Reach for success on a global scale

FOR many parents, a foreign university is often the preferred choice over any local institution. The reason behind this is that most employers consider local graduates to be inferior, less exposed and even less proficient in English – all the qualities needed to succeed in the working world.

Today, many universities and colleges facilitate what is known as the 3+0 programme with international universities, where the core teaching and learning material are provided by the foreign counterpart and the local lecturers conduct the weekly lesson plans.

For IACT College, the fact that three Malaysian students not only earned firstclass honours in their studies but also awards that surpassed their international classmates clearly answers the question “Can local students succeed in the global arena?” in one word: Yes.

Fong Chui Yin or better known as Aki, Samuel Lam Keen Lok and Joshua Paul Jesudasan studied at IACT College before progressing to the University of Sunderland to complete their Bachelor’s degree.

While many might attribute their success to British campus life and their exposure to diversity in terms of culture, teachers and the European lifestyle, they say that their strength was actually fuelled by what they had learned prior to leaving IACT College. This goes to show that it’s not about where you

The truth is, local students who succeed abroad usually exhibit exceptional personality traits that distinguish them from their peers while still in IACT College. — AliciA benoy

learn, but how you learn.

“One of the main misconceptions we get from parents is that students achieve better results once they set foot overseas. The truth is, local students who succeed abroad – like the three winners – usually exhibit exceptional personality traits that distinguish them from their peers while still in IACT College,” said Alicia Benoy, Programme Leader for the UK Bachelor of Advertising and Design.

Having taught the winners, she describes how such students are usually more “self-driven, have higher aspirations and possess a clear idea of what they want to achieve out of their learning experience”.

Aki, who won the top spot in the University of Sunderland’s National Survey video competition for advertising and design in her second year, is described as someone who is “enthusiastic, hardworking and fresh thinking” by her UK mentor despite not having any background in design.

For Lam and Jesudasan, who won the Best Documentary award at Sunderland’s annual Sparky’s Award for Broadcast Media Production, they were motivated to participate out of sheer fun, curiosity and self-motivation, much like all their other assignments given at IACT College.

Winning was not on their agenda, but seeing it as another challenging and playful project was what led to their creativity. Competing among their international peers proved to be of little intimidation.

Recently, IACT College had the honour of witnessing more victories when student Song Jia Jia won the grand prize for a poster design competition organised by GSC Cinema.

A team of Creative Multimedia students, Chong Kern Wei and Khoo Min Shern, also clinched the first and second runner-up positions. The competition was held in conjunction with the release of acclaimed Hong Kong actor Datuk Jackie Chan’s latest movie co-starring Hollywood actors John Cusack and Adrien Brody.

Founded in 1970, IACT College offers degree, diploma, and foundation programmes in mass communication, media, marketing, advertising, broadcasting, graphic design and creative multimedia.

To know more about the learning environment and meet the industry professionals, visit IACT College’s Open Day on March 7, 8, 21 and 22.

You can also log on to contact its education counsellors at 03-7956 0211.

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