Bio-med student aims for the stars

MANAGEMENT and Science University (MSU) high achiever Arivananthan Kanakasundar received the Dean’s Award five times and the President’s Award thrice.

The Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Honours) student also won the Pitch for Progress Competition organised by the Higher Education Ministry, as well as the Junainah Abdul Hamid Award for Best Research at the Eighth Medical and Health Sciences Symposium organised by MSU.

He also made the national finals in the Maybank Go Ahead Challenge 2017.

The son of a lorry driver had never dreamt he could come this far, but that was exactly what he accomplished.

Admirable achievements

As far as accomplishments go, Arivananthan’s speak volumes – a member of the Chamber of Social Responsibility Malaysia, he is also a member on the United Nations Volunteers Programme.

He represented MSU in the InterVarsity Parasitology Quiz and Oratorical Competition 2016 and also presented his research at the Seventh Malaysian Symposium of Biomedical Science 2016 and in Singapore at the 2017 International Union of Microbiological Societies, which is a member of the International Council for Science.

The director of two of MSU’s Malaysia Book of Records programmes, The Highest Number of Digital Posters in a Single Competition and The Most Number of Basketball Shootouts from FreeThrow Line, Arivananthan also directed numerous MSU programmes, namely the Student IT Skills Exhibition, Health Science Week, Fight and Flight and the Sports Science Jump Street Challenge.

He was also president of the MSU Indian Cultural Association for the 2015/2016 session and helped facilitate various activities for fellow students with MSU’s Students and Career Development (SCD) Department.

Arivananthan had always been committed to the MSU cause for community engagement, and the Chancellor Gold Award winner has been instrumental in enriching the lives of many of society’s less fortunate members.

Now a clinical lab scientist at KPJ Tawakkal Hospital, Arivananthan is continuing in his academic journey by pursuing the Master in Biomedical Sciences programme at MSU.

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MSU president Prof Tan Sri Datuk Wira Dr Mohd Shukri Ab Yajid (in blue tie, holding certificate) with Arivananthan (standing behind Prof Shukri, on his right) as director for MSU’s Malaysia Bookof Records programme, The Most Number of Basketball Shootouts from Free-Throw Line.

Arivananthan currently works as a clinical lab scientist at KPJ Tawakkal Hospital.