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A Trip Down Memory Lane

16 Apr 2018 7:34pm
“It is important for all of us to appreciate where we came from and how that history has really shaped us in many ways that we might not understand” - Sonia Sotomayor
 
Tourism Management students from APU recently organized an excursion to the National Museum, to explore more about history and archaeology in Malaysia. The group was fortunate to have Capt. Lee EK, a retired pilot from Malaysia Airlines and now a volunteer for the museum, to bring them around for a 2-hour walking tour.
 
Under Capt Lee’s interesting elaboration of stories of the past, students enjoyed the trip down memory lane and explored the history of Malaysia at the four galleries – Prehistory Gallery, Malay Kingdom Gallery, Colonial Era Gallery and Malaysia Today. Through an exciting and innovative approach, Capt Lee guided students through the stories about the Malayan Emergency, the struggle for independence, the formation of Malaysia, the political system and the economic development of Malaysia.
 
   
 
History does not need to be boring; our students enjoyed the excursion and became more interested in learning about history. These knowledge are beneficial for them, the aspiring tourism professionals of the future.


Visit to the 'Execution by Hunger: Holodomor 1932-1933' Exhibition

01 Mar 2018 7:36pm
As part of their out-of-classroom experience, a total of 47 students and 4 lecturers from the International Relations (IR) and Media programmes visited the exhibition of ‘Execution by Hunger: Holodomor 1932-1933’ which was held at the University of Malaya Art Gallery recently. The exhibition, supported by the embassy of Ukraine in Malaysia, was coordinated by the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund, to highlight the gruesome effect of a man-made famine against the Soviet-Ukrainian people under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. 
 
The Holodomor or also referred to as the Great Famine has been long ignored by the international society and to bring light and recognition to the event, Ukrainian Government has organised similar exhibitions all around the world such as Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. 
 
Throughout the visit, the IR and Media students were exposed to the reality and adversity of the Holodomor which had caused the death of estimated 6-7 million people. The students had the opportunity to gain knowledge from a historic documentary produced based on the first hand experiences of the survivors of the Holodomor, which detailed how Ukrainian farmers were forced to give up their crops for taxes. As a whole, the exhibition allowed students to understand the plight of victims and at the same time learn about the history of the Holodomor and its effect on Ukraine today.
 
One of the aims of IR as a discipline is to understand the struggles of the past and try to prevent it from occurring in the future. We appreciate this opportunity created for the students by the lecturers and hope that APU’s IR and Media students were able to learn from the mistakes of Stalin’s regime, thus appreciate the value of human rights and social justice in the world to be ‘better leaders of the future’.

Visit to the 'Syria, Yemen, Iraq: The Risk of Forever Being Lost' Photo Exhibition

02 Mar 2018 7:15pm
"Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures." -  John F. Kennedy
 
We are pleased to share that a total of 24 students and 3 lecturers from the International Relations and Media programmes attended the ‘Syria, Yemen, Iraq:  The Risk of Forever Being Lost' photo exhibition recently, which was organised by the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The visit was an initiative to allow participants to have an out-of-classroom experience with regards to the subject matter of peace, war and conflict.
 
The exhibition illustrates the degree of destruction resulted from the armed conflicts taking place in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The display was divided into four sections: Religious Edifices, Commercial Structures, Social Dwellings and Historical Monuments. The exhibition is an attempt by IAMM and ICRC to record the before and after destruction and recollect the memories of world shared heritage.
 
Throughout the visit, the IR and Media students were exposed to the enormity of the on-going crisis and to ponder upon what the world have lost. The students learned how cultural heritage sites and historical properties have been destroyed due to the civil war and armed conflict in the Middle East and the Levant. The display also benefited the students as they are now able to understand that armed conflicts within and between states not only results in devastating reports of deaths and increase of asylum seekers but also demolishes cultural heritage and identity.
 
Often time during conflict, we see the enduring power of heritage to heal and build peace. In 2011, during the Arab Spring protests in Egypt, a group of young men from different background formed a human chain outside the main gates on Tahrir Square in an attempt to protect the National Museum from looters. The event showed how heritage could be a powerful tool for peace, and must be protected. Hence, we appreciate this opportunity created for the students by the lecturers and hope that in the future, APU’s IR and Media students will uphold the value of heritage as the symbol of peace and participate in the efforts to save and protect cultural heritage in every corner of the world.

Embracing Nature

25 Jan 2018 11:24am
The best way to learn something is to experience it. In view of this, International Students & Tourism students from the APU School of Marketing & Media (SoMM) embarked on a field trip to Dark Caves and Royal Selangor, to discover nature, learn about geography and experience real-life tour centre management recently.

The students had a wonderful and enlightening experience, as they discovered something new; for instance, at Royal Selangor, they discovered the tin mining history and they were thrilled to know that Malaya was the largest producer of tin. Besides, the ecological significance of Dark Caves, that houses an ancient animal community of 100 million years old, including 200,000 bats of different species, amused the students and enhanced their awareness of nature preservation.
 

 

As the students walked through the magnificent cave formations – stalactite, stalagmite, flowstone, cave pearls, cave curtains, column and gour pools as well as witnessing the pewter making process, each of them returned with their own amazing story to tell.

Field trips like this that enables students to experience and learn at the same time is one of the most effective way to enhance knowledge discovery and application. At the end of this trip, we sincerely hoped that the knowledge gained are able to lead to open mindsets and better general knowledge among our students.

Field Trip to Public Bank

11 Sep 2017 7:33pm

Classroom learning alone is inadequate to mould the students’ knowledge of their selected field of studies. Exposure to real life industries through the lens of theoretical knowledge and concepts acquired in classroom will bring into the equation a complete learning experience. Recently, School of Management organised a field trip to Public Bank headquarters at Menara Public Bank, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. A total of 40 students from International Business Management and Human Resources Management programmes have participated in the industrial visit by Mr Kantharow Apparavu, and Ms Mazuwin bte Haja Maideen.

Three Public Bank staff members briefed the students about three core areas in banking operations: Human Capital Management, Retail Financial Services and Banking Operations. The students were also given a tour of the frontline operations, and the Department of Treasury. The visit enabled the students to relate their theoretical knowledge to practical aspects, such as product development, marketing, communication flow and network, certification to key industrial standards, and resolution of customer claims.

 

The visit was successfully concluded with a brief speech of appreciation given by our representative to acknowledge Public Bank efforts in the informative sessions, and their hospitality and guidance throughout the visit at Menara Public Bank.

Excursions to Royal Selangor Club

04 Sep 2017 9:01am

As part of the Sports Centre Management and Sports Tourism module, APU School of Marketing & Media organized an excursion for students of the BA (Hons) in Tourism Management programme. The group visited the Royal Selangor Club (Sports Annexe) in Bukit Kiara.

As part of their visit, club executive, Ms. Venny, provided an extensive briefing on the club’s structure, membership, activities and patronage, followed by a walkabout that demonstrated the facilities of the 133-year-old club. The visit provided students with first-hand experience, knowledge and understanding of the overall management and operations of a sports club.

We are glad to share several positive feedbacks obtained from the students who visited, as below:

“The visit to RSC made me help understand the concept of a sports club and how they run the business. It was an interesting experience and the briefing by Ms Venny was good.” – Miftah Krakatau (Indonesia)

“I had the opportunity to personally observe the facilities and services offered by a prestigious club in Kuala Lumpur.” – Abdullah Rashwan (Maldives)

“The visit helped us to know how a sports club run their business and this will help me in my career in the future” – Abdullah Ahmed (United Arab Emirates)

“I am impressed with the way the club provides not only a number of facilities and services to its members but also for leisure and dining. We had an opportunity to dine in. The food was awesome!” – Ainur Fatihah Zailani (Malaysia)

“What an eye opener for me. Have learned a lot from this trip as it brings benefit to society.” – Kong Huey Qian (Malaysia)

International Relations Students Attended Seminar on The Muslim World

30 Aug 2017 5:07pm

A total of 18 students and 5 lecturers from the International Relations programme attended a seminar titled ‘The Muslim World, Present and Future: Regional Powers, Terrorism and Religious Extremism,' co-organised by University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Asia West East Institute (AsiaWE) earlier this month at UTM Campus, Jalan Semarak in Kuala Lumpur. This field trip was organised by Mr. Kennimrod Saribuja James Pasaribu and Mr.  Muhammad Ammar Hisyam under the School of Marketing and Media to expose students from International Relations programme to some real political issues in the world and its impact on the regional and world’s social, economic and political situations.       

The seminar featured many well-known Islamic scholars such as Professor Dr. Kamaruzaman Yusoff from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Professor Dr. Syed Farid Alatas from National University of Singapore and Associate Professor Dr.  Mohd Roslan Mohd Nor from University of Malaya. The speakers addressed issues related to the current political and security situation in the Middle East especially on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Among the topics discussed were the concepts of Islamic Jerusalem, Zionism, Christian Zionism, the superpowers involvement in the Middle East, the future of two-state solution for Israel and Palestine and the threat of religious extremism in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.  

The seminar was indeed very informative and well-structured to include the historical aspects as well as the practical concept in promoting peace and security in the Middle East.  As a result, the students were able to analyse the current dispute initiated among several fractions in the Middle East from historical, political and security perspectives, examine how the political turmoil affected the Muslim world and understand the importance of resolutions to cultivate peace and harmony in the Muslim world. 

Finally borrowing one of the quotes from Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.  We appreciate this opportunity created for the students by the lecturers and look forward to seeing the students become successful leaders and hopefully be part of the peacekeeping solutions in the Middle East in future.


Diplomats in the Making - International Relations Students Visited "Diplomacy @60: Then and Now"

14 Jul 2017 10:01am

A group of 20 students and 4 lecturers who were under the International Relations programme paid a visit to the National Museum recently, for a special exhibition by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Diplomacy@60: Then and Now”.

The purpose of the exhibition was to showcase Malaysia’s diplomatic relations with the world at large since before the country’s independence on 31 August 1957. Mr. Al-Fadil Adam, Principal Assistant Secretary of Media Relations, gave an in-depth guided tour through the exhibition, by explaining the personal artefacts of some of the prominent architects of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from its inception in 1956 and tracing the luminaries in Malaysia’s foreign policy since the era of the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj until the current premiership of YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak. Participants not only had the opportunity to ask multiple questions about roles of different sub-divisions and participate in a general knowledge quiz, they also had the opportunity to take photos at the UN General Assembly podium, specially recreated for this purpose. Mr. Al-Fadil concluded the tour with a personal sharing of his own career journey and the many facets of life in the diplomatic corps.

   

The trip was very beneficial to International Relations students, since it gave a holistic perspective of how a nation develops its diplomatic relations with other nations. The exhibition enabled students to understand how theory is applied in the real world. We appreciate this opportunity created for them by the lecturers, and we look forward to seeing them as successful diplomats in in the future!

Learning from the Industry - Cost & Management Accounting Industrial Visit

28 Apr 2017 3:36pm

Recently, 21 students from the School of Accounting, Finance and Quantitative Studies (SAFIQS) visited Cerebos Malaysia Sdn Bhd (BRAND'S® Essence of Chicken Manufacturing Factory) as part of their out-of-classroom experience.

This industrial visit, arranged by Ms Lai Siew Fong, was aimed to enhance the students’ knowledge and understanding regarding the manufacturing processes, operations and the costing methods, as part of their Cost and Management Accounting module. It was a useful session as students who attended gained the first-hand experience in applying accounting principles in real-life. Through the visits, students were able to understand that cost and management accounting principles applies across every industry, including the manufacturing line.

ACADEMICIANS MEET INDUSTRY PRACTITIONERS - APU Lecturers Visit Maybank to Meet Alumni & to Learn About Maybank’s Apprentice Programme

25 Apr 2017 3:53pm

10 APU lecturers visited Menara Maybank and were welcomed by Datin Morni, the Head of Group Resourcing from Maybank, joined by Sophia Ang, Head of Talent Attraction, Surin Segar, Head of Group Technology and the Global Maybank Apprentices. 

The aim of the visit is to introduce about Maybank and current opportunities the Bank has for APU students. The Bank has also invited the Global Maybank Apprentices, fresh graduates who have graduated long too long ago who are now working with Maybank to share their working experiences thus far with the Bank. In fact, two of our APU students, both Arina Kungeibayava and Olga Zhuk from Kazakhstan are enrolled in the programme right now. 

The Global Maybank Apprentice Programme is the Bank’s award-winning apex Programme for graduates, a specially designed two-year on-the-job rotation programme which includes a three-month international assignment to encourage cross-border exposure and network among young talents. The beauty of this programme is that the Maybank Apprentices are able to customise their rotations based on their interest and personal preference and foster personal growth through mentoring. The program is not limited to only graduates from business disciplines but also attracts graduates from a wide range of academic backgrounds, and of course, we recruit both Malaysians and non-Malaysians as well. 

Apart from the normal route of application, many of their Maybank Apprentices from their award-winning graduate management trainee programme, Global Maybank Apprentice (GMAP) are recruited through the Maybank GO Ahead. Challenge (MGAC), a student competition organised by Maybank since 2012, in which APU has been a strong supporter and hosted the competition since 2014. Throughout the visit, the APU lecturers experienced a small part of the MGAC Campus Levels case study, the exact same challenges that the students went through! 

    

The essence of MGAC differs from other business case competitions as it is the first student competition in the region that challenges participants in both financial and non-financial disciplines. MGAC has first started in 2012, and the number of applications closed off at 37,000 across 104 nationalities last year.  A series of obstacles tests their business acumen, problem-solving skills, emotional and cultural intelligence. Participants are exposed to real-life pressures and expectations of a high performing organisation, like Maybank. 

MGAC encompasses a fair mix of 50% technical and 50% non-technical challenges. Both these components have been weaved into the case studies and the challenges. For example, while the participants harness their technical skills by building their companies from scratch and going through the cycles of business, we ensure we inject non-technical challenges such as a virus attack that completely wipe off their work hours before their presentation to the ‘Board of Directors’. The virus was planted to test their resilience and the ability to think off their feet. The teams had to resort to using typewriters and overhead projectors – tools that the millennials nowadays had no experience with. 

The application for MGAC 2017 is now open and we do encourage all students to join! For more information & application, visit http://tiny.cc/mgac2017.  


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