Congratulations
Mr. Timothy Chan of IACT College!

By Shenoj Kuruvilla

"True teachers use themselves as bridges, over which they invite their students to cross then, having facilitated their crossing joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own"

- Nikos Kazantzakis

Every year, we remember, and get to honour the educators in our lives, the ones who have taught us, and created an impact. Having just celebrated Teacher's Day two weeks ago, we are proud to celebrate an important win for the BAC family, and acknowledge the PERFICIO Award win by Mr. Timothy Chan, Head of Academics of IACT College!

Mr. Tim, as he is fondly known as, was awarded the Best Academic Dean of 2022.

Since March 2019, Mr. Tim has been creating waves and implementing changes, that have elevated the institution to the next level. 

I sat for a conversation with Mr. Tim, and as he walked me through the initiatives he and the team at IACT have introduced throughout the pandemic, it was very clear why he won this award.

Over the course of the pandemic, Mr. Tim spearheaded the transition into online learning for IACT College. He has conducted extensive trainings with the lecturers on usage of online materials, eased the transition of exams from physical to online, and leveraged on learning platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning into course modules. In line with BAC Education, IACT has embraced measures to ensure that the institution can operate in an online setting, and its students can thrive through hybrid learning.

Mr. Tim also pioneered the Creative Industry faculty of IACT College. This faculty was created to expand the options of programmes offered by IACT College, where students will be introduced to other areas of study, giving them an edge in the industry. Under the Creative Industry faculty, students will be equipped with extra skills to take into the industry. They will also receive completion certificates, indicating their level of proficiency. 

Besides the Creative Industry Faculty, IACT College has also set-up their International Faculty. Inspired by the BAC International Faculty, IACT brings in global academicians and industry experts to speak about the creative industries in their region. This way, students can get a more globalised perspective of where they can go and what they can do.

“We have brought in academicians from all over the world. Most recently, there have been speakers from Bangkok, Kings College in the UK and Indonesia. We’re also looking to bring in speakers from Hong Kong, the Philippines and even Italy!” Mr. Tim mentioned with excitement.

IACT College has also implemented a series of professional certificates that students can complete–for free! These certificates will cover certain new age topics which have only just been introduced in the industry, giving graduates a heads-up on current industry standards. 

“For example, we are launching a Certificate in Digital Publishing right now. Everything is online, right? Even books are online! So within digital publishing, we are adding things like podcasting, social media, as well as branding and marketing.” continued Mr. Tim.

On top of all this, Mr. Tim and his team have also managed to obtain industry endorsements for certain programs. The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development has endorsed the film programs in IACT, while the International Advertising Association from New York has granted dual awards for IACT’s Diploma in Mass Communication, Diploma in Marketing & Advertising and Diploma in Graphic Design.

In future, IACT plans to do a full revamp of their Diploma programs, converting everything to the digital platform. 

Mr. Tim explained, “We are converting all Diplomas to be digital based. For example, our Diploma in Graphic Design will become a Diploma in Digital Design. We are adding on new technologies like 3D printing, AR and VR into our syllabus for students to learn and reach industry standards.” 

Throughout our conversation, Mr. Tim remained humble, showing appreciation and commending his team for the work they have done to make all these initiatives a success. He also gave credit to BAC Education’s Managing Director, Mr. Raja Singham for guiding his vision and allowing him to implement it in a way that would always benefit the students. 

BAC Education is extremely proud of its team of educators who have worked hard to make their institutions as successful as they are.

Mr. Timothy Chan is just one of the many talents within the BAC Education Group, and his win is an exemplary one for the BAC family.