In order to expose and motivate the rural students about the importance of education, a total of 150 students from 17 secondary schools visited the Universiti Putra Malaysia as part of the Selangkahke Universiti 2012 Program or Step to the University Program.

The event, organized by Badan Amaldan Kebajikan Tenaga Isteri-Isteri (BAKTI) and UPM, gathered rural students from families who have never set foot in a university. Through this initiative, the program proponents believe that the rural youth can be motivated to study hard, break free from poverty and foster a culture of love for science.  

During the visit, the students were given a glimpse of the campus life at the UPM by visiting the Faculty of Laboratory Medicine and Health Sciences Complex, Food Service, UniversityVeterinary Hospital, Putra FM radio stations, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication and Motion Capture, Information and Development Centre Communication (iDEC). 

Khairy Jamaluddin, member of Parliament for Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, said that through the program, the government can produce students that think critically and have a genuine appreciation of education. By exposing these students to the academe, they can help discover the career they want in the future. 

Source: UPM News|13 May 2012