The University is always on the look out for systems and approaches that can mould students into engineers with world class characteristics. One such system is the ‘Rakan Pendamping Siswa’ (RPS) or roughly translated as ‘Students Buddy System’.
 
RPS is a system whereby all academic staff supervise small groups of students for the whole duration of the students’ stay in UNIMAP. ‘Supervision’ here entails frequent meetings under informal settings, where students can relax with their buddies and discuss academic and social issues that concern them. Students who do not hold satisfactory academic performance look to their buddies as ‘mentors’, in which case the student becomes the ‘mentee’ of the buddy, who helps the student out every step of the way.
 
Buddies are bonded by an exacting code of conduct which ensures that student interest is always at the forefront of this undertaking. It is through these informal interactions with members of the academia who double up as buddies or friends that students develop confidence, appreciation, and a sense of belonging towards the University and the academic system they are undergoing. In the course of the interactions, the students’ emotional quotient (EQ) would be appropriately honed. It is hoped that the close camaraderie developed over the years will bring UNIMAP graduates back to the University as loyal alumni in the future.
 
RPS also entails the necessity of all students to go through a series of programmes (known in UNIMAP as the ‘7 pillars’), which comprise courses, seminars, discourses, and other activities. Specifically, the programmes include patriotic nation building courses, communication skills courses, and social etiquette courses. In addition, students participate in extreme sports activities, community involvement (such as visitations to old folks home, ‘gotong royong’ at community centres, painting murals in schools, building walkways in public areas, etc), social discourses, and leadership seminars. Because very high an importance is placed on the ‘7 pillars’, the University Senate has decided that without satisfactory participation in these activities, students may be denied their scrolls upon graduation.
 
In addition, the “7-I” (“I” representing ‘innovation’) programme is now being developed. This new initiative aims to build the spirit of innovation amongst students. Under this programme, all UNIMAP students get together in specific “I” teams in the early days of their stay here.