Shah Alam, 2 September 2010 - Underlining its commitment to the sustainability of Malaysian talent, AkzoNobel and the Malaysian Society of Interior Designers (MSID) today announced the launch of the MSID-Dulux Asia-Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA) Students Workshop, which offers 12 deserving students the opportunity of a lifetime to participate in the APSDA General Assembly and Congress 2010 in Beijing, China hosted by the Chinese Building Decoration Association (CBDA) from 9th – 12th October 2010.

Held at the campuses of seven universities and colleges in Klang Valley from 30th August until 6th September, the workshops will see more than 700 interior design students from 12 universities and colleges learning and acquiring skills on colours and sustainable design. Students are then required to apply those skills in a design competition, whereby one winner will selected from each university and college to attend the APSDA in Beijing. Additionally, MSID will arrange for each of the 12 winners to also receive an exclusive internship placement at established interior design firms.

Mr. Kassim Ali, Human Resource Director of ICI Paints Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (an AkzoNobel company) believes that nurturing local talents is crucial for the country's future. He said, "At AkzoNobel, sustainability is the core of everything we do whether it is with regard to the environment or supporting budding Malaysian students talents. Malaysia needs world-class designers to move up the value chain in terms of sustainable development. This is why we must cultivate them by giving them as much exposure as possible. To learn from renowned architects and designers at APSDA Beijing 2010 is fantastic for these students, and we are proud to be able to give them this opportunity."

The workshop competition requires the students to submit a low-energy and sustainable interior design using materials that will be provided during the workshop. Points are then awarded based on the projected sustainability impact of the submission, taking into account the origin and environmental effect of material, cost of maintenance, as well as conservation and disposal methods.

"At AkzoNobel we believe in providing 'Tomorrow's Answers Today', which urges us to the right choices in our little decisions today for the sake of a better tomorrow. This competition is not only a chance for students to showcase their design skills, but also to demonstrate the possibilities of a sustainable future with regard to interior design. Through this platform, I am delighted that these students will have the chance to show us that it can be done," added Kassim.

The participating universities and colleges comprise of ALFA College, International Islamic University Malaysia, International University College of Technology Twintech, KBU International College, Kolej Komuniti Selayang, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Malaysian Institute of Art, PJ College of Art, Saito College, Taylor's College, University College Sedaya International and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam.

APSDA was founded by the Chinese Society of Interior Designer (CSID), the Japanese Society of Commercial Designers (JCD) and Korean Society of Interior Designers (KOSID) in 1989 in Taipei, Taiwan. Since then its membership has grown to include interior design societies from Australia, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia etc.

The APSDA General Assembly is held every two years and gathers designers from all over Asia and the Pacific regions. It provides an avenue for designers to socialize and better understand the different cultures of its members, exchange information and knowledge between members through networking, and builds closer ties to achieve a better solution for the design community in facing the free trade policies to come. In 2006, the APSDA General Assembly and Congress took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. MSID was the first host to initiate the students workshop for APSDA.

Themed "Design Life & Create Future", APSDA Beijing 2010 aims at enhancing the sustainable development of interior architecture and design. The conference will feature high profile speakers such as Tadao Ando (Japan), Paul Andreu (France) and Chua Ka Seng (Singapore) who will be giving lectures and meeting designers. There will also be professional design expos as well as the presentation of the APSDA Design Awards in recognition of the achievements and excellent design works in the Asia-Pacific region.

Reinforcing its status as one of the world's most committed sustainable organisation, AkzoNobel has consistently listed as one of the leaders in the chemicals sector of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes (DJSI) over the past few years. Locally, AkzoNobel is the first paint company in Malaysia to introduce a complete range of Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) products in the country and has recently upgraded its entire market-leading exteriors range, Weathershield, with heat reducing and energy saving "Keep Cool" technology.

For more information on MSID-Dulux Asia-Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA) Students Workshop, visit www.icidulux.com.my.