Taylor's University to incorporate AR learning via Snapchat partnership

Taylor's University has tied up with Snap Inc. to incorporate AR learning into its American Degree Transfer Programme's curriculum, equip students with skills necessary to succeed in the digital economy.

As part of the collaboration, Taylor's University's students will take part in Lens Studio workshops to learn how to create AR experiences on Snapchat. Snap Inc. will also join the university's industry advisory panel to offer advice and support on curriculum development to ensure its industry relevance and that it equips graduates with the essential skills required by future employers.

Lens Studio is a free desktop app by Snap Inc. which is used to create Snapchat Lenses. It offers users detailed guides and templates with democratised access to AR technology. To date, the Snapchat community has created more than 600,000 Lenses in Lens Studio.

The university's deputy vice chancellor and chief academic officer, Pradeep Nair, said the collaboration will enable students and academics to gain valuable exposure to new technologies and a competitive edge with employers.

?It is important that our students acquire the AR know-how and connections to the wider tech community, as our nation is looking to boost its digital economy. Currently, the Malaysian digital economy, on average, has grown 9% annually from 2010 to 2016 in value added terms, which is statistically faster than Malaysia?s overall GDP growth," he added.

Meanwhile, Snap's MD of international markets, Nana Murugesan, said AR is a core building block of a future where computing will be overlaid and harmonised with consumers' world. By inviting users to create and communicate, Murugesan said Snapchat has allowed AR to become a daily behaviour for the community.

"As we continue to lead the way in AR, we are investing in making the creation process more accessible as well as nurturing the next generation of talent to develop and power AR experiences on Snapchat. We are excited that our partnership with Taylor?s University will enable us to educate and inspire students in Malaysia on the opportunity that AR technology offers," he added.

Earlier this year, Snap encouraged Malaysians to spice up their Malaysia Day celebrations?by creating their personal digital avatar using Bitmoji. By creating a Bitmoji of themselves, consumers can express how they truly feel about typical Malaysian scenarios.

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