Connecting to the world
tHE HELP Matriculation Program (HMC) promotes holistic education based on two principles – first, an education that connects the student to the world and second, responding to the student’s needs with an open, inquisitive mind and a sensitive understanding of the world in which he or she is developing and growing as an individual.
By connecting to the world, HMC introduces students to leadership programmes under the HMC Leadership and Development Sphere (HMC L.E.A.D.S.) which offers a variety of spheres such as the Events Sphere, Social Sphere, Experiential Education, Excursion Sphere and Publications Sphere that cater towards extracurricular activities that require sound leadership and team-building skills.
Each sphere brings with it a specialty for the student to explore and take part in.
Students are involved in many signature events such as the HMC RUSH (a race run along similar lines as the TV reality show, The Amazing Race), which has been organised in many locations, among them Langkawi, Australia and Penang.
The programme is designed to bring out the best in students, sharpening their event management skills and developing teamwork, essential soft skills for the real world.
As another introduction to the real world, Corporate Responsibility is also nurtured through activities like AniHELP (Animals and HELP) and by aiding the HELP Community Learning Centre, which houses close to 100 Myanmar children so that students understand ethical values and respect people, community and the environment.
One of the most successful events for 2013, C2AGE, organised by HMC students, attracted a crowd of 5,000 at HELP College of Arts and Technology, with members of the public as well as special guests from Japan and the Philippines thronging the corridors in various Japanese anime costumes. Already in its seventh year, the event is testimony to the dedication and commitment of students and lecturers to ensure the success of an event.
On the second principle, HMC lecturers explore the possibilities of new areas of learning by opening the inquisitive minds of students with sensitivity to the world he or she is growing up in. The introduction of a new module titled Culture Arts and Politics will further provide the students with a competitive edge over others.
Faculty of University Foundation Studies dean Dhanesh Balakrishnan says, “This is the hard part. A holistic teacher cannot be a technician administering a series of workbook exercises or performing a script he or she learned in a teacher training programme.
“A holistic teacher is acutely sensitive to the student’s needs and at the same time acutely aware of the challenges and possibilities the world offers this person at this moment and in this place.”
To ensure students are exposed to the right thinking, HMC has introduced subjects such as Critical Thinking Skills, Personal Development and Leadership, Culture Arts and Politics, Human Communication, Public Relations and Introduction to Legal Studies, to stimulate students to think outside the box and empower them with critical thinking abilities as well as communication skills.
In this way, students can feel part of the wholeness of the universe and learning will naturally be enchanted and inviting.
This goal is worked on and accomplished through a dedicated team of lecturers, who act not only as lecturers but as mentors to their students. The idea is not just to impart knowledge but also to inspire them to become useful members of society.
With a choice of either a Foundation in Arts or a Foundation in Science programme, successful completion of the Foundation programme provides direct entry into undergraduate programmes at HELP such as the Business, Communications, Law, IT, Early Childhood Development, Hospitality and Tourism and Psychology.
On top of that, the Foundation programme is internationally recognised and accepted as an entry qualification to prestigious universities in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand and Russia. Many of those gaining entry into top universities have gone on to obtain top honours.
Victoria Yeong Foong Yee, formerly a Foundation student, attained her Bachelor of Psychology, First Class Honours and was also awarded the Tan Sri Datuk Paduka Dr Hajjah Saleha Outstanding Achievement Award, indication of the stellar grounding she received during her Foundation course.
Another outstanding Foundation student, Lim Su Wee, obtained a partial scholarship to enter University of Melbourne, Australia. He attributed his independent lifestyle during the Foundation programme for his confidence to adapt quickly when he arrived at the university.
Han Pei Wen recently completed her Bachelor of Commerce at University of Queensland and was in the Dean’s Commendation List for her excellent results.
Former student Aisya Nadia Musa distinguished herself at University of Leeds with a Second Class Upper (Bachelor of Science) and was offered a place at King’s College London to complete her Masters in Health Psychology.
“We want to see students as reflections of our moral sensitivity as educators, rather than as static bodies of intellectual content. We bring ecological literacy, emotional literacy and social responsibility to our students through our own presence,” says Dhanesh.
The next intake for the Foundation programme is Jan 13. Students with excellent results are encouraged to apply for merit scholarships.
For details, call 03-2094 2000, e-mail marketing@help.edu.my or log on to http://www.help.edu.my