Secret ingredients to be successful
Attend a talk on how youths can be educated to become successful individuals who can thrive in uncertain environments on March 25.
CHANGE is imminent in life. While some welcome it, others may edge away from the uncertainty that comes with it.
How can people survive and thrive in an environment that is full of change?
Will youths be able to take on the on-going fourth industrial revolution, automation, and disruptive technology that is present in almost every industry?
Heriot-Watt University Malaysia provost and chief executive officer Prof Mushtak Al-Atabi is certain that they can, provided they are equipped with the right skills, mindsets and good networks - which are his “secret ingredients” to be successful within and beyond the workplace.
“There is economic uncertainty globally and the fact that technology is threatening many jobs requires a new way of thinking to future-proof our graduates,” he says.
Prof Mushtak will be giving a talk titled “Employability in the 21st Century: Future-proofing your child in an uncertain world” at the varsity’s campus in Putrajaya.
The event, which starts at 10.30am on March 25, is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided.
During his session, Prof Mushtak will explain how youths can be educated to become successful, happy and effective individuals who can thrive in uncertain environments.
Prof Mushtak, who is a passionate educator, innovator and an agent of change, believes that besides developing skills, higher-learning institutions should also develop a positive mindset and strong networks among their students that will enable them to do well in the future.
“Having a resilient and growth mindset is extremely important to help one find opportunities and bounce back amidst the challenges they are facing.
“It will allow people to believe they can change, grow, improve and respond to challenges that life is going to throw at them,” he says, adding that being positive, happy, and emotionally intelligent are important mindsets as well.
Meanwhile, it is proven that people who have good Network Quotients (NQ) are able to move projects along and get things done at a faster pace.
Prof Mushtak defines the NQ as a combination of the number of people a person knows, in the right places and the strength of the connection with them.
“A strong NQ is necessary to remain employed and relevant in the 21st century.
“People who are well connected do have the ability to get jobs and get them done because other people know they are dependable and would give them resources,” he explains, adding that HeriotWatt has multiple initiatives, including the Youth Transformation Programme, to give the network exposure their students need.
“When people are placed in a supportive environment, it will enable them to develop through experiential learning and exploration of themselves.
“Through this, they will develop self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and also relationship management - all of which are important for building strong NQs,” he says.
Separately, Heriot-Watt will also be organising a “Happiness Forum” on March 20, from 2pm to 4pm, to discuss a business model for happiness.
The “Happiness Forum: A Business Model for Happiness” is open to the public, and will feature prominent diplomats, academicians and business leaders including Prof Mushtak himself, Higher Education director-general Datin Paduka Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir, Invest KL director and Team Lead (Strategy, Advisory & Services) Michael Warren, Monash University psychology honours programme coordinator, and Positive Minds co-founder Dr Karen Jennifer Golden, as well as Deputy British High Commissioner to Malaysia Paul Rennie.
Prof Mushtak says the forum will focus on what strategies businesses, educational institutes, pol- icy makers, and individuals need to adopt to live a happier, purposeful and more connected life.
It will also shed light on the latest research that shows that happiness can be taught and learned and that it is a viable business model.
Speakers will tackle the issue from a mental health and performance point of view to see how companies and organisations can perform better and effectively by keeping employees happy, he says.
“Happiness isn’t only about positive emotions. It is about positive emotions, resilience and meaning.
“We will all have difficult times, and resilience is important to deal with that. Working towards something meaningful is also important to keep us motivated and resilient,” Prof Mushtak adds.
The forum is part of HeriotWatt Malaysia’s Happier U initiative, which aims to convert the entire campus community - including staff and students - to be resilient by maintaining positive emotions towards a purposeful life.
The initiative hopes to promote happiness and cultivate a caring community; encourage the university to live a happier and healthier life; as well as provide opportunities that lead to positive emotions and well-being.
“Through the Happiness Project, we are making a choice to build a happy, supportive and resilient community.
“We believe that through this, we can enable our people to unleash their potential and live their lives to the fullest,” says Prof Mushtak.
To register for Prof Mushtak’s talk, go to http://bit.ly/hwfuture.