Furious, but with more sand.
#6. Explore shark infested waters
Do you have galeophobia? If you do, you can face your fear of sharks head first at the Aquaventure Waterpark, home of The Leap Of Faith — a 9-storey vertical waterslide that zips through an enclosure surrounded by sharks and stingrays.
If that’s not enough, insatiable adrenaline junkies may find their fix at the Shark Safari, where victims participants are lowered into the shark lagoon to rub shoulders with all types of sea critters.
It's no wonder the Aquaventure Waterpark was named the 4th best water park in the world. Class parties don’t get better than this.
DID YOU KNOW
Speaking of award-winning, did you know that Heriot-Watt was named International University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018? Not only that, it is also one of the top 400 universities worldwide as ranked by both the Times Higher Education and the QS World University Rankings 2018.
#7. Freefall from 13,000 feet
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, but it could be you!
What better way to celebrate student life in Dubai than to skydive from 13,000 feet, overlooking the iconic Palm Jumeirah? Embrace the adrenaline rush as you jump out of a plane at a height that is 5 times higher than the Burj Khalifa, the tallest manmade structure in the world!
In the words of millennials, “YOLO”.
Final stop: Edinburgh, Scotland for breathtaking highlands, bagpipes and Harry Potter mania
Round up your epic journey with Edinburgh, the perfect university town with its friendly locals and beautiful architecture (think Scotland’s iconic 12th century Edinburgh Castle set against the moonlight) that’s ever ready to mesmerise.
With so many things to do and see, it’ll be hard not to say no to a semester at Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh!
DID YOU KNOW
Programmes offered in all 3 of Heriot-Watt campuses are identical! Not only that, a single course leader ensures that materials and assessments across all campuses are of the same quality. This ensures that your studies are uninterrupted when you seamlessly transfer between campuses.
#8. Take a floo powder-free trip to Diagon Alley
Take a break from hitting the books and transport yourself to the wizarding world of Harry Potter with “Potter Trail”, an unofficial (but free) tour of the spellbinding book series. And don’t worry, it’s muggle-friendly.
You’ll trek to the resting places of familiar names from the book (read: Lord Voldemort), get a glimpse of the castle that inspired the inimitable Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and visit Victoria Street, the bustling location that sparked the idea for Diagon Alley, Gringotts and Flourish & Blotts.
DID YOU KNOW
Still can't get enough of the boy wizard hero? Get your broom and join a Quidditch club! It's one of the many clubs and societies available at Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, which is also home to a wide array of well-established sports facilities, some of which are the best in the country.
#9. Feed a ‘hairy coo’
A hairy what?
A semester in Scotland is incomplete without an encounter with Scotland’s national symbol of cuteness — the Scottish Highland Cow, known fondly to locals as a “hairy coo”. Spend the weekend away from assignments by taking a tour of the beautiful highlands and you might get to feed one of these furry guys.
You can also stop by the scenic Loch Ness lake — the abode of Scotland’s mythical mascot, the Loch Ness Monster (or Nessie) and bask in the beauty of the Scottish countryside as you drive past movie sets, including the location of Hagrid’s hut in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and the site of James Bond’s ancestral home in Skyfall.
It’s truly a quintessential Scottish experience.
#10. Party for a month at the world’s largest arts festival
The city centre is definitely the place to be during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August, which is the biggest arts festival in the world.
During this time, you’ll get to dance with weird and wacky street performers along the Royal Mile, Scotland's historic capital, and be awed by over 3,000 performances at 300 venues spread across the city.
Whether you’re grooving with strangers at a silent disco street party or laughing till you’re in stitches at adaptations of Shakespeare, the Fringe features an explosion of international talent and is one giant hoopla with something for everyone.
DID YOU KNOW
Malaysian students can enjoy a whopping 20% discount when applying for the Inter-Campus Transfer to Edinburgh and Dubai!
There you have it! Three awesome opportunities to spend a semester abroad, experience new cultures while enjoying a holistic education with Heriot-Watt’s Go Global programme. In the words of Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, “Travel and change of place impart new vigour to the mind.” So get your Go Global game on and expand your horizons!
Did we pique your interest to study at Heriot-Watt and join their Go Global programme? Leave your details below and a counsellor will be in touch!
Kamini Senthilathiban
Self-proclaimed pun-meister 6000. Kant stop, won't stop.
