CONTENTS

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed or implied in UP2 are those of the authors or contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Sunway Education Group.

Sunway College No. 2, Jalan Universiti Bandar Sunway 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia T: 603-5638 7176 E: info@sunway.edu.my sunway.edu.my/college

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The Sunway Education Group

UP2 or UPP or Uniquely Purposeful Programmes is a quarterly publication that represents a progressive Sunway College. Owned and governed by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, this leading private institution of higher learning is forging ahead towards the next level of excellence.

Advisor Editorial & Photography Team

Concept & Design Printer

: Dr Elizabeth Lee : Jerrine Koay Katherine Kee Nichole Kong Alyna Yong : Writers Ink : Kuan Press Sdn Bhd

UP2 is published by Sunway College

Should you have any comments, kindly contact:

The Public Relations DepartmentSunway Education GroupT: 603-7491 8622E: pr@sunway.edu.mywww.sunway.edu.my/college

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GLP Welcomes First CohortExperiential Learning With NESCAFÉA Legend TomorrowGiving Thanks To EducatorsGraduating With Greater PurposeDeeper Insights Into SASS21st Century Learning The SFP WayEmbracing Math And Logic Challenge With PassionGoing Global: Sunway TES ACCA Audit Simulation‘Get Well Soon’ Wins AUSMAT Pitch CompetitionCelebrating 20 Years Of Excellence

Breaking BarriersDeeper UnderstandingLearning CourageBetter Luck Comes With Hard Work

Recognising Talents

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Face To Face

Movers & Shakers

Social Report

Journey Towards Self Discovery

GLP WELCOMES FIRST COHORT

Having entered into a partnership with the Carl Duisberg Centren of Germany in December 2018 which was witnessed by His Excellency Nikolaus Graf Lambsdorff, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Malaysia, Sunway College Kuala Lumpur welcomed the first cohort of 19 students for its German Language Programme (GLP) this year.

With 18 JPA (Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam) engineering scholars enrolled into this programme, Yusri Razalli, the Deputy Director of the Bahagian Pembangunan Modal Insan in JPA, was on hand to welcome the students in July.

“Carl Duisberg Centren has more than 12 years of experience in preparing JPA scholars in a holistic manner for further studies in Germany and has close to 100% success rate of student placement for the past decade. We are confident Dr Mira Majtanova with her more than 16 years of teaching the German language will successfully prepare the current batch of students for study in Germany” said Vanitha Satchithanadan, Director of the AUSMAT Programme at Sunway College.

Here in Malaysia, these 19 students are to undergo a 6-month intensive GLP Module 1: Level A1 – Level B1 from July to December 2019. Then they will pursue the Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT) programme and GLP Module 2: Level B2.

They will then proceed to continue the GLP at the Carl Duisberg Centren (CDC) for Module 3: Level C1 in Cologne, Germany for 8 months. Whilst preparing for their Level C1 examinations, science bridging programmes and internship placement, these students will stay with their German host families.

Upon successful completion of the GLP, these students can proceed to pick their degree course from the 400 Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences offering more than 19,000 different degree courses with zero tuition fees.

“Our first priority is to offer Malaysian students a direct pathway to studying in Germany, the 4th most popular destination among international students in the world. Germany is an attractive place to study and German university degrees are highly respected by employers worldwide. With excellent teaching and research facilities, our prospective students will earn an internationally renowned degree, giving them excellent prospects on the global job market. Since German universities provide outstanding academic programmes that combine theory and practice and offer a range of practice-oriented study programmes, our students will be future ready”, said Vanitha of the GLP.

“Our second priority is to offer prospective students full-fledged facilities that will surely and greatly improve their learning experience by leaps and bounds. Our campus fully equipped with academic and sports facilities, is amongst the largest and most modern private institutions in Malaysia. With access to QS 5-Star rated state of the art university facilities to support their studies, our students can also tap into a busy calendar of campus events and social activities organised by a vibrant and active student community. The Sunway student experience is characterised by unlimited possibilities and infinite opportunities abound inside the classroom and out”, she continued.

No 9 Jalan SR 3/7, Taman Serdang Raya, Seksyen 343300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor

Yusri Razalli with the first cohort of the German Language Programme

- FACE TO FACE - - MOVERS & SHAKERS -

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING WITH NESCAFÉ

Coming from different backgrounds and with different perspectives on life, eight final year students from the Victoria University (VU) Bachelor of Business programme came together for one whole month. By working on building their entrepreneurial skills through the Nescafé Youth Entrepreneurship Programme (NYEP), these eight people discovered the meaning of experiential learning.

Calling themselves Sun Brew, Braxton Yap Win Kit, Yong Jing Bang, Cheong Jia Kee, Muhammad Aqmal Nurhakim Mohd Kamari, Jennifer Chandra, Regina Kwong Yi Qae, Fong Kang Ling and team lead, Richa Shil Dwarkasingh had to develop on the spot skills to run their Nescafé pop-up store on the Sunway campus.

Before embarking on their adventure in selling coffee via the Nescafé Challenge, these students had much to learn about the strict standard operating procedures, the hygiene requirements in the food and beverage industry, the protocols involved in getting their marketing materials approved, preparing and crafting drinks, developing promotional plans as well as learning to work together as a team.

After their initial training and upon receipt of their start-up investment in kind, Sun Brew went to work on building their coffee business on campus. Entrepreneurial Skills senior lecturer Teh Ya Yee encouraged her students to participate in the NYEP as this was an opportunity for them to sharpen their skills through running an actual business.

Excited about putting into action their marketing strategies, the Sun Brew team recalls breaking the Sunway record by selling approximately 612 cups of coffee on the last day of the Nescafé Challenge. Working as a team had its challenges but for all the team members, it was teamwork and communications that helped them resolve their individual differences and enabled them to meet their set key performance indicators (KPIs) which was to sell 400 cups of coffee daily for one whole month.

Learning to delegate work as part of a team, the Sun Brew team stayed motivated, learning to never give up and encourage each other through the debriefing sessions held at the end of each work week.

Discovering there is more to ‘business’ than just their technical skills, the added boost to their self-confidence, time and stress management skills has given the Sun Brew team a real eye-opening experience when it comes to running a business.

BREAKING BARRIERS Awarded the Jeffrey Cheah Entrance Scholarship to pursue the Foundation in Arts (FIA) programme at Sunway College, 19-year old Brendan Michael Thasan intends to pursue a career in the Information Technology (IT) field after graduating with a CGPA of 3.83 in FIA.

Brendan has enrolled for the BSc (Hons) Information Technology (Computer Networking and Security) at Sunway University. Winning the Vice Chancellor’s Subject Award for Computing and gaining the Jeffrey Cheah Continuing Scholarship has spurred him to pursue his interest in IT.

During his fifteen months in the programme, Brendan found presentations to be the most interesting albeit challenging component of his FIA studies. Some of the highlights in FIA for Brendan included being a teaching assistant for the Sunway International School Harvard’s Asia Leadership Youth Camp.

As for his former role as the President of the Sunway Foundation Programme (SFP) Student Council, Brendan found it stressful yet enjoyable as he learnt a lot from carrying out activities like the Charity Carnival which raised funds for the needy, Teachers’ Day which was held to appreciate their lecturers and SFP Talent Time which enabled SFP students to showcase their talents. Brendan is thankful for his lecturers and friends who supported him along the way. With their help, he managed to break down barriers, step out of his comfort zone and strive to be better each day.

A DEEPER UNDERSTANDINGGo the extra mile and gain a deeper understanding of what you are learning is Chang Ye Sean’s advice to future students of the Foundation in Science and Technology (FIST) at Sunway College. Awarded the Certificate of Academic Excellence for FIST and the Vice Chancellor’s Award, 18-year old Ye Sean from Johor undertook the FIST as a scholarship recipient.

Choosing to enrol into Sunway College because of the wide variety of foundation programmes offered, Ye Sean discovered the challenge in FIST was in learning to apply what was learnt in classes for the examinations. Finding his lecturers to be passionate about making learning interesting, Ye Sean’s favourite lecturer is Ms Yuva who taught him Chemistry. Chemistry was a pretty tough subject but Ms Yuva would patiently listen and give her best which encouraged students like Ye Sean to learn.

With many group projects to work on in FIST, Ye Sean shared that he has become a better team player and a better person as he was able to encourage, help his friends and group mates. For his next step on the education pathway, Ye Sean was awarded the Jeffrey Cheah Special Entrance Scholarship to pursue BSc (Hons) in Medical Biotechnology at Sunway University.

Interested to explore more into the field of biotechnology, Ye Sean is looking forward to conducting experiments in the labs and hopes to develop new medicinal technologies to help the world in curing diseases.

The VU NYEP team Members of the team at work

Braxton Yap Win Kit

Cheong Jia Kee

Yong Jing Bang

Fong Kang Ling

Jennifer Chandra

Muhammad Aqmal Nurhakim Mohd Kamari

Regina Kwong Yi Qae

Richa Shil Dwarkasingh

- FACE TO FACE -- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

06 07

A LEGEND TOMORROW

Society of Malaysia and an individual trophy. Second runner-up, 17- year old Ong Yi Jun of SMJK Yu Hua, Selangor took home a Sunway College bursary worth RM10,000, a cash prize of RM200, a certificate of commendation from the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia and an individual trophy.

Lim Li Yen of SMJK Katholik, Selangor; Pang Xing Yu of Pay Fong Middle School, Melaka and Carlos Sebastien John of SMK Seafield, Selangor each took home consolation prizes of a Sunway College bursary worth RM5,000, a cash prize of RM100, a certificate of commendation from the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia and an individual trophy.

Accompanied by their teachers, a crowd of approximately 800 students from 25 schools around Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Melaka, Perak, and Negeri Sembilan attended the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia 17th English Language Event Public Speaking Competition 2019. The preliminaries were initially held in April and the semi-finals had 12 students judged by a panel from Sunway Education Group comprising Professor Stephen James Hall, Head of Centre for English Language Studies as Chief Judge; Jayne Wong Oi Mun, Teaching Fellow of Centre for English Language Studies and Angela Soyza, Senior Lecturer with Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY).

The final stage of the competition had six students from SMK Kepong, SMK Convent Bukit Nanas, SMJK Yu Hua, SMJK Katholik Selangor, Pay Fong Middle School and SMK Seafield presenting a 3-minute speech each to compete for the honour of being crowned champion. The panel of judges from the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia were Professor Abhimanyu Veerakumarasivam, Professor of Genetics from the Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University; Darina Yusof, Country Chief Risk Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad and Danial Rahman, Global Head of OpenLearning.com. Speakers of the day included Danial, Professor Abhimanyu, Darina and Chacko Vadaketh. In attendance for this day was Chook Yun Yng, President of the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia.

16-year old Vigneshwaran Sundrasagar from SMK Kepong was crowned champion of the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia 17th English Language Event Public Speaking Competition 2019. Winning a full bursary from Sunway College, a cash prize of RM600, a certificate of commendation from the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia and an individual trophy, Vigneshwaran spoke eloquently on ‘Teenage Rebellion is a Sign of Creativity.’ In his speech, Vigneshwaran said “The so-called rebels of yesterday are the very people we look up to today. Just remember, you may be a rebel today, but you will be a legend tomorrow.” The Challenge Trophy was awarded to his school, SMK Kepong.

Chairperson of the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia English Language Event, Margaret Hall commended Vigneshwaran for his good delivery which focused on creativity with the storytelling supplemented by appropriate hand gestures plus numerous historical and contemporary examples.

First runner-up, 16-year old Priyanka Gunaseelan of SMK Convent Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur walked away with a Sunway College bursary worth RM15,000, a cash prize of RM400, a certificate of commendation from the Oxford and Cambridge

LEARNING COURAGELast year, 19-year old Ng Soong Ling from Kuala Lumpur added another accolade to her growing list of achievements with the Harvard Prize Book Award. Having chosen to pursue the A-Levels in Sunway College, Soong Ling from a family of five kept herself actively involved in college activities. Participating in the Sunway College Student Council for three semesters and serving as the Director and Student Welfare and Treasurer for the Council, Soong Ling was also on the Netball Club Committee and a member of the GOLD media Sunway Team that participated in MASISWA in 2018.

An active member of the Christian Fellowship and an A-level Student Ambassador, Soong Ling also served a term with the Sunway Student Volunteers and tried her best to give back to society through volunteering activities carried out by her church. Introduced to volunteering by her parents and at activities in church, Soong Ling loves the innocent bright smiles of the children when she volunteers.

At the interview with the panel of three judges, Soong Ling spoke of her growth as a leader by overcoming her fears. Though her volunteer activities, she learned that learning to apologise and take responsibility as a leader requires courage and to her, that is the definition of being fearless.

As for her academic achievements, Soong Ling spoke of maintaining an average academic achievement of 90% and above in the A-Levels programme. She shared that she pays attention in class and tries to really understand what is being taught as her lecturers provide detailed and interesting explanations for each topic. Comfortable with the 100% examination-based assessment of the A-Levels, Soong Ling chose Sunway College as she was attracted by the environment and facilities within the campus after attending an open day. She believes A-Levels will provide her with a firm base of knowledge to develop herself further.

Surprised and grateful for the Harvard Prize Book Award, Soong Ling intends to work harder at achieving more and to fully develop her potential. The former student of Catholic High School Petaling Jaya, Selangor will most likely be heading off to the London School of Economics at the end of September this year to pursue a degree in Actuarial Science. “Experiencing the exciting and colourful university lifestyle. Especially looking forward to the whole new environment and experience London is going to give me. Surprisingly, also the fact that I am taking one more step further into adulthood. While being nervous there is also excitement of finally living on my own.”

While waiting to head off to the UK, Soong Ling is gaining experience through an internship at the office of Michelle Ng, current assemblywoman of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly for Subang Jaya. “To not be afraid to ask questions when I don’t fully understand something. Being new is not an excuse, if I don’t know, ask, then try my best to complete the task”, are some of the most important points she is learning in her internship experience.

Vigneshwaran and his teachers with Professor Stephen James Hall, Head of Centre for English Language Studies and Chook Yun Yng, President of the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia

Winners of the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia 17th English Language Event Public Speaking Competition 2019

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

08 09

GIVING THANKS TO EDUCATORS

In nurturing and developing the lives of the students at Sunway, a total of 63 teachers and lecturers from Sunway University, Sunway College and Sunway International School (SIS) were given the Certificate of Student Appreciation of Teaching Awards.

Professor Patrick Siau Chi Yin, currently practice Professor of Culinary Arts at Sunway University, the Malaysia Team Coach at the World Pastry Cup 2019 in Lyon, France and the Sunway University School of Hospitality Team Coach created a special strawberry-flavoured cake for the educators of Sunway on the Teaching Appreciation Day.

Officiating the special cake-cutting session was Dr Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Education Group; Dato’ Lee Weng Keng, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Group, Education and Healthcare Division; Professor Graeme Wilkinson, Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University; Professor Pua Eng Chong, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University; Professor Peter Heard, Provost of Sunway University; Teo Ee Sing, Executive Director of Sunway College; and Chieng Mien Wee, Executive Director of Sunway International School and Director of Pre-University Studies.

On this day, Dr Elizabeth Lee spoke of the role of the educators in changing lives, transforming students and hoped the awards would serve to encourage Sunway educators to produce better outcomes for the students, their colleagues and for themselves in Sunway.

On winning the Pre-University Most Promising New Lecturer Award, Biology and Sciences, and Ethics lecturer Cass Goh Yen Peng in the Sunway Foundation Programme is heartened by the acknowledgement. She intends to equip her students with the skill sets required by the 21st century workforce. Having started her journey with Sunway College three and a half years ago, Cass aims to educate and help her students succeed in their pursuits.

Having received the Certificate of Student Appreciation of Teaching Award, a second time in her eight-year teaching period at Sunway College, Accounting and Business Finance lecturer Nurulnissa Ahmad Kamil shared that she comes from a family of educators, a teacher and a coach trainer.

Grateful for his award, Mathematics Fundamental Unit 1 and 2 in the Monash University Foundation Year programme lecturer James Stephon celebrated 25 years of teaching and is encouraged by the award to continue his contributions as an educator.

The other winners included Heather Brooks, who received the SIS Most Promising New Teacher Award whereas Dr Andrew Brian Filmer, Senior Lecturer of Sunway University School of Arts, Department of Performance and Media received the Sunway University Certificate of Commendation for Award in Excellence in Teaching. Caroline Yap Yu Li, Teaching Fellow of Sunway University Business School, Department of Accounting received the Sunway University Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Dedicating a Malay poem to all Sunway educators composed by Geethanchali Ramasamy, Sunway TES Centre for Accountancy Excellence lecturer and Hairani M Nur, Sunway University School of Hospitality Senior Teaching Fellow, the President of Sunway Academic Staff Association (SASA) Jennifer Rathabai likened teachers to a candle that shines, survive challenges and continues to shine a light of knowledge and love for the students.

Adding colour to this day of celebration were student and tutor performances by opera singer Cassandra Foo Wern Yen, a finalist for Sunway’s Got Talent 2019, a Latin dance cha-cha inspired performance by Giselle Tan Ying Ying and Loke Wai Peng Emily plus a self-composed acoustic performance by Ian Lam Ka Fye.

GRADUATING WITH GREATER PURPOSE

Sunway Education Group; Professor Graeme Wilkinson, Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University; Cheng Mien Wee, Executive Director of Sunway International School and Director of Pre-University Studies of Sunway College; Heath Kondro, Principal of the Canadian International School and Sunway International School; George McEwan, CIMP Director of Sunway College and Dato’ Roslee Yahaya, Head of Academic Service for the Canadian Curriculum and CIMP Deputy Director of Sunway College.

In her welcome remarks, Dr Elizabeth Lee spoke of the hands-on learning students gained through volunteering as this enabled them to connect with members of the community and being empowered to offer help to those in need. During her speech, Her Excellency Ms Bentley, High Commissioner of Canada commended the CIMP graduates for both their community service efforts and their academic performance.

Serene Aimee Tan Diwen received the most awards this day as she received academic subject awards for English - University Preparation, the Writer’s Craft and World History Since the Fifteenth Century. For the 793 hours volunteering to work with children, raising funds through Orphan Care Foundation and more, Serene received the Community Service Award. Enjoying volunteer work since her childhood days, Serene intends to help others in the future.

To receive their OSSD, students are required to complete a minimum 10 hours of volunteering. This graduating cohort contributed an average 30 hours individually. They raised RM12,170 in 12 hours over 2 days when they were called to take a business from conception to birth for PBKSA (Persatuan Briged Kesenian Sukarelawan APM) as part of their Business Leadership Community Project. Over the past 5 years, this subject has had the students raising RM174,265.60 for local charities.

For her score of the highest overall average of 96%, 16-year old Vina Paramitha from Indonesia received the Jeffrey Cheah Entrance Scholarship and the Jeffrey Cheah Scholastic Award. Younger than most of her cohort, Vina adapted quickly to her environment in CIMP by becoming more independent and responsible.

The Maple Leaf Award was given to Ng Zhen Cong in recognition of his excellent academic performance and active participation in extra-curricular activities. Zhen Cong shared that he learnt something new every day as he has a passion for refining his writing skills in CIMP. With much to offer to their loved ones and themselves, valedictorian Danya Frances Rajah urged each of her fellow graduates of the June 2019 cohort to walk out with purpose and change the world.

Over 200 students from Sunway College and Sunway International School (SIS) completed their first step of their education pathway towards excellence by receiving their Ontario Secondary School Diplomas (OSSD). 125 students received the Ontario Scholar Awards and another 45 students took home the Community Service Awards at the graduation for the Canadian International Matriculation Programme (CIMP).

Loaning their presence to this joyous occasion were Her Excellency Ms Julia G. Bentley, High Commissioner of Canada; Yang Berbahagia Puan Sri Datin Seri (Dr) Susan Cheah, EXCO Member of Sunway Group; Dr Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Director of

The recipients of the Certificate of Student Appreciation of Teaching Award from Sunway International School and Sunway College

Lecturers from Sunway Foundation Programme who received the awards. (from left) Chin Key Paan, Cass Goh Yan Peng, Nurulnissa Ahmad Kamil, Chloe Yong Wern Jin with Suzana Ahmad Ramli Vina Paramitha, recipient of the Jeffrey Cheah

Entrance Scholarship with Professor Graeme Wilkinson

Ng Zhen Cong, recipient of the Maple Leaf Award with Dr Elizabeth Lee

Danya Frances Rajah, the Valedictorian of Class June 2019 with Her Excellency Ms Julia G. Bentley

Serene Aimee Tan Diwen, recipient of the Community Service Award with Dato’ Roslee Yahaya

- FOCUS - - FOCUS -

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JOURNEY TOWARDS SELF DISCOVERY

Formerly a Sunway International School (SIS) student, Serene Aimee Tan Diwen recently graduated from the Canadian International Matriculation Programme (CIMP) with flying colours for both her academic and extracurricular activities. Having earned herself the CIMP Subject Awards for Writer’s Craft, World History Since the Fifteenth Century and English – University Preparation, Serene was also awarded the Community Service Award for completing 793 hours of community services.

Home-schooled prior to her enrolment in SIS in 2015, Serene shared that her days in SIS taught her teamwork, leadership and communication skills enabling her to become a more holistic and rounded person. Highlights of her SIS days included the opportunity for her to perform with the choir club at her older brother, Samuel Tan Dixhen’s CIMP graduation in 2018 which then progressed to her becoming the club President.

Practicing time management and keeping a full schedule during her time in Sunway, Serene’s activities has included peer tutoring in History, Biology, Mathematics and French in both SIS and CIMP. Juggling a balance between consistent academic excellence and involvement in extracurricular activities, Serene has competed and won awards for SIS Got Talent, Sunway National Poetry Slam 2016 in the group division, Battle of The Books 2017, ISAC Touch Rugby Tournament 2017 and Harvard Prize Book Award 2018.

A former President of the SIS Christian Fellowship for three years running and a former committee member of the worship team for Sunway University Christian Fellowship, Serene has always wanted to help other people. Helping the needy has Serene embracing outreach to the Orang Asli indigenous community and supervising programmes at Orang Asli homes, volunteering at children’s home, teaching children with special needs, fundraising for a refugee aid centre and a baby dumping project by NGOs.

Both her parents, Williie Tan Chong Yaw and Joy Chee Loo See are happy with their decision to enrol both Serene and her older brother, Samuel into SIS and the CIMP programmes. According to their father, this education option has given both Serene and Samuel a seamless transition into university with the 70:30 ratio of formative assessment and final examinations.

In their family of four, community service and helping the needy is part and parcel of their lifestyle. Communications and coordination of schedules in their family has enabled them to embrace the need to help others. Having served as the Chairperson and Secretary of the SIS Parents Council, both William and Joy believe that it is necessary for parents to know where their child’s strength lies and what is best for them. According to Joy, “The SIS counsellors would advise the children in choosing the subjects that best suits them so they can score well and be more relevant to what they want to do in the future.”

Aspiring to shine in the field of health sciences so that she can help the needy, Serene has embraced the opportunity to learn more about the discipline by seeking observation placement. Having been attached to a Subang audiology clinic, a Melbourne speech pathology centre, the Penang General Hospital paediatric department plus the Kedah and Selangor dental clinics, Serene has decided on dentistry. The first-hand experience of working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the paediatric ward in Penang General Hospital has her experiencing the doctors’ working environment thereby making her more determined to shape her future by helping others.

Intending to specialise in paediatric dentistry, Serene hopes to serve with Mercy Ships which is a global charity that operates hospital ships offering world-class healthcare services to those in the developing world who have no access to these facilities. Having learnt French and winning a subject award for French during her SIS days, Serene hopes to utilise this skill as she has been advised that volunteers would find this beneficial in the countries that Mercy Ships serves in.

For Serene, “It is as if I have just enrolled in Sunway International School (SIS) yesterday but in fact, I am graduating from Sunway College’s Canadian International Matriculation Programme (CIMP) now.” She has enrolled in James Cook University, North Queensland, Australia for the Bachelor of Dental Surgery.Serene with her parents Joy Chee Loo See and William Tan Chong Yaw

Serene with her parents and brother Samuel Tan Dixhen

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

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DEEPER INSIGHTS INTO SASSTogether with the Monash School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS), Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY) organised a 5-day programme combining SASS academic components with activities and a competition for MUFY students in June this year.

The participants involved in this Monash Arts Immersion Programme and Scholarship Competition were given opportunities to delve into the world of arts and social sciences by exploring areas of study taught at SASS, namely screen studies, gender studies, communication, global studies and writing.

For the participants, the overall experience was enjoyable and exceeded their expectations as it gave them deeper insights into SASS degree courses, helped improve their analytical skills and provided them with a better understanding of issues prevalent in the world today.

Thematic daily prizes in the form of vouchers for movies, cafés, books, lifestyle stores and online entertainment subscriptions were awarded to the top performing workshop groups for each day. The competition awarded the top three overall performers with scholarships for a bachelor’s degree in SASS with cash prizes of RM1,000, RM2,000 and RM3,000 awarded to the third, second and first place winners.

Third place winner, Chloe Liew had the opportunity to dive into the specific criticism of film and looked at different aspects like cinematography which was interesting to her. Second place winner, Batrisyia Najwa Azalan loved the global studies workshop as it made her realise some people have different opinions but that does not mean it is wrong.

First place winner, Lim Ai Li Ashley found the programme really fun as it gave her a more in-depth perspective of what the school of arts and social sciences really does.

21ST CENTURY LEARNING THE SFP WAYIn preparing students for 21st Century learning skills, the educators of the Sunway Foundation Programme (SFP) aspire to empower their students to discover that success in life is all about humanity. Through the lens of three class projects held recently, the students of SFP had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the 6C’s of Education – Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Citizenship/Culture, Character Education/Connectivity.

The Maths Fun Fair was recently organised to challenge the perception of Maths as an alien language. A non-competitive platform for students to enhance their problem-solving skills, the SFP students designed a variety of math games as a mode of communications under the guidance of Maths lecturer, Kelly Chin Key Paan. By relating mathematical applications to our daily lives, the Maths Fun Fair proved that Maths involves a whole lot of human interaction and fun.

Intrinsically linked to human thoughts and behaviours, the Psychology Exhibition Day aims to raise awareness of the various psychological disorders that exist in our society today. By making SFP students compelled to collaborate closely in planning their own exhibitions successfully, Psychology lecturer Melissa Anak Nuah challenges her students to adapt to different needs and environment whilst keeping each other motivated throughout the whole process.

A unique blend of logic and creativity, the Food Product Development Project had the SFP students formulate three variations of their own recipe which was followed by a sensory evaluation test with at least 20 subjects to identify consumers’ preference. By enabling the students to understand the physical and chemical factors affecting sensory properties of food product, Food Science lecturer Liew Jia Shi encouraged the students to stay curious about everything and to experiment with new, creative ideas.

By moving learning beyond classrooms, the SFP’s philosophy and pedagogy is a reflection of Nobel laureate and Pulitzer prize winner Toni Morrison’s remark to her students, “If you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else”.

MUFY winners Chloe Liew, Lim Ai Li Ashley and Batrisyia Najwa Azalan of the Monash Arts Immersion Programme and Scholarship Competition with their lecturers

Participants of the Monash Arts Immersion Programme and Scholarship Competition pose for a group photo

Participants in their work groups

Working as a team

Students and their Food Science project

Students talking about their Psychology project

Another group with their Psychology projectStudents’ Maths project

- MOVERS & SHAKERS - - FACE TO FACE -

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EMBRACING MATH AND LOGIC CHALLENGE WITH PASSION

Organised by a dedicated team of lecturers from Sunway College’s A-Level programme, this year’s Math and Logic Challenge attracted a total of 782 teams for the State Challenge which was initiated in April. For the National Challenge final, a total of 195 teams from 68 different schools in Perak, Johor, Kedah, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor competed in two rounds to determine the winning teams.

For the National Math and Logic Challenge, a total of 390 participants attended, accompanied by their friends, teachers and parents. The first round was the individual challenge and the second round was the team challenge made up of 2 students per team.

Addressing the participants in her closing address, Dr Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Sunway Education Group congratulated them for their hard work, passion and enthusiasm for the Math and Logic Challenge. Out of the three main prizes for the Math and Logic Challenge this year, two teams from Kuen Cheng High School, Kuala Lumpur took home the second runner up prize and the Championship prize.

As the second runner up, Kuen Cheng High School, Kuala Lumpur received RM500 in cash. Their students, Ng JiunnXiang and Tan Zi Yang each won a Sunway A-Level bursary valued at RM30,000 and or, a Sunway Degree bursary for studies in Actuarial Studies or Industrial Statistics or Financial Analysis or Financial Economics, valued at RM24,000. In addition to the bursaries, they each took home individual trophies and certificates of commendation.

As the first runner up, Chong Hwa Independent High School, Kuala Lumpur received RM600 in cash. Their students, Tan Chee Xiang and Woon Jian Xiang each won a Sunway A-Level bursary valued at RM45,000 and or, a Sunway Degree bursary for studies in Actuarial Studies or Industrial Statistics or Financial Analysis or Financial Economics, valued at RM30,000. In addition to the bursaries, they each took home individual trophies and certificates of commendation.

As champions of the Math and Logic Challenge 2019, Kuen Cheng High School, Kuala Lumpur received RM800 in cash and took home the challenge trophy. Students, Benjamin Loh Ze Min and Ewe Kai Yu each won a full Sunway A-Level bursary valued at RM36,000 and or, a Sunway Degree bursary for studies in Actuarial Studies or Industrial Statistics or Financial Analysis or Financial Economics valued at RM45,000. They each took home individual trophies and certificates of commendation.

BETTER LUCK COMES WITH HARD WORKHaving emerged as the world’s top Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) student, a delighted Ng Yi Sze believes the harder you work then the luckier you are. Awarded first place and the Little Prize in the Professional Stage Order of Merit for Business Planning: Taxation with an outstanding mark of 100% in the 2018 ICAEW Professional Level Paper Exam, first place Yi Sze also took home the Plender Prize for Professional Annual International Order of Merit 2018, the Highest Non-Graduate Student and the Simon Morris Memorial Prize 2018. Delighted by the awards received, Yi Sze is now more confident and feels she will have more opportunities in the field of accounting.

Prior to enrolling into the Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB) at Sunway TES Centre for Accountancy Excellence programme, Ng Yi Sze had the opportunity to intern in the Finance department of Oleon (Asia-Pacific) Sdn Bhd. It was here she found her passion for accountancy and received the Sunway TES and ICAEW Global Accountant Scholarship which funded her tuition and examination fees.

Formerly from SMK (Perempuan) Bukit Kuda, Klang, 20-year old Yi Sze spent 18 months in CFAB and another 12 months preparing for the ICAEW professional stage level. Grateful for the constant support from the lecturers and their dedication in sharing their knowledge and experiences with the students, Yi Sze shared the programme is challenging as the yearly updates to the syllabus required students like her to keep themselves learning and be familiar with the latest syllabus.

Yi Sze has also widened her world view of the accounting landscape as she has just completed her work-based learning at KPMG Malaysia. Having just completed her 3-month Authorised Training Employer (ATE) work-based learning, a newly confident Yi Sze shared she has learnt to think from a different perspective.

Math and Logic Challenge winners with Dr Elizabeth Lee and Sunway College A-Level Math lecturers

Team challenge

Individual challenge

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RECOGNISING TALENTS

Established in 2002, the JCF Community Scholarship which annually allocates 20 scholarships to youths in need for education at Sunway University and Sunway College is a vital vehicle to enrich and improve lives. Grateful for the opportunities made available through the scholarships, JCF community scholars like Venisri and Chee Keong chose to share their stories to encourage the next generation to push boundaries and develop their potential through pursuit of higher education.

Venisri feels very blessed to have been offered the opportunity to study in Sunway University on a fully sponsored scholarship. Currently working in Citibank Malaysia as a management associate, Chee Keong is honoured to be an alumnus of the BSc (Hons) Financial Analysis and to have been given the opportunity to develop a career in banking.

Converging to share stories of their education journey in Sunway, the select group of scholars from the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF) Community Scholarship recently got together to welcome new additions to the family of JCF scholars. Current scholar Venisri Jeyaraman who is pursuing BSc (Hons) Business Studies in Sunway University and former scholar Leong Chee Keong were present to share their experiences of being part of the family of JCF community scholars.

During this gathering, Professor Graeme Wilkinson, the Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University spoke of how the JCF Community Scholarship recognises the need for social inclusivity and social responsibility. The JCF Community Scholarship has been a blessing for those from disadvantaged backgrounds as the JCF provides an education fund, accommodation, book purchases and living allowances to enable student scholars to further develop their talents and potential whilst studying at Sunway.

This sense of inclusiveness and social responsibility is reflected in the 5-star rating in the International QS ranking and Sunway University is the only non-government linked university in Malaysia to attain this. Delighted that the JCF Community Scholarship is all about providing quality education to the deserving, Professor Wilkinson hoped the scholars would continue to develop their talents to help build a more harmonious society for the future.

GOING GLOBAL: SUNWAY TES ACCA AUDIT SIMULATION

Taking an innovative approach to focus on building employability and real-world skills in students, Sunway TES Centre of Accountancy Excellence (STES CAE) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) collaborated to globally launch the first ever real-world case-based audit simulation programme in June this year. An exclusive partnership between STES CAE, ACCA and multinational audit firms of PwC, EY, KPMG, Deloitte, and BDO, this audit simulation programme enables students to acquire practical audit work skills through effective time management, team work, communication and leadership, all which are essential to ensure work readiness.

The Sunway TES-ACCA Global Audit Simulation Programme was officially launched by Teo Ee Sing, Executive Director at Sunway College together with Dato’ Merina, Abu Tahir, President of the Malaysia Advisory Committee (MAC) and Chair of ACCA Advisory Committee; Lee Kok Choong, Malaysia Learning and Development Leader, EY; Dato Gan Ah Tee, Regional Senior Partner, BDO; Esther Thng, Regional Head of Education, ASEAN ANZ, ACCA; Nor Sherriza Nor Rashidi, Employer Branding – Lead, PwC; Peter Lim Chu Guan, Partner, Deloitte and Zetty Othman, Manager, Talent Acquisition and Branding, KPMG.

Attracting 54 students from Indonesia’s Petra Christian University, London School of Accountancy and Finance, and Padjadjaran University; Dubai’s Middlesex University; India’s International Skill Development Corporation (ISDC Global), the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Bahrain Polytechnic, and Oman’s Sultan Qaboos University, the Sunway TES-ACCA Global Audit Simulation Programme also had 218 students from STES CAE participating in this programme.

These 272 student participants were then divided into 38 groups of 7 members per group. Within one week, these participants were given an audit crash course comprising of an audit workshop, audit simulation and audit review. Guiding, facilitating and reviewing these students through this programme were representatives from the multinational audit firms.

At its global launch, Dato’ Merina Abu Tahir spoke of how the programme is a shining example of Sunway TES’ innovative approach to focus on building employability and real-world skills in students. Wishing all the participants the very best of luck, Dato’ Merina urged them to keep an open mind and learn as much as they can during the audit simulation programme.

For STES CAE, the programme was first initiated in Kuala Lumpur in 2015. Currently in its 8th installation, Sunway TES believes in creating a culture of excellence that provides inspirational interventions for students to accomplish their goals according to Teo Ee Sing.

JCF Community Scholars with Lee Siok Ping and Professor Graeme Wilkinson

Lee Siok Ping, Director of Student LIFE together with Leong Chee Keong, a Sunway alumnus and Venisri Jeyaraman, a current JCF Community scholar

Lee Kok Choong, Dato Gan Ah Tee, Teo Ee Sing, Dato’ Merina Abu Tahir, Esther Thng, Nor Sherriza Nor Rashidi, Peter Lim Chu Guan, and Zetty Othman launch the Sunway TES-ACCA Global Audit Simulation Programme

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‘GET WELL SOON’ WINS AUSMAT PITCH COMPETITION

In welcoming the finalists to the AUSMAT Pitch Competition 2019, Vanitha Satchithanadan, Director of the Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT) programme at Sunway College spoke of how short persuasive speeches could potentially change attitude, lives and community.

The panel of judges for the AUSMAT Pitch Competition comprised of competition advisor, Oliver Kee Swee Keat, Senior Lecturer of AUSMAT; Bernadine Caruana, Counsellor (Education and Science) to Australian High Commission, Kuala Lumpur; Annyza Tumar, Head of Academic Enhancement of Sunway University and A. Alagarani, Senior Lecturer of Victoria University at Sunway College.

All finalists were awarded with individual trophies and certificates of commendation for their efforts. Balqis Elmira from Q Academy, Dheptika Gopal from Sirius Scholar Study Skills, Gurparkash Kaur from Sri Dasmesh International School, Jordan Wong Liang Hao from Sri Emas International School, Wong Yun Qi from Arrows Resource Centre, Chloe Ng from Sri Desa Learning Centre and D’leene Douglas from Sri Desa Learning Centre each took home the consolation prize of an AUSMAT programme bursary worth RM5,000.

Walking away with the second runner-up prize, Lau Shir Lyn from Sri Sempurna International School spoke on ‘Social Imprisonment’. She received an AUSMAT programme bursary worth RM10,000. The first runner-up, Cassandra Chui Jhia Ee from Lumière Academy spoke on ‘Are You Alive or Just Breathing?’. Her efforts won her an AUSMAT programme bursary worth RM15,000.

Emerging as the champion of AUSMAT Pitch Competition 2019 and winning herself a full AUSMAT programme bursary worth RM18,500 to pursue at Sunway College, Wong Eunice from Nobel International School impressed the judges with her speech titled ‘Get Well Soon’. In her pitch, she spoke of mental health issues being just as common as physical health issues.

Walking the audience through the symptoms of mental health issues, Eunice cited the example of panic attacks. Finding it hard to breathe and having sweaty palms, those who suffer from panic attacks could suffer episode after episode as there is no cure for panic attacks. Urging the audience to listen to people suffering from mental health issues, Eunice wanted to start a conversation about mental health in order to overcome the stigma attached to it.

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

In July, Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY) Sunway College KL honoured the achievements of over 500 students at this year’s graduation ceremony and celebrated its 20th Anniversary. From 23 students in 1999, MUFY at Sunway College KL currently has over 1,200 students in 2019.

Among the esteemed guests who graced this double celebration were Dr Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Education Group; Jo Mithen, Chief Executive Officer of Monash College; Professor Andrew Walker, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Monash University Malaysia; Bernadine Caruana, Counsellor (Education and Science) in the Australian High Commission; Professor Graeme Wilkinson, Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University and Lee Thye Cheong, Director of MUFY.

Kicking off the celebration was a MUFY staff and students flash mob followed by an elaborate pyrotechnics show. This was followed by Dr Elizabeth Lee and Jo Mithen signing a digital plaque and the esteemed guests were then invited on stage for the cake cutting ceremony. Entertainment for the night involved performances from MUFY alumni and video presentations highlighting MUFY’s journey over the last 20 years.

That same night, the graduating class of July 2019 received their certificates and awards. Jessie Koh Jie Xin received the MUFY Excellence Award for achieving the highest average score of 99.93% among all MUFY providers worldwide. 103 students received the Monash University High Achiever Award Scholarship for achieving an average score of 89% and above.

The highlight of this double celebration arrived when MUFY at Sunway College KL anchored their 20 years of excellence by coming out top in 23 out of 24 subjects among all MUFY providers worldwide.

Winners and finalists of the Sunway AUSMAT Pitch Finals 2019

Wong Eunice from Nobel International School

Cassandra Chui Jhia Ee from Lumière Academy

Lau Shir Lyn from Sri Sempurna International School

Dr Elizabeth Lee and Jo Mithen signing the digital plaque

Celebrating MUFY’s 20th anniversary with a cake cutting ceremony

High achiever award recipients