GrabVarsity now available in UM
PUBLIC university students can now grab the opportunity to be part of the GrabVarsity programme created by the e-hailing transportation and mobile payments platform Grab.
The first-of-its-kind student engagement programme in Malaysia addresses the students’ transportation needs and will provide lifestyle benefits and rewards for the student community.
All while allowing them the opportunities to gain work experience and earn a side income.
Grab Malaysia country head Sean Goh says: “As a homegrown brand, Grab is committed to playing a part in driving Malaysia forward.”
He adds that the company is aware of its role in developing the country’s young minds, helping solve local problems and at the same time, giving back to the community.
He adds that there are four key pillars in the programme - rewards , mobility, experience and income.
GrabVarsity Rewards is a student- based reward progamme with exclusive benefits from partners such as Shopee Malaysia, iflix, Photobook Worldwide, Digi and Pizza Hut.
Mobility, explains Goh, is Grab trying to ease traffic congestion within and around the university by establishing designated pickup and drop-off areas while providing exclusive promo codes for events such as convocations and festivals.
The programme also provides hands-on learning opportunities for students through apprenticeship placements at Grab Malaysia.
“The fourth pillar is income and students can participate in our special short-term, student-only Grab driver programme where students can ferry other students around,” he says, adding that this will also provide a supplemental income to the driver.
Goh adds that the hours of driving for each student driver will be monitored to ensure their study time is not jeopardised.
During the launch of the programme in Universiti Malaya (UM), Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh says the programme is meant for tertiary education students “as GrabVarsity addresses the transportation woes of students and faculty.”
“It combines lifestyle rewards and opportunities for real-life work experience for students,” he said.
His speech text was read by his deputy Datuk Dr Mary Yap Kain Ching.
Idris adds that the ministry always welcomes initiatives from the private sector that will help give students real-work experiences to carve a better future for themselves.
UM deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) Prof Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud says the programme will not only benefit the students but will also further develop the transportation system within the university.
“We are grateful that the whole campus community can benefit from this development and I sincerely hope that there will be more such developments in the future,” he adds.
GrabVarsity can be accessed through the portal GrabVarsity. com and is currently available in UM, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Perlis.