At the heart of learning
IN today’s world, getting hired requires not just a good degree but also soft skills such as communication, leadership and time management, which many employers deem critical in the work environment. Therefore, it is important for students to develop these skill sets while studying in order to secure their dream job upon completion of their studies.
Aside from classroom learning, Sunway University also provides students the opportunity to develop and harness soft skills through participation in various activities outside the classroom and at the same time, build their passion to being responsible citizens.
At the Sunway University Business School (SUBS), learning is not just limited to memorisation and exams – a large part of learning occurs beyond the classroom.
SUBS students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and commit their time to projects that benefit the community such as organising the annual SUBS Student Concilium charity run. Themed “Run for Love 2017”, this year’s charity run successfully raised RM17,363 for the Spastic Children’s Association of Selangor and Federal Territory (SCAS & FT) and RM12,565 for PAWS Animal Welfare Society.
The Student Concilium is a student-run club that aims to serve as a bridge connecting SUBS students with the school and at the same time, provide them with a different university experience.
With the love-themed run, it hoped to instil values of love and affection to the community while raising funds for charitable organisations and the underprivileged.
Student Concilium former president (2016/2017) Bernard Goh Boon Ping said, “We started with the aim to instil the value of love into our lives. Through the run, we hope to provide a platform for students and the public to spend time with their friends and families, which in turn might help reduce any barriers between them.”
Goh is currently a second year student in BSc (Hons) in Accounting and Finance.
The event recorded more than 700 participants taking to the streets of Sunway City, with some running with love-shaped helium balloons. The 8km run kick-started with a warm up session followed by the flag off by Sunway Group EXCO member Puan Sri Dr Susan Cheah at 7.15am in Sunway University.
Also present were Malaysia’s CPA Australia president Teresa Chong, SCAS & FT president Datuk Lam Peng Chong, MCIL Multimedia Sdn Bhd general manager (marketing) Lenny Chiah, SUBS Industry Advisory Board chair Christina Foo and SUBS dean Prof Steve Williams.
For Goh, leading the organising committee for the run was not an easy task. He shared that it was his first time organising such a large scale event.
“Being a leader is not just getting the job done but also being able to foresee any future problems that might arise. I also learnt that in a negotiation, we should only negotiate and accept terms that are within our limits,” he said.
While sharing his experience of the event, Goh said there were some challenges they faced while organising the charity run, including getting all members of the committee to work together, commit to the cause and to reach their proposed target. In spite of the challenges, he explained that proper planning was an important factor for the successful outcome of the event.
“The Run for Love was another successful charity event by the SUBS Student Concilium as they managed to attract more than 700 participants,” said Goh.
He thanked their main sponsor, CPA Australia and other sponsors for all their help and support in making the event a success.
At Sunway University, students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and community projects.
The first-hand experience gained through these activities creates a learning platform for students to develop better problem-solving, communication and leadership skills, which are constantly in demand by employers.
This, in turn, helps instil moral values of caring, empathy and consideration of others, nurturing strong characters and responsible citizens. A member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), SUBS offers a wide range of business, accounting and finance, marketing and management programmes of Diploma, Bachelor to Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Philosophy.
The programmes include Diploma in Business Administration, BSc (Hons) in Accounting and Finance, BSc (Hons) Business Management, BSc (Hons) Business Studies, BSc (Hons) Marketing, BSc (Hons) Financial Analysis, BSc (Hons) Financial Economics, Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Philosophy (Business).
Most of the programmes are validated by Lancaster University, UK where upon successful completion of the programmes, graduates are awarded two certificates, one from Sunway University and another from Lancaster University.
In August this year, SUBS will launch three new programmes – BSc (Hons) Global Supply Chain Management, BSc (Hons) International Business and BA (Hons) Entrepreneurship.