Celebrating academic success
WORK hard and push yourself outside your comfort zone.
These are Azrul Arifuddin’s “secrets to success” throughout his university and internship years.
His willingness to put himself out there paid off when he was offered a job immediately after his internship at Schlumberger Business Support Hub.
The 24-year-old is now a master data analyst in global procurement support at the company.
He also says he fully focused during lectures and classes to keep up with lessons because he was always busy with extra-curricular activities.
He was the recipient of the Chancellor Gold Medal Award during the Management & Science University’s (MSU) 22nd convocation ceremony last Saturday.
The Sandakan native was one of 2,003 graduates who were conferred their scrolls.
Azrul adds that he never expected to receive the award and this has given him the drive to work even harder to become a successful entrepreneur some day.
The Bachelor of International Business graduate has a CGPA of 3.90 but, he adds, he almost didn’t enrol in the course due to financial constraints.
Still, Azrul was determined to make something of himself and used to work part-time at a call centre to fund his tertiary studies, as well as taking on a National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan.
He says he gained valuable skills in MSU and during his internship, especially teamwork and communication skills, which are essential in the working world.
“It is obvious that student life and working life have their own challenges.
“The working life has challenges that are beyond our expectations and we need to be ready to meet these challenges.
“We should never stand alone when we do something, whether in the workplace or in life, we need a great team to support and motivate us, and achieve success together,” he says.
HE adds that he actively took part and led events and activities on-campus.
For Hafiz Afiff Mohd Chung Choon Ted, 24, receiving the Mohd Shukri Yajid Outstanding Award was a blessing.
The only child says he has been living on his own after his mother moved back to her native Indonesia shortly after his father passed away two years ago.
Now, with this award, a mistyeyed Hafiz Affiff says he has been able to land a well-paying job as a product specialist in a pharmaceutical company.
He believes that with this job, he is better able to support his mother, who has seen him through thick and thin throughout his life.
His mother Afifah Nawawi, 47, says she is very proud of her son’s achievements, knowing that it has not been easy for him to reach this level of success in his studies.
The Bachelor of Bioinformatics graduate attributes his award to “passion and dedication.”
“I was always more interested in my extra-curricular activities such as when I was involved in a social entrepreneurship event in Aceh, Indonesia,” he says.
“I am also one of the representatives on the Student Council,” he explains, adding that through his involvement with the council, he discovered he is more a “people person.”
Adrianna Abdul Aziz, 24, was also offered a job at the same company she interned at.
The Bachelor of International Business graduate is now an activation lead at Digi Telecommunications Sdn. Bhd.
Her job sees her handling events, roadshows, social media work and customer support.
She has also been able to rub shoulders with famous Digi brand ambassadors such as singer-songwriter Yuna.
The President Award recipient says she used to always study with a group of friends because “studying alone can be quite boring.”
During the convocation ceremony, MSU president Prof Tan Sri Dr Mohd Shukri Ab Yajid told the graduates: “Your degree alone is not what makes you different.”
He says the extra skills and personality traits that the graduates pick up throughout their university life will help them stand out in the working world.
MSU pro-chancellor Tan Sri Dr Wan Mohd Zahid Mohd Noordin echoes his sentiment.
“Your certificate is necessary but not sufficient to ensure your continuous success,” he says.
“This is why in MSU, we push for Personal Enrichment Competency and Graduate Employability Schemes because we want you to be distinctive,” explains Prof Mohd Shukri.
“We are also going to be conducting a job matching programme for our students with our 1,640 industry partners.
“We are targeting that at least 20% of our students will be matched to jobs in their industry through this programme,” he says, adding that the programme is starting this year.
Prof Mohd Shukri also says that 92% of MSU graduates completed their courses within the stipulated time. The highest record, so far based on their Indicator Of Graduating On Time (IGOT).
The university also conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Finance and Investment to renowned investment and finance expert Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman for his contributions in the development of asset and portfolio management in Malaysia “and for building Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) into what it is today,” adds Prof Mohd Shukri.
Also receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Education Management and Leadership is international organic chemistry expert Prof Dr Sultan Abu Orabi, who is the secretary-general for the Association of Arab Universities.
The convocation also awarded 60 excellent students for their achievements under five special categories, namely the Chancellor’s Gold Medal Award, President Award, Academic Award, the Mohd Shukri Yajid Outstanding Award and the Industry Award.