MARCH 2015 | ISSUE #11

MAKING MALAYSIA PROUD AS CHAMPION OF THE WORLD’S 1ST INTERNATIONAL YOUNG CHEF OLYMPIAD 2015 Ashwin Nicholas Oon from Taylor’s University School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts (TCHT) has proved himself a formidable talent in culinary arts by winning the inaugural World’s 1st International Young Chef Olympiad 2015, which took place in Kolkata, India recently.

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TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR BECOMES THE FIRST ASIAN TO BE MADE FELLOW OF INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY EDUCATION (THE-ICE)

Dr Pradeep Nair, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Taylor’s University was recently awarded the Fellow of THE-ICE (International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education) in a ceremony held in Darwin, Australia, in recognition of his outstanding academic contribution to tourism, hospitality and culinary arts.

OMG CAMP – TESTIMONIALS

One of the pioneer OMG Camp goers shares his thoughts during the 4 day 3 night experience at Taylor’s University. Find out what he thought about the Camp here.

SHINING WITH THE SHINE DISCOVERY SESSION AT TAYLOR’SArticle by: Vinodh Pillai

Ironically enough, it certainly was a shining Friday morning when an enthusiastic group of 60 to 70 students from Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus embarked on a life changing journey: the SHINE Discovery Session.

THE FUTURE OF THE TRAVEL INDUSTRYGlobal futurist shares during landmark speech at Taylor’s University

Rohit Talwar, a global futurist, strategist, researcher and award winning professional speaker, shared how rapidly advancing and increasingly smart technologies could impact every aspect of the travel industry and transform literally every one of its functions. Rohit addressed an audience comprised largely of hoteliers from around the Klang Valley at Taylor’s University, Lakeside Campus recently.

SPOTLIGHT

INDUSTRIAL ENGAGEMENT

INDUSTRIAL ENGAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK

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TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES NEW CLINICAL SCHOOL CAMPUS IN SUNGAI BULOH

As part of its commitment to groom young talents to become highly skilled and knowledgeable medical doctors, Taylor’s University recently launched its clinical school in Sungai Buloh, Selangor. Located near the Sungai Buloh Hospital where Taylor’s medical students are placed for their clinical studies, the establishment of the dedicated clinical school is an extension of Taylor’s University commitment in providing quality education to its students. It also marks the culmination of a standing collaboration between the Taylor’s University, School of Medicine (TUSOM) and Hospital Sungai Buloh to ensure that learning opportunities for medical students are relevant and comprehensive.

EXPOSURE TO FIRST-HAND WORK EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE INDUSTRY IMMERSION PROGRAMME

Recently, Taylor’s Business School (TBS) kick-started its Industry Immersion Programme which allows over 40 TBS students to gain invaluable industry experience through this unique work-experience programme. Over a period of 10 weeks, students will work on case studies provided to them by top employers such as OSK Ventures International, BDO, GSK, L’oreal, Maybank, Mondelez, Nielsen, Shell and Unilever and also benefit from input shared by the professionals they work with.

TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY SIGNS MOU WITH LEADING PHARMA PLAYERS TO DEVELOP IN DEMAND TALENT

Driven by changing demographics, a more affluent population and an increasingly health-conscious society, Malaysia’s growing healthcare indicate the need for talent development to meet the industry’s rapid growth demands. Keen to play an active role, Taylor’s University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with six pharmaceutical players to launch a Pharmaceutical Industry Student Adoption (PISA) programme, the first of such collaboration in the country.

A BID ADIEU FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS

Seven Taylor’s University Global Ambassadors gathered with the August batch of exchange students for the last time in Malaysia, before departing to their respective countries. The group learned the art of Batik textiles and created their own pieces for keeps; and explored the ancient Dutch Fortress at Bukit Melawati and marveled at the firefly colony. They also volunteered in a Soup Kitchen in Klang Valley for the less fortunate.

GAINING AN INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE THROUGH TAYLOR’SFour La Trobe University students share about their two weeks’ teaching experience in KL

Recently, four students from La Trobe University, Melbourne were paired up with four Taylor’s University School of Education students as part of the Collaborative International Paired Placement (CIPP) initiated by La Trobe University and Taylor’s last year.

TEACHING & LEARNING

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Making Malaysia proud as champion of the World’s 1st International Young Chef Olympiad 2015

Ashwin Nicholas Oon from Taylor’s University School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts (TCHT) has proved himself a formidable talent in culinary arts by winning the inaugural World’s 1st International Young Chef Olympiad 2015, which took place in Kolkata, India recently.

The 22-year-old beat culinary arts students from nations renowned for culinary arts such as France, Switzerland, Spain, the United Kingdom and more to win this international competition. He walked away with the prize money of US$10,000 (RM35, 578) along with a gold trophy, a gold medal and a certificate, besides being crowned the Young Chef global ambassador.

Ashwin, who is currently in the final year of his degree, shared that he was confident with his performance in the semi-finals of the competition. He said that even though he initially fell behind schedule in preparing the three dishes for the semi-final, he was able to make up the difference within the first hour and pushed himself to meet the schedule for the remaining two hours. He was confident at the end of the time as he delivered a really satisfying performance.

“The judges gave me really positive feedback for each of the dishes I served. For the appetiser, which was a fish brioche, they were stunned that I was able to execute the in two hours. They were also really impressed with the dish and shared that it was cooked perfectly for them.

“They were also appreciative of the main course, which was a stuffed chicken breast. They shared that the chicken was cooked perfectly and was juicy. They were also really impressed with my choice of garnish - pommes maxim, made of thinly sliced potatoes and arranged in an overlapping circle and pan-fried in butter until golden and crispy.

“They were also impressed with the dessert, mango mousse, and the way it was plated,” he said.

For Ashwin, his performance at Kolkata was one that he was really satisfied with as he outperformed his own personal training time at Taylor’s.

“When my name was called out during the announcement of the finalists, I was elated to beable to take Malaysia’s reputation to another level. It was only after the semi-final that my peers looked at me as a formidable talent and I was recognized for my talent and ability,” he shared, adding that that moment was the best experience of the competition for him.

For the finals, Ashwin served up a dish named "Spinach & cottage cheese chartreuse with tomato peppers nage, madras curry oil & broccoli" which featured half of the ingredients provided for the last leg of the competition. He put down his ability to deliver a technical dish with ease thanks to the training and tutelage he received at Taylor’s. He shared his appreciation for the coaching style that his coach, Chef Farouk Othman, adopts as it allowed him to push his boundaries and provided him the opportunity to be independent when coming up with the menu choices.

“I settled on this dish as I just finished a 6-week internship with Chef Franck Putelat, a Michelin star chef in France. Working with him was an unforgettable experience and I am glad that I was able to do thanks to TCHT,” shared Ashwin.

TCHT Dean, Mr Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan shared that TCHT students are taught to have an international outlook.

“We tell our students that the world is their classroom and imbibe in them a desire to aspire to achieve recognition both at an international level and local level. Through this exposure, they are able to gain from the exposure to various cultures and learn from the best.

”The fundamental reasoning behind the approach to education that we adopt here at TCHT is through exposure to as many opportunities locally and abroad, our students are able to enhance their competencies and become better in the mastery of their profession.

“I am extremely proud of Ashwin’s latest achievement and look forward to reading more of his accomplishments in the near future,” said Neethiahnanthan.

Ashwin started his culinary competition journey with a win in the 2013 Culinaire Competition which saw him walk away with a silver medal in the hot cooking category. He continued his winning streak by being named Champion of the Nestlé Professional Culinary Arts Awards 2014. He then went on to conquer the cooking category in the ASEAN Skills competition in Hanoi last year, picking the highest points among all the competitiors from all nations to be named Best of Nation.

Ashwin will be representing Malaysia in the WorldSkills Oceania 2015 International Competition in Hamilton, New Zealand next month as well as in the World Skills competition in São Paulo, Brazil in August.

Taylor’s University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Becomes the First Asian to be made Fellow of International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education (THE-ICE)

Dr Pradeep Nair, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Taylor’s University was recently awarded the Fellow of THE-ICE (International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education) in a ceremony held in Darwin, Australia, in recognition of his outstanding academic contribution to tourism, hospitality and culinary arts. THE-ICE is an international accreditation body of hospitality and tourism courses based in Australia. Dr Pradeep is the first Asian to be conferred this international award.

Dr Pradeep Nair has over 20 years of academic and management experience. In 1996, he was appointed by the Human Resources Development Council to lead the development of the national Hotel Industry Apprenticeship Scheme (HIAS), which successfully provided thousands of Malaysians youth gainful employment in the hotel and foodservice sector. Dr Pradeep is also co-founder of TEAM (Tourism Educators Association of Malaysia) in 2001 which has continued to grow and bridge the divide between tourism and hospitality academia and industry.

Currently, he is the President of the ASEAN Tourism Research Association (ATRA) since 2013 and the Deputy Secretary General of the Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities (MAPCU).

Through the conferment of this Fellowship, Dr Pradeep joins a distinguished group of outstanding academics, industry professionals and individuals for their contribution to tourism, hospitality and events fields.

Originally set up by the Australian government, THE-ICE is today a not-for-profit international accreditation organization, leading a global network of quality tourism, hospitality and events institutions.

The future of the travel industryGlobal futurist shares during landmark speech at Taylor’s University

Rohit Talwar, a global futurist, strategist, researcher and award winning professional speaker, shared how rapidly advancing and increasingly smart technologies could impact every aspect of the travel industry and transform literally every one of its functions. Rohit addressed an audience comprised largely of hoteliers from around the Klang Valley at Taylor’s University, Lakeside Campus recently.

“There is a clash between to two worlds - those from the old planet see the world in very physical terms. In contrast, the new world of businesses and individuals 'born digital' see everything and everyone as data - be it a customer, hotel room, taxi or airline ticket. As a result they believe technology and clever algorithms can help us tackle literally any and every challenge. The clash between these two radically different ways of thinking will shape the future for all of us,” said Rohit.

Rohit, who was speaking during Taylor’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts Distinguished Lecturers’ Series, shared that the main challenge facing service providers is how they are able to use the data they possess to enhance the experience of their customers. He said that in the next 10 years, more and more consumers will be looking for opportunities to personalise their experience - and that effective use of customer data will be critical in delivering on these expectations. “From a survey we carried out, we found that 92 percent of hotel guests will expect their stay to be personalised around a set of choices they make at the time of booking or prior to their arrival [at their destination]."

“By 2020, we will see the emergence of a new breed of unbranded hotel group, offering white label solutions, including sophisticated marketing, very high service standards and advanced technology support while allowing owners (of hotels) to develop their own brands. Also by 2020, a new category of co-branded and co-designed signature properties could emerge within hotel chain portfolios, providing differentiation and opening up ancillary revenue opportunities through partnerships with prominent consumer brands such as Apple, Porsche and Armani,” he said.

He shared that this growing demand for the delivery of personalized services and experiences development can be addressed by having highly trained staff whose services are backed up by technology. “In the face of intense global competition, the hotel industry will develop a strong focus on strategy and innovation, adopting approaches such as crowd-sourcing and open innovation to generate new ideas,” he said.

He also shared how innovators such as Virgin Galactic, Dell, Expedia and more are bypassing the conventional payment systems by accepting Bitcoin, a software-based online payment mechanism.

Additionally, Rohit also cited how future-proofed organisations develop strategies that address three time horizons in parallel - 0-12 months - with an emphasis on operational excellence; 1-3 years - with a focus on finding opportunities to grow and develop the business; 4-10 years - understanding the forces, trends and ideas that could help deliver your long term vision. He reiterated that the important thing is to have different people looking at these different time horizons in tandem. Hoteliers need to seize the contribution an employee can bring to the organization, some people may be better at addressing short term needs compared to long term needs while for others, it may be the opposite.

“By correctly matching your staff’s ability to the correct horizon, you will be able to ensure that the company is able to perform to the customer’s expectations. In adopting the three horizon mindset, you will be able to implement plans for all three horizons, ensuring that your organization is able to meet the needs of your customers in the future,” he concluded.

Taylor’s University School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts (TCHT) Dean, Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan said that the Distinguished Lecturers’ Series is the School’s way of providing a platform for members of the hospitality industry and students to listen to experts in the respective fields. It is also in line with the university’s aim to empower the next generation to own their future.

“In the past, Rohit Talwar has accurately spotted trends ahead of their time and I was very keen to hear his views of the future trends, especially for the hospitality industry. I hope that the industry members and students who were in attendance benefitted from the session and they would be able to be a step ahead when the time came. “I would like to thank Rohit and the Malaysian Association of Hotels- Selangor Chapter for making this possible,” said Neethiahnanthan.

The session was also attended by Dr Junaida Lee Abdullah, Deputy Secretary General of Ministry of Tourism and Culture; Dr Pradeep Nair, Taylor’s University Deputy Vice Chancellor; Tan Sri Ajit Singh, former Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); Mr Sam Cheah, President of Malaysian Association of Hotels and Mr Richard Dusome, President of Malaysian Association of Hotels - Selangor Chapter.

Taylor’s University launches new Clinical School campus in Sungai BulohThe Taylor’s University Clinical School will focus on teaching students to deliver the highest level of care to patients

Professor Dato’ Dr. Hassan Said (middle), Vice-Chancellor & President of Taylor’s University with Dr. Haji Khalid bin Ibrahim (right), Director of Hospital Sungai Buloh and Dr. Pradeep Nair (left), Deputy Vice-Chancellor Taylor’s University officially launching the Taylor’s Clinical School at Sungai Buloh

Professor Dato’ Dr. Hassan Professor Dato’ Dr. Hassan Said (left), Vice-Chancellor & President of Taylor’s University holding a baby doll after a simulated demonstration

As part of its commitment to groom young talents to become highly skilled and knowledgeable medical doctors, Taylor’s University recently launched its clinical school in Sungai Buloh, Selangor. Located near the Sungai Buloh Hospital where Taylor’s medical students are placed for their clinical studies, the establishment of the dedicated clinical school is an extension of Taylor’s University commitment in providing quality education to its students. It also marks the culmination of a standing collaboration between the Taylor’s University, School of Medicine (TUSOM) and Hospital Sungai Buloh to ensure that learning opportunities for medical students are relevant and comprehensive.

In his address, Professor Dato’ Dr. Hassan Said, Vice-Chancellor & President of Taylor’s University said that the institution aspires to produce future doctors who are well-rounded with good professional values and the core for patient care.

“In a commitment to help students with the skills they need to succeed, the School of Medicine has provided customised, well-equipped and industry-standard laboratories that are designed to integrate teaching with practical application the medical sciences. These values and ethical practice are woven into the very heart of our learning at School of Medicine, and strengthened through early clinical exposure and clinical training.”

Professor Hassan also thanked the Ministry of Health, in particular Hospital Sungai Buloh, for allowing Taylor’s University, School of Medicine (TUSOM) students to undergo their clinical training at the hospital. At the launching ceremony, Dr. Haji Khalid bin Ibrahim, Director of Hospital Sungai Buloh assured that he is happy to accept TUSOM in making HSB as the clinical teaching base.

“I am still grateful to be a part of the collaboration with Taylor’s University – the medical students have demonstrated exemplary efforts and display of compassion and dedication to become competent and safe doctors. The partnership has proven to be fruitful and we hope to continue further,” said Dr. Haji Khalid.

Dean, School of Medicine at Taylor’s University, Professor Dr. Abdul Rahman Noor highlighted the university’s connections with Hospital Sungai Buloh will continue to enhance stronger collaboration between academia and clinical practice in the areas of learning and teaching, practice and research.

”Hospital Sungai Buloh is one of our best and strongest partners in Malaysia and provides quality clinical practice experience with our medical students. It is our hope that this partnership and collaboration will consolidate the training for our students in preparing them to be good doctors.”

The Taylor’s School of Medicine has customised, well-equipped and industry standard facilities that are designed to integrate teaching with the practical application of medical sciences. The facilities are on par with the standards set by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and the Ministry of Education, thus ensuring that our students are exposed to the most up-to-date teaching facilities.

Taylor’s University signs MOU with leading pharma players to develop in demand talent

Dr. Pradeep Nair (furthest left), Deputy Vice-Chancellor Taylor’s University and six industry partners – (left to right) Abbott Malaysia, Blackmores, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis Corporation, Pfizer & Roche Malaysia during the launch of the Pharmaceutical Industry Student Adoption (PISA) Programme

Dr. Pradeep Nair (second from right), Deputy Vice-Chancellor Taylor’s University and Professor Dr. P.T. Thomas (first from right), Dean School of Pharmacy at Taylor’s University with six industry partners from Abbott Malaysia, Blackmores, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis Corporation, Pfizer & Roche Malaysia at the launch of Pharmaceutical Industry Student Adoption (PISA) Programme

Driven by changing demographics, a more affluent population and an increasingly health-conscious society, Malaysia’s growing healthcare needs indicate the need for talent development to meet the industry’s rapid growth demands. Keen to play an active role, Taylor’s University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with six pharmaceutical players to launch a Pharmaceutical Industry Student Adoption (PISA) programme, the first of such collaboration in the country.

“This partnership is very timely. The university’s efforts to develop employable graduates, and the pharmaceutical industry’s need for talent to meet growth opportunities, creates an ideal platform for collaboration. Taylor’s University has always been committed to nurturing our students through a holistic approach, and the PISA programme further enables our students to get the crucial hands-on experience with the best in the industry. This further complements the nation’s aspirations to bring Malaysia’s healthcare industry to greater heights,” said Taylor’s University Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dr Pradeep Nair.

The MoU was signed by Taylor’s University and Abbott Laboratories (M) Sdn Bhd, Blackmores Malaysia, Johnson & Johnson Sdn Bhd, Novartis Corporation, Pfizer Malaysia, and Roche (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.

Besides providing internship opportunities for Taylor’s University students to explore areas beyond technical subjects related to pharmacy as well as enhance their communication, leadership, problem solving and human resource management skills, the MoU also includes, among others to jointly pursue and develop original and applied research and other projects of mutual interest in the areas of pharmaceutical sciences, undertaking of technical collaborations through guest lecture(s) involving both Taylor’s University and its partners with Taylor’s University conducting short courses and training programmes and Collaboration on projects that are in line with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Dr Pradeep Nair also added Taylor’s University believes in providing the best platform to allow its students excel not just in their respective fields of study but also beyond the classroom walls. “More and more employers are increasingly recognising that students also need life skills and work skills that will make them competitive in the marketplace, and ease their transition from a book-smart student to a professional. Adoption programme such as the PISA will be able to groom future employees and create industry-ready graduates,” he said.

The PISA programme will see selected students from the Taylor’s University’s School of Pharmacy being adopted by one of the six pharmaceutical partners to carry out activities throughout their academic years. It will also pave ways for collaboration and exchange between the academia and the Pharmaceutical industry.

Gaining an international experience through Taylor’sFour La Trobe University students share about their two weeks’ teaching experience in KL

Recently, four students from La Trobe University, Melbourne were paired up with four Taylor’s University School of Education students as part of the Collaborative International Paired Placement (CIPP) initiated by La Trobe University and Taylor’s last year.

The four students; Tasha Brady, Tamara Congdon, Hannah Mathews and Luke Pronga; are the first students to participate in this unique international placement opportunity with Taylor’s International School, Kuala Lumpur, one of the 5-star schools under Taylor’s Schools.

The CIPP programme aims to maximize student teachers’ learning experiences, facilitate inter-cultural learning and develop opportunities for growth and expansion to other universities.

They spent two weeks developing an understanding about teaching in a Malaysian setting and were aided by four School of Education students, Nurul Jazmin bt Fauzan, Lum Kit May, Tan Vee Yen and Joyce Tan throughout their time. For Luke Pronga, this experience would have been overwhelming if not for his buddy, Joyce.

“Joyce has stepped up and helped me figure out what needed to be done. There was also an occasion where the students were not paying attention to the Math lesson I was teaching and she stepped in to regain their attention.

“She was also really helpful as she helped me with pronunciations and was a good person to bounce things off on a day-to-day basis.“This experience has allowed me to become more specific in my instructions to the students,” he said.

Joyce shared that she was able to play an active part in Luke’s practical experience as she has had exposure to teaching in the school before so she drew on that to help him out.

“I’m quite used to the teaching environment as I was there last year and the students know me. So, when I saw him struggling, I used another method to help him in the lesson,” she said.

Tamara, who was partnered with Kit May, shared that by having a buddy, she was able to relate more to the students in the classroom and that allowed her to be more comfortable during the placement.

Having a buddy also allowed her to become better as the buddies call to attention the simple things like how fast they speak. “Kit May allowed me to stay calm throughout the lesson as she is generally a calm and collected person,” she said.

Kit May shared that this experience was a two-way journey as she learnt the importance of lesson planning from her buddy, Tamara. “The CIPP programme has allowed us to learn from international students, which has grown our knowledge about teaching practices overseas. This is another dimension to the exposure we receive here at Taylor’s, which allows us to grow holistically right from the first semester,” she said.

OMG Camp – testimonialsOne of the pioneer OMG Camp goers shares his thoughts during the 4 day 3 night experience at Taylor’s University. Find out what he thought about the Camp here:

Joey Wong, 18I was already registered for the American Degree Transfer Program a month before joining OMG camp and aspire to be a Chemical Engineer, majoring in Petroleum Engineering, with the possibility of a Software Engineering degree. Hence, my purpose was just wanted to have fun at camp, as it was my first time and use this time to meet new people – a completely different mindset than my fellow campers.

Having not joined a camp before in my 17 years of life (I’m not an outgoing person), I’ve always thought camps were boring gatherings for strangers and filled with dull talks about motivation and organising your life. Little did I know, I was registering myself for a journey filled with deep self-discovery and personal epiphanies.

I really thought that these four days spent in the Taylors Lakeside Campus has impacted dramatically on my future. It taught me more about myself, about my strengths and my weaknesses. It opened my eyes to the blind spots and flaws that I never knew about myself. And most importantly, it helped me improve as a person. I left the camp more mature than ever.

To sum everything, I thought the camp was pretty amazing. I’ve rarely met any new people after entering high school. To be pushed into deep end with just 5 friends, out of some 60 people, at camp was scary and intimidating at first - but I learned to loosen up and socialise more. The friendships with I’ve made seem to be extra cherished as we’ve been through a lot together as a group in a short time. Discovering more about myself and my passion was definitely one of the highlights of this camp, as I’ve learnt to be more compromising and thoughtful. I would definitely recommend this camp to my friends for its unique experience and look into developing themselves as a person as well. I thought about volunteering to be a helper at the camp, and I am still keeping that in mind!

Shining with the SHINE Discovery Session at Taylor’sArticle by: Vinodh Pillai

Ironically enough, it certainly was a shining Friday morning when an enthusiastic group of 60 to 70 students from Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus embarked on a life changing journey: the SHINE Discovery Session.

”But first, let’s take a selfie!” SHINE students from the SHINE Discovery Session 3 posing for a picture while halfway through the jungle trek. (Source: Wan Lukman Wan Hadi)

SHINE accountability buddies, Jagannath and Ka Poh, sharing a personal moment with each other. (Source: SAC)

Ironically enough, it certainly was a shining Friday morning when an enthusiastic group of 60 to 70 students from Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus embarked on a life changing journey: the SHINE Discovery Session. The SHINE students, along with SHINE Award Centre (SAC) staff members, left for a 3-days-2-nights’ stay at the Ontok-Ontok Chalets & Resort, Batang Kali, where their potentials and attitudes were challenged, and their characters and personalities put to the test in a self-discovery camp, the fourth and final session for the SHINE program this year.

The SHINE award program, the first of its kind in the country, is an achievement record that formally recognises and rewards all students who wish to reach their full potential, by taking part in fun and diverse extra-curricular activities both on and off campus, and keeping track of it all in a second transcript that will be awarded upon completion of the student’s particular degree program. Similar programs are carried out in different parts of the world, and Taylor’s University is the first tertiary institution in Malaysia that has such a program in place for its students: to help them stand out when they enter the working world by having that extra sparkling edge. Students are encouraged to sign-up for the next opening, when registration begins in January.

One of the criteria requirements that a budding SHINE student would have to fulfil in order to qualify for the second transcript after the estimated three year program is attending at least one SHINE Discovery session, in which he or she will participate in teambuilding and character-building workshops and seminars, as well as other endurance activities, such as a jungle trek, and going on a flying fox. This year saw a total of four sessions, while next year, plans are being made to facilitate a total of 15!

The day began with a round of piping-hot mee goreng, and an introductory session briefing by Gerald Raj, a learning skills development specialist at the SAC, following an icebreaker by Nicholas Chan, founder and chief geek of Yellow Shorts, a specialized consulting firm. Students were paired up into twos or threes and found themselves facing their newfound accountability buddy (or buddies): a personal companion for the three-year journey. The idea of accountability buddies was introduced to help students cope with their personal issues and identify their weaknesses and strengths, by introducing a peer-to-peer technique. After this proceeded lunch, and later, the students and staff checked into their respective chalets and dormitories (15-20 boys to a dorm, and 4-5 girls in a chalet) and prepared for the next item on the agenda.

Throughout the day, personality assessments, analyses, and informative talks were held, as well as relative and practical activities – such as the Spaghetti and Marshmallow task (in which the author’s group emerged as victors), and a self-reflection activity with LEGO blocks – not forgetting, of course, the many rounds of finger-licking-good meals, (including vegetarian dishes for those of us with such dietary preferences). In the Spaghetti and Marshmallow task, group members were faced with an intriguing challenge: how does one create a model of spaghetti sticks with a sturdy base, make it as tall as possible, have it hold a marshmallow on top, and make sure it does not topple over when the judges come by to evaluate it – all in 18 minutes? The pressure was high for School of Engineering and School of Architecture • Building • Design students, driven by the thirst to prove themselves and keep the reputation of their schools high. In the end, team Titans set the high mark for future SHINErs, with its 84cm tall tower – the highest ever recorded throughout all the SHINE Discovery sessions!

Excitement and suspense filled the air by the second morning. One thing, and one thing only was on everyone’s mind – the jungle trek. By 9:30a.m., everyone had gathered in the cafeteria, their bags packed with mass tins, garbage bags, water bottles, insect repellent, raincoats, raw meat, eggs, uncooked rice and vegetables, random pinches of salt and turmeric, and a portable stove, waiting for their next instructions from Mr Gerald. When everyone was set to go, we bade goodbyes to the toilets (the trek was to take a fair number of hours and there were no stops for potty breaks, we were told) and journeyed into the humid jungle, and up, up, up into the mountains. After a couple of hours we had arrived at our destination – a waterfall – but fate certainly had other plans set for us, as we found out that another group was already there, and using our space for their activities. Nothing could have dampened the students’ spirits, and we journeyed higher, and eventually settled down at the next waterfall we found.

“Despite difficulty and complexity, I will try my best way to overcome and achieve what I want!” writes Goh Kah Poh for the self-reflection with LEGO activity. The LEGO man at the top of the ladder, which leans against the blocks, signifying the struggle of life, and the ability of mankind to overcome obstacles in its path. (Source: SAC)

The wining team with the highest standing tower for the Spaghetti and the Marshmallow challenge – 84cm! (Source: SAC)

When asked on how she felt after the camp, Foundation in Communication student Lor Phaik Yee says, “They had good speakers – Mr Gerald and Mr Nicholas, for example – and, honestly, if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have felt so motivated and inspired as I am today. I was very impressed by their working attitude, their enthusiasm, and their commitment, primarily, to helping us SHINE students excel in the program. The SHINE Discovery session was a complete session because of them, and I thank them whole-heartedly.”

Students wishing to register for the SHINE program are advised to tune into the TU SHINE Facebook page (Taylor’s University SHINE Award Centre) for updates on when exactly the next registration will be. Registration to join the program now is, rather unfortunately, closed for this year’s intake.

“Yahoo!” (Source: SAC)

(Source: SAC)

On the third and final day, the students worked on creating our mission statement for the SHINE online portal (after a hearty breakfast of nasi lemak, sambal, and hard-boiled eggs, of course). Soon after, the students were in for a real treat – a flying fox adventure!

Teamwork, at its best. Team members pushing forward together against the various obstacles on the trek. (Source: SAC)

”Come on, let’s take the picture and eat already!” (Source: SAC)