| Universiti Putra Malaysia

FSKTM, Panchor Malay Rural Community Centre organises the Rural Entrepreneur Development Project Carnival

 By:  Assoc. Prof. Dr. Masnida Hussin

 

SERDANG, August 4 – The Rural Entrepreneur Development Project under the scope of Innovative ICT-based Marketing Programme started in 2017. The project connects the community and aims to spread information on effective online marketing for rural community products to the community such as in Panchor, Muar.

The project focuses on the use of ICT for product branding and marketing strategies especially through the social media. As rural community produces a variety of quality products including food, services and crafts, it is important to introduce and bring these products to a wider market.

The project gained the attention of the Ministry of Education under the Section of Higher Learning Institution which offered a two-year UCTC Fund Scheme – National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS).

Various programmes were implemented in these two years such as workshops on product label designs using the computer, online marketing seminars, and sharing sessions with successful online entrepreneurs.

Since its inception, 30 participants were committed to the programme. Feedback from the local community was positive and encouraging, which had led our group from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FSKTM), UPM, to go to Muar from Serdang to participate in the carnival.

UPM and JKKM Jorak collaborated to manage the carnival including setting up the booths, organising the carnival and creating the event programme.

 

Interestingly, ideas were actively discussed and exchanged through emails and messages to make the carnival a success. Workshops and seminars were also held at the seminar, covering different scopes such as account management and approaches to food safety. There were also booths set up by Panchor local entrepreneurs to display and to sell their products and services.

UPM UCTC Director, Prof. Dr. Mansor Abu Talib, said that the community programme as such was able to strengthen the relationships between local universities and communities involved, and to know the demands and needs of the local community better, while at the same time offering the university expertise to them. - UPM

 

 

 

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