Blaze Vol 06 Issue 16

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MAGAZINE / VOL 06 ISSUE 16 / March 2011 / www.sunway.edu.myKKDN No. Permit: PP14672/07/2011(028495)

Sunway is now a university!On top of the world

Award winning coffeeLiving in the limelight


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VOL06ISSUE16/Mar2011

is published our times a year. The name was selected as

it signiies Sunway University achievements in recent years. Sunway

University, owned and governed by the Jerey Cheah Foundation, is a

trailblazer in the area o excellence in education pursued with a laming

passion in the hearts o its sta and students.

Advisor :

Elizabeth Lee

Editorial Team :

Jerrine Koay(Editor)

Jacqueline Muriel Lim (Sub-Editor & Writer)

Laveenia Theertha Pathy (Writer)

Publisher :

Sunway University

Concept + Design :

Yoong & Ng Consulting

Printer:

Ocean Transer (M) Sdn Bhd

Should you have comments, kindly contact:

The Public Relations Department

Sunway University

Tel: 603-74918622

[email protected]

www.sunway.edu.my

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed or implied in are those o the

authors or contributors and do not necessarily relect those o Sunway

University.

Sunway University is part o the Sunway Education Group. The rest othe Sunway Education Group institutions and services are:

Sunway College Johor Bahru

Tel: 607-359 6880

[email protected]

www.sunway.edu.my/jb

Sunway College Ipoh

Tel: 605-545 4398

[email protected]

www.sunway.edu.my/ipoh

Sunway College Kuching

Tel: (6082) 232780/[email protected]

www.sunwaycollegekuching.edu.my

Sunway-TES

Tel: 603-74918622

[email protected]

www.sunway.edu.my

Shanghai Sunway Financial

Training Co Ltd

Tel: (8621) 585 24899

[email protected]

www.sunway-tes.cn

Sunway International School

Tel: 603-7491 8622

[email protected]

www.sis.sunway.edu.my

Monash University Sunway

Campus Malaysia

Tel: 603-5514 6000

[email protected]

www.monash.edu.my

Jeffrey Cheah School ofMedicine

Tel: 603-5514 6000

[email protected]

www.monash.edu.my

Sunway International

Business & Management

Tel: 603-5880 7356/60

[email protected]

www.sunway.edu.my/sibm

From the Executive Directors Desk

Elizabeth Lee

Executive Director

A new year a new you truly rings sweetly or Sunway

University in 2011. What started as a dream has

inally become a proud reality. This oicial upgradeto university status is a mark o excellence or our

institution and is the ultimate recognition o our

endeavours.

As I look back on 2010, one other event stands out

too. This was when we became oicially owned by andplaced under the Jerey Cheah Foundation, which

embodies the philanthropic spirit o our Chancellor

to enrich and improve lives. The Foundation andwhat it represents align our eorts towards genuinely

helping others and that, to me, is a true inspiration

that encourages me and I hope all o you.

Our elite Tier 5 position in the 2009 MQA Rating

System or Malaysian Higher Education Institutions

(SETARA 2009) would not have been possible withoutyour committed and concerted eorts in serving the

best in teaching and learning. Our successes werepossible because o the strong teamwork, dedication

and talents o all our sta together with our students,

transorming a dream into a reality. May we continueto dream and be inspired by the mandate given to us

through the Jerey Cheah Foundation.

Our journey to this enviable position today has been

marked by many events but today we can inally

enjoy the best reward o all. We thank our past andpresent partners, including Lancaster University,

Victoria University, Western Michigan University and

Manchester University or bringing us this ar in our

journey. We also look orward to the start o yetanother exciting journey with the illustrious French

culinary institution Le Cordon Bleu.

As we journey 2011, with the hope o new milestones

and aspirations I wish all o us a bright and joyous2011. May we continue to reach or the stars and

enjoy the ride while we are at it.

God bless all.


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Cover Story4 Sunway is now a university!

Social Responsibility16 Noble hearts at work

21 For a good cause

23 Nursing students educate ondomestic violence

Hallmarks12 The champs

13 On top o the world

14 The two Chans in the top 40s

19 Sunway ID students shine

Features10 The SAS Edge

11 A lions blessing or aspiring achievers

17 Sunway success story rom

Zimbabwe returns or visit

27 Walking on cloud nine

Happenings18 Award winning coee

20 A orum on intelligence

24 Welcoming internationa l agents

25 Intellectual property assets in wireless technologies

and mobility at Sunway

Alumni22 Living in the limelight

International Student25 Sunway, his second home

Contents

Cover: Chancellor, Y.Bhg. Tan Sri Dato Seri Dr. Jerey Cheah, AO (let) received the oicialcertiicate rom the Honourable Minister o Higher Education, YB Dato Seri Mohd KhaledNordin (right)


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Sunway is now a university!

Sunway University has grown by leaps and bounds. Froma small college in 1987 to an award-winning institution,with an international student population o more than10,000 students, it achieved the highest Tier 5 Excellent in

the Ministry o Higher Educations inaugural SETARA ratingby the Malaysian Qualiications Agency, which places it onpar with oreign branch campuses and the best public andprivate universities in the country, in terms o teaching andlearning.

In 2005, Sunway became a University College, ater itresponded to the invitation by the Ministry o Higher Educationto promote its internal degree programmes. Through amomentous partnership with Lancaster University, ranked asa Top 10 UK university by the T imes Good Universities Guide2011, its degrees are benchmarked by the distinguisheduniversity mentor. Since then, Sunway has produced threecohorts o graduates rom the Lancaster joint degrees,where students received two testamurs on completion othe Sunway programme one rom Sunway, and anotherrom Lancaster University. It also started a range o Mastersprogrammes and a PhD (Computing) extending the pathwayo study options and inculcating a culture o research andinnovation on its campus.

Owned and governed by the Jerey CheahFoundation, ormed rom a predecessor trustund since 1997, it is committed to utilise itssurpluses to provide education opportunitiesthat transorm lives in the very community thatit serves.

It has recently added a new partner to its distinguished list o collaborating institutions,the well-regarded and renowned institution or excellence in hospitality and the guardiano French culinary arts, Le Cordon Bleu (LCB) ounded in Paris in 1895. The new LCB-

validated Diploma in Culinary Arts will oer the ultimate culinary education experience,which allows students to learn French culinary techniques (cuisine and patisserie) and be exposed to Asiancuisine and contemporary/modern culinary techniques.

Students enrolled in the inaugural intake, in March this year, will be taken on a one-week Food and Wine StudyTour to South Australia, where they will visit Le Cordon Bleu in Adelaide and the amous Barossa Valley. TheUniversity will subsidise airares, accommodation and transportation costs or organised tours.

University status

Within just ive years, especially having consistently produced globally outstanding students in all its programmesand its educational partnerships, on 16 December, 2010, Sunway was oicially instated as a University.

Its Vice-Chancellor, Proessor Robert Bignall credited this to the visionary leadership and support o the Founder

and Chancellor, Y. Bhg. Tan Sri Dato Seri Dr. Jerey Cheah AO as well as Sunways academic team. With theirdedication and passion, we are well-positioned to orge ahead in developing and preparing young minds to beeective, visionary and exemplary uture citizens and we continue to be encouraged in our endeavours to pursueexcellence in education, he said.

Cover Story

One ceremony, two degrees: Yee Lee Swan

receives her degree rom Tan Sri Dato Seri DrJerey Cheah (above) and Sir Chris Bonington

(below) in the same ceremony.

The Chancellor and Founder, Tan Sri DSeri Dr. Jerey Cheah AO

Sunway University


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Cover Story

Why University status? Whats the difference between a university and a college?

A university is granted legal authority to develop and award its own degrees. This includes both undergraduate andpostgraduate degrees.

A College can only oer its own diplomas. Colleges may also conducttwinning and ranchised programmes on behal o external examiningauthorities, or other institutions such as oreign universities.

Universities are expected to contribute to the discovery and advancement oknowledge, through research, and through engagement with business, government,industry and proessional bodies.

In Malaysia, a university college is a higher education institution that is in transition rombeing a college and is moving towards becoming a university.

What were the criteria used by the Ministry of Higher Educationto assess institutions of higher learning to see if they qualify foruniversity status?

There were more than twenty criteria, related to such matters as ourvision, mission and educational goals, institutional governance, inancialsoundness, academic sta qualiications, the number o accreditedprogrammes, academic quality assurance processes, quality oteaching, research, campus acilities and support services.

For example, a university must have an appropriate governance structureincluding, in the case o private institutions, a clear separation betweenbusiness decision making and academic management.

Since universities oer their own degrees, there have to be soundand robust systems in place to ensure academic quality and themaintenance o appropriate academic standards.

Universities should also be engaged in research, so that they can

remain at the oreront o knowledge in the discipline areas that theyteach.

O course, universities also need to have a suitable campus withappropriate acilities and inrastructure, a suitable library, studentsupport services, and so on.

How do you think this University status is going to help instudent recruitment?

In Malaysia, Sunway is already well known or its strong academicprogrammes and or providing an on-campus student experiencethat produces well-rounded and highly employable graduates.

For this reason, the greatest beneit lowing rom university status,as ar as student recruitment is concerned, is likely to be in thearea o international students. We expect to see an increase inthe number o high-quality oreign students.

We also expect to see a greater number o oreign studentswho are receiving scholarships rom their government or otherbodies.

In addition, we may see an increase in the number o Malaysian students withgovernment scholarships.

The team spoke to the Vice-Chancellor, Proessor Dr Robert J. Bignall about the university status:

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Cover Story

How different is Sunway University, being a private institution of higher learning, from the publicuniversities?

Sunway University is rated in the national SETARA system as being on par with the top seven public universitiesin the area o teaching and learning.

Nevertheless, there are some substantial dierences.

Sunway operates under the Jerey Cheah Foundation and so is not-or proit. However, as a private institutionwe do not receive any government unding.

This means that we need to set our tuition ees at a level that enables us to recover the cost o the high qualityteaching and student support services that provide.

One of the hallmarks of a university is the research work that i ts academics are involved in. How do youfrom now on plan to increase the research activities by staff and students of Sunway University?

We have a comprehensive Research and Research Training Management Plan to guide the development oresearch in Sunway University.

We are also ortunate in that we operate under the Jerey Cheah Foundation, which includes in its missionsupport or education and research.

We also want to help our sta to be successul in research and or that reason we have a number o policies andsupport schemes in place to assist those sta who are undertaking a PhD.

For example, we have an agreement with Lancaster University that enables our sta to undertake a LancasterPhD.

This scheme allows sta to spend up to a year studying at Lancaster while still drawing their ull salary. Theythen return to Malaysia complete their PhD in study-way mode.

This is easily the most comprehensive and inancially generous scheme o its kind at any private university inMalaysia.

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ISSUE 16 Vol 06 / Mar 2011 // 7

Cover Story

The Students Say

Next, the team talked to several students to see what they had to say about the University status.

Koh Weng Hong, 18, of SS2, Petaling Jaya and a First Year student in the AmericanDegree Transfer Programme.

The status University is perceived to have a higher ranking than a college, especiallywhen it comes to employability. People would go or nothing less.

Quek See Ming, 22, Second Year, Bachelor of Hospitality and TourismManagement:

I transerred here rom another college because I know that the acilities and theacademic level at Sunway are generally much higher. I eel very proud o the act that weare now a ull-ledged university. With the university status, it will also help to improve theemployability o the graduates, especially when we choose to work overseas.

Naila Anna, 21, from Indonesia who is currently doing Second Year, Bachelor ofInternational Trade & Marketing

Because we have better acilities, we are now a university. Becoming a university alsomeans that our academicians have to constantly upgrade themselves.

Thong Mei Kuan, 19, currently enrolled in her First Year, Bachelor of Accounting &Finance:

I am proud that we are now a university. It carries along with it the prestige o a universi ty.The acilities here are good. There is this impression that Sunway is always upgradingitsel.

Hailing from Sri Damansara, Lo Chai Yun, 19, is First Year, Bachelor of Accountingand Finance

With the special arrangement in place with Lancaster University, it means that whenI graduate, I will be having two degrees one rom Sunway University, the other romLancaster University. Because Lancaster, a premier league university in the UK is willingto part with its testamur, it shows that they are satisied with the academic level here atSunway.

First Year American Degree Transfer Programme, Ling Wen Ee, 18, has this tosay:

There is indeed some dierences between a university and a college. The universitystatus will help to enhance the employability o its graduates. I wish to see Sunwayprosper into another Harvard or MIT in Asia. Anything is possible, yes, why not?


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Cover Story

PhD (Computing)

Even beore the upgrade to University status

some o the notable research activities that were

conducted involved the community, such as

Inant Speech Study (Developmental Psychology)

and Shuttle Bus Tracking System (Public Display

Systems and Interactions).

To help boost its research capability, Sunway

University launched its irst PhD programme

in December last year where candidates are

trained to be leaders and innovators in the area o

computing and ICT.

The irst IT-related PhD oered by a private

institution o higher learning in Malaysia, the

Doctor o Philosophy (PhD) (Computing) is

designed to equip the candidates with the ability

and skills to create, develop and extend the

rontiers o advanced knowledge in the ield o

computing or Inormation and CommunicationsTechnology ( ICT).

This is the brain child o the School o Computer

Technology (SCT) which is to prepare candidates

or a rewarding career in the ever-growing IT

industry with Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Accenture, KPMG, MDec and BT.

According to the Head o SCT, Associate Proessor Dr Lim Tong Ming, the programme will allow candidates to

beneit rom the close ties that the School has with Lancaster University which will provide many opportunities

or collaborative research opportunities and exposure.

Vice-Chancellor, Proessor Bignall said the new doctorate programme represents Sunway Universitys commitment

to excellence in teaching and learning. It will allow our candidates to develop innovative ideas and create

breakthroughs, he said. With research being an integral part o a irst-class institution o tertiary education,Sunway University is committed to the prolieration o a culture o quality research.

Since 2009, Sunway has already introduced its Master o Science in Computer Science by Research, which is a

dual degree. This means that upon completing o the Master programme, which can take between one year and

a maximum o three years doing it ull-time, the candidate will be conerred a degree by Sunway University and

a second degree by Lancaster University,

To urther boost its research excellence, Sunway has recently recruited a new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research

& Higher degree), Proessor David Ngo and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching) Proessor Dato

Dr Ahmad Haji Zainuddin to lead and guide the institution in its research as well as teaching and learning

endeavours.

Candidates o the programme will receive a relevant doctoral degree in speciic areas o interest.

For example, two o the PhD candidates who have enrolled will be conducting dierent ields o research work.

DR LIM: Close ties with Lancaster University important


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Cover Story

The candidates will be expected

to gain a sound understanding

o the research process, draw

conclusions based on the study

results study past literature

reviews, and inally put orward a

proposal or research in anyarea

o interst. The programme issupported by a aculty comprising

nine academic sta, o which

three are Associate Proessors

and six are PhDs.

Teaching assistantships offered

The eature o this new PhD is the ull tuition ee waiver which is available to

ull-time Malaysian candidates, who possess a strong academic background.

These candidates will be oered Teaching Assistantship positions, which

allow them to receive a RM2,000 monthly stipend (allowance) to assist in their

daily inances. For other approved ull-time or part-time Malaysian applicants,

50% tuition ee waiver is provided or the inaugural intake in 2011.

PhD programme coordinator, Associate Proessor Dr Leow Soo Kar said the

School is targeting between ive to eight PhD students or its irst batch. So

ar, three students registered and qualiied, he said.

Yeap Boon Han

His passion in inding out how companies canintegrate social media into their overall businesscommunication strategy to help build customerloyalty, has driven Yeap Boon Han to pursue aresearch into Facebook and Twitter as part o hisPhD (Computing) programme.

Together with his supervisors, Dr Wong Siew Fanand Dr Lim Tong Ming, they will try to study customer

relationship and behaviours in social network. Wewill look at how viral marketing and customer loyaltycan urther enhance business growth, especiallyin consumer-based companies that have directcontacts with the public, he said. Its going to bevery tough, but thats a target to work towards, hesaid, My research work will greatly enhance myknowledge and teaching capabilities in order to helpstudents move orward in IT.

Angela LeePhD candidate, Angela Lee, who is currently teachingsubjects like Business Intelligence CustomerRelationship Management and Introduction toEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in Sunway will be pursuing a research in Knowledge SharingModel, where she will help small and medium-scaleenterprises in Malaysia develop a Shared Servicesusing social blogs.

Lees work will be jointly supervised by Dr Lim, DrLeow and Adjunct Proessor Dr Rasimah Aripin romUiTM.

When I let my previous college to teach at Sunwayour years ago, I wanted to do my PhD, she said. Iwas already scouting or a PhD programme. Becauseo my research interest in Knowledge Sharing andhaving good supervisor who has the same interestin this topic, I decided to pursue this project as parto my thesis.


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Features

The SAS Edge

W ith the doubling o data at increasing speed in todays world, BusinessAnalytics is becoming very important in providing crucial insights orcompanies to make inormed decisions.

To take the country into the next level, SAS specialists,

industry experts and academics rom Sunway will beworking together towards oering SAS certiication,which will help to provide a pool o qualiied resourcesaccessible to corporations.

At this juncture, they are working hard to ensure quali tyand delivery o the subjects, which will contribute toan ecosystem o sustainable collaboration between auniversity and the industry, said Sunway Universitys

Vice-Chancellor, Proessor Robert Bignall.

The Business Intelligence and Data Mining subjectswill expose the SCT students to a real world data setand challenges, giving students the chance to honetheir skills and gain valuable experience in the project,

he said.

Sunway University, through its School o Computer Technology (SCT), is the irst Malaysian university tooer a joint certiication with SAS Institute Inc. USA(SAS) in its B.Sc (Hons) Inormation Systems degreecourse.

Sunway will oer

a specialisationwhere thei n t e r n a t i o n a l

joint-certiicate willbe endorsed by SAS, the leader in business analyticssotware and services. The certiicate will be issued tostudents who successully complete the requirementsor the two subjects starting this year.

In addition, students who complete the second year willbe eligible to join a ully-paid study tour to an overseasSAS Oice in Korea, Japan or Australia.

The tour, which will be limited to 20 students per group,will take about a week to 10 days; all light, meals and

accommodation will be ully covered by the School oComputer Technology. Besides understanding SASbetter, the tour will also provide cultural exposure aswell.


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Features

A lions blessing or aspiring achievers

First, the acrobatic lion bowed down inhumility beore his audience. Withinseconds, he was up on a 10-eet stilt, proppedup by his team mates, while others werebeating the drum and clanging the cymbal inthe background.With some skills, the lion managed to reachthe hard earned red packet, dangling romthe roo top o Sunway Universitys ExecutiveDirector, Elizabeth Lees home in Sierramas.

The acrobatic perormance was both ablessing and a reminder that the greatestachievement in li e never comes easy. Like thelion, we have to be ocused. We have to use

whatever resources we have to help us achieve the heights o our academicexcellence.

The Lion Dance was a special perormance done by a multicultural acrobaticlion group on the third day o the Chinese calendar where Sunway internationalstudents were treated to the Malaysian Chinese New Year culture.Back at Sunway University, Victoria University Bachelor o Business studentswere busy decorating the Australian University Oice with used ang powpackets and cherry blossom lowers into the shape o bamboo. Thesecolourul and auspicious decorations made rom recycled materials certainlycreated good luck spirit or the university.

May this Year o the Rabbit be an auspicious year or aspiring achievers!

The international students with Elizabeth Lee (in cheongsam) and Puan Sri Susan Cheah (on her let) .

VU students (rom let): Michael Brian, Kanisius Gerry Fidelis DrawaYenty Wongso and Leong Shin Jin


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Hallmarks

The champs

Competing against teams rom18 other private and publicuniversities and colleges, the

ACCA students o Sunway-TEShave emerged champion o theBursa Malaysia CFA MalaysiaInvestment Research Challenge(IRC) 2011 held recently at the KLConvention Centre.

In the competition, which sawthe participation o students rom

Taylors, Nottingham, Monash,University o Malaya, UniversitiSains Malaysia, UNITEM, Universiti

Malaysia Terengganu and Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Chong Yew Tian, Tan Kee Hoong, Lum YingLing, Sean Lim and Aaron Kee wontotal cash prizes o RM20,000.

The irst and the second runner-upswere won by University o Malayaand Universiti Sains Malaysia,respectively.

Hal o the cash prize will be shared out by the students, while the otherhal is given to their institution. The prizes come along with airtickets to Balisponsored by the CFA, where the students would be competing in the AsiaPacic Regional Final o the Global IRC 2011 on Feb 25.

In the competition, the students were asked to analyse a public-listedcompany on Bursa Malaysia and submit a written report to recommendwhether to invest in the company. Ten teams with the best investment reportwere invited to do a verbal presentation to a panel o judges.

In the case o Sunway-TES students, the company that they were askedto put orward their investment nding was Axiata Group Berhad, a publiclisted company ormerly known as TM International.

According to Datuk Yusli Mohamed Yuso, Chie Executive Ocer o Bursa

Malaysia said, the competition is a great way to amiliarise the studentsto the capital market, where proessional analysts and researchers workbehind the trading and investment scenes.

We are committed to nurturing the younger generation in developingrelevant skills and interest in this industry, as well as to eventually ll thepipeline o capital market players needed or a vibrant market, he said.

Chai Yit Sheng, CFA, President o CFA Malaysia believes that the competitionis a great opportunity or Malaysian students to benchmark themselvesagainst their global peers. This will help in promoting Malaysia as aninvestment destination with world class nancial proessionals, he added.

SU-Winner o IRC 2011 (rom let): Chong Yew Tian, Tan Kee Hoong, Lum Ying Ling, Sean Lim and Aaron Kee.


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Hallmarks

On top o the world

When An Li Fong, a 22-year-old ull time sta rom PricewaterhouseCoopers, received his examination results,news went out that he had topped the world to bag the First Place and the Watts Prize or the Audit andassurance paper which he completed in June 2010

An was presented with a plaque

and return air-tickets to Londonby Sunway-TES, the proessionalnancial courses division oSunway University to enablehim to attend the ICAEW Annual

Awards Ceremony in London on19 May 2011 in recognition o hisoutstanding achievement.

Present at the ceremony were theChancellor and Founder o SunwayUniversity and Chairman o SunwayGroup, Tan Sri Dato Seri Dr. JereyCheah, AO and the Chie ExecutiveOcer o ICAEW, Michael Izza.

An, who registered with the Instituteo Chartered Accountants in Englandand Wales (ICAEW) programme atSunway-TES in April 2010 said heis excited and looking orward to histrip to the United Kingdom.

Sunway has had six prize winnersin the last six years, three obtainingthe First Place and Watts Prize or

Audit and Assurance paper, one or

First Place and Little Prize or the

Taxation paper, one or the StephensPrize and one or Casselton-ElliottPrize in the ICAEW programme.

Chie Executive Ocer o theEducation and Healthcare Divisiono Sunway Group, Lee Weng Keng,said he was deeply impressedwith the perormance o An. Asan institution, Sunway TES hasdone a great job, and it is now theonly ICAEW partner-in-learningin Malaysia, he said. Studentswill be able to benet rom anaccelerated pathway to the ICAEW

qualication.

The ICAEW programme was rstlaunched in 2004 with a rst cohorto 24 students in October 2004.Since then, 75 students havegraduated with an 81% overall highpass rate that is on par with theworlds overall average pass rate.

Michael Izza, who was greetedwith an exhilarating applaud upon

arriving, expressed his deepest

gratitude or the warm hospitality.We are here to celebrate yoursuccess as you are the star today,he said, in his speech to theCerticate in Finance, Accountingand Business (CFAB) students.

Also present were Mark Protherough,Executive Director, Learningand Proessional Development,ICAEW; Mark Billington, RegionalDirector, Southeast Asia, ICAEW;Loh Wei Yuen, Head o BusinessDevelopment, ICAEW Malaysia;Joyce Chao, Chie Representative,

ICAEW China; Irvin Menezes,committee member, ICAEWMalaysia City Group; Datuk RazmanM.Hashim, Deputy Chairman oSunway Group; Proessor RobertBignall, Vice-Chancellor, SunwayUniversity, Elizabeth Lee, ExecutiveDirector, Sunway University; Teo EeSing, Executive Director, Sunway-

TES; and Proessor Leong YinChing, Academic Director, Sunway-

TES.

Mr. Michael Izza presenting the award to An Li Fong while a proud Tan Sri Dato Seri Dr. Jerey Cheah applauded.


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Hallmarks

twin t

Dr. Eric Chan

When the Deputy Editor o Prestige magazine irst telephoned Dr. Eric Chan, a Sunway alumnus, in earlyOctober last year inorming him that he had been selected or the Top 40 Under 40 Award 2010, he hadno idea what the award was all about or who nominated him.

Naturally, I was overjoyed with the news that soon came with an e-mail requesting my presence or a photo

shoot at Space Furniture Showroom in Jalan Maaro, Bangsar, he said.

Then came a series o questions or my eedback so that the Editorial can write my eature article in the Prestige

Top 40 Under 40 Poised or Power 2010 Magazine.

Dr. Chan, who obtained his Ph.D. rom Monash University in Bandar

Sunway, said it was indeed a rare honour to be given this prestigious

national recognition by a liestyle magazine.

I believe the strongest reason why I won the award is that I obtained

my Ph.D. at only 28 years o age, he said, adding that beore he even

graduated in March 2010, he had already been oered a lecturers

position in a private institution o higher learning.

This achievement was made possible by the quality educationprovided by Sunway University and Monash University, he said. At

Sunway University, the Canadian International Matriculation Programme

(CIMP) which I attended in 2000 gave me an excellent pre-university

education experience. The strong CIMP oundation which emphasised on

eective communication, independent learning and leadership development,

helped me throughout my tertiary education at Monash. Ater inishing

my B.Sc. Honours (Biotechnology) in 2005, I obtained a post-

graduate scholarship to pursue my Ph.D. which I completed

in October 2009.

The award, which comes in the orm o a crystal

trophy with his name engraved, was presented

during an award ceremony held at the Roo Top

o GTower Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on 20 November2010.


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Hallmarks

ehansp 40s

Kid Chan

Also in the hallmark o ame was another Sunway alumnus (CMP, 1995), Kid Chan, who was picked as one oMalaysias 40 most promising men and women under 40 in 2006.It did not really sink in at irst, he recalled. It was a very hectic season at that moment, when I was inormed

by the publication, but what was really un that year was that the list also included my riends who were in Bali

together or a wedding. They were the groom, the bride, the bridesmaid, and o course the wedding singer and

9 others.

The 33-year-old, who is Executive Director o Kid Chan Studio, who continues to have

ond memories o Sunway, has also won a number o accolades rom the press such

as The most sought ater wedding Photographer in Malaysia by New Straits Times,

Celebrity Photographer by Harpers Bazaar and 100 People You Must know in

Asia by the Malaysia Tatler, which made him among the other luminaries such as

prominent and high-lying Malaysians such as Ananda Krishnan (owner o Astro &

Maxis), YAM Tunku Dara Tunku Tan Sri Naquiah, YBhg. Dato Nazir Razak, Mr. Allen

Tan (o Citibank ame) YBhg Datuk Ibrahim Hussein & Datin Sim, Saw Teong Hin, and

Malaysias PR Queen Datuk Nancy Yeoh.

This is indeed beyond my widest dream, but I think my biggest achievement is getting

my beautiul wie, Shirlyn (also an alumnus o Sunway A-level programme) to marryme, he laughed. I still wonder how I pulled that one o, but o course, only by

Gods grace.

Ntv7 once did a live programme and labeled him The Societys

Photographer rom his studio. He is also described as a pioneer

in the ield o photojournalism or Malay weddings, by Pesona

Pengantin, a local Malay magazine.

Describing himsel as a proessional wedding guest to the ultra

stylish people whose sense o timing and artistry in photography

is appreciated, Chan loves travelling and cooking, and is

especially very passionate about health and wellness.

That is why when we travel, chances are I will be the onewho will go to the market to check out the ingredients and

pick up the pan. So ar I have cooked or riends in Langkawi,

Lake Como, Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne. It is my

dream to urther expand the list.

An ardent an o Starbucks Skinny, Chan is also a good

story teller and love stories. Someday, I hope to come back

to Sunway to hear your stories, he winked, and added:

alternatively, please connect with him on FB at

http://www.acebook.com/iamkidchan.


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16 // MAGAZINE

Noble hearts at work

Some small eorts have gone a long way to raise RM8, 000 or the Orang Asli Community through the ProjectE.P.I.C recently, thanks to the some 70 students rom various diploma programmes rom the School oHospitality, Tourism and Leisure Management (SHTLM).

According to John-Son Oei, a leading member o Growing Emerging Leaders (GEL) and coordinator o ProjectE.P.I.C, the money will be used to build houses or the Orang Asli community in an eort to raise their livingstandards.

The houses will be equipped with electricity acilities through solar technology and rain water iltration system,he said, while expressing gratitude to the SHTLM students or their kind contribution.

I am proud that youths today care about the community and are willing to be involved by assisting those whoare in-need, he added.

The acronym E.P.I.C stands or Extraordinary People Impacting Community, an outreach programme that isocused on improving plight o the indigenous people in Malaysia, especially the Orang Asli community. TheSHTLM students saw this as an opportunity to be involved and made a contribution by organising The ProjectGo Green, where students sold ood and t-shirts in a bazaar to raise unds or the project.

This also allowed them to exercise their culinary skills as they prepared various oods or sta and students toindulge in. Desserts were also prepared to entice the crowd they managed to draw.

The student volunteers also learnt to work together with each other and other course mates throughout the undraising campaign.

Social Responsibility


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ISSUE 16 Vol 06 / Mar 2011 // 17

Sunway successstory romZimbabwe returns

or visitIt is not always that an alumnus travels hal wayaround the world to return to his alma mater, butwhen Spencer Chihota did it, he brought a smile tomany a aces.

The Director and Chairman o Finance & Investmentsor the National Indigenisation and EconomicEmpowerment Board or the Government o Zimbabwewas here recently as part o the Zimbabweandelegation or Intrade 2010.

He was pleasantly surprised to ind out that the

institution which he used to study beore is now aUniversity. He was among 14 Zimbabwean youthswho arrived in Malaysia in 1997 to pursue the VictoriaUniversity business degree programme at the thenSunway University.

The students were on ul l scholarships oered by TanSri Jerey Cheah, Chairman o the Sunway Group,through the Sunway Education Trust Fund (now,known as Jerey Cheah Foundation), which ownsand governs Sunway University.

Coordinator o the programme in 1997, Mrs Irene Teoh was very happy to meet her ormer student.Spencer and the other Zimbabwean students wereexemplary students o the VU Bachelor o Businessprogramme, she reminisced. I remember Spencerwas an academically bright student who also oundtime to be active in ootball. He and his riendsexcelled in their university studies and continued toexcel in their careers.

Teoh added: Spencer is an excellent example o how Tan Sris philanthropy, kindness and understandinghas touched and transormed a lie and we at Sunwaycontinue to be inspired by students like Spencer.

Ater completing his degree in Sunway, Spencercontinued his studies and became a qualiiedchartered accountant and was employed withPricewaterhouseCoopers in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Currently, he is a partner in a local accounting irmin Harare.

It was an invaluable and eye-opening experience tostudy in Malaysia and attend Sunway, he enthused.I thank Tan Sri Jerey Cheah or giving me and myellow students back then, the opportunity to studyhere. I am indeed a product o one o Tan Srisinstitutions and his success inspires and drives meand I would be happy even i I can achieve close to

Tan Sr is achievements one day. Spencer with the lecturers who taught him in 1997 Tee Chwee Kiat (let) andTeoh Cheng San (right)

Spencer (right) with Irene Teoh

With Irene Teoh and Elizabeth Lee (right)

Features


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Happenings

Award winning coee

Sunway hospitality students bagged two o the topprizes in the recent Nestle Inter-College CoeeCompetition 2011.

First runner up NatashaMohd Yuso, who iscurrently pursuingher Diploma in HotelManagement, came outwith two creative recipes the Pharaohs Favouriteand Mothers Heart,-- while Phuah Ng Kitsblack hot coee and coldwhite coee bagged himthe Second Runner Up.

Natashas PharaohsFavourite was simplyhot coee served withFoie Gras cream, whileher other entry, dubbedMothers Heart was thecold Balsamic CaramelCoee.

Instead o usingwhipped cream to givethe creamy taste to thecoee, she said, wesubstituted it with oiegras cream and it was aperect combination. FoieGras is a attened liver oa duck, and in France, it

is considered a delicacywhich is very creamy andrich.

For her cold coee, shemixed balsamic glazeand caramel into thecoee. The sweetness othe caramel went alongwith the tangy lavouro the balsamic glaze,which gave a light andrereshing atertaste tothe coee.

It took her many trialsbeore coming up withthese two recipes. Wetried every crazy thingincluding ruits, nuts,wasabi, corriander, bluecheese and coconutoil, among others, anyalmost anything that we

could think o, but theweirdest combinationbeyond imagination thatI have tried, was thesmoked salmon blendedcoee. It was YUCKS!she laughed.

Phuah, a studentcurrently doing hisBachelors degree inInternational Hospitalityand Management, saidhe was grateul to hislecturer, Daniel Chong,who constantly checkedhis progress leading upto the Culinary CoeeCompetition. Eachcontestant was requiredto create two new recipesor coee one or hotblack coee namedSix Spices (because itused six types o spices,namely anise star,ennel, cinnamon bark,cinnamon branches,century orange skin,nutmeg), and another orcold white coee, which

was known as RainForest (a mixture o jackruit, coconut ice creamand Irish syrup).

He knew that I neededto strain the coee, sohe showed me the beststrainer to ilter out thedesired smoothness, hesaid. He wanted me tobe independent and hisrole was mainly to guideme through my ideas.

Natasha attributed hersuccess to her lecturers,Che Chong Wei Tzeh,Daniel Chong, ChePatrick Siau and CheSoon Pau Voon. Theywere willing to spendhours in school duringsemester break to train

me, she said. Theytrained me really well.

The Ches gave me

advice on the recipeswhereas Daniel taughtme on the presentation.Others that I would liketo thank my riends andseniors as I dont thinkI couldre succeededwithout them.

The other participantswere students rom otherinstitutions o higher

learning Jamesy LegendCollege, MSU College,KDU, UITM Dungun,

Taylor University, BerjayaCollege, Inti and GentingCollege.

From let, Che Chong Wei Tzeh (lecturer), Natasha, Phuah and DanielChong (lecturer)

18 // MAGAZINE


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ISSUE 16 Vol 06 / Mar 2011 // 19

Hallmarks

Sunway ID

studentsshine

Sunway Universitys Diploma inInterior Design students, LeeYang, Ho Wey Ling, Ong Eujiin, DollyWinata Loni and Anis Shazwina Azlin(who has just completed) emergedas First prizewinners o the AmazingRace competition and they also wonthird prize in the Bunting Designcompetition.

They represented Sunway in therecent 5 Belas Interior Design Dayorganised by the Malaysia Society o Interior Designers (MSID).

The theme o this years competition was Biosphere, a term used to reer to the zone o lie on Earth. Thebiosphere is the global sum o all ecosystems.

It is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, including their interaction withthe elements o lithosphere (land), hydrosphere (water) and atmosphere (air).

The aim o the competition was to unite all young designers with a healthy competition and challenges.Coincidentally, iteen colleges and universities participated.


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20 // MAGAZINE

Happenings

A orum on intelligence

P laying board games is stimulating to themind and helps oster hypothetical thinkingin an individual.

This is none other than a statement made byDr Lin Mei-Hua, the Head o the Department oPsychology and Organizational Psychologist oSunway Universi ty.

The ormation o a goal and strategy play diersin an individual and a team as it osters dierentorms o thinking and strategy approaches that

are in linewith thegoals o thep l a y e r s , she said.

She urthere labora tedhow skillsapplied inboard games are intertwined with the decision making process that can beapplied to real lie settings. There is a similar ity in decision making processesin board games and real lie as each are related to a goal an individual ishoping to achieve, she told an audience o 40 participants at a orum onintelligence, jointly organised by Malaysian Mensa and the Department oPsychology o Sunway University.

Themed, Board Games and Puzzles, the orum wasinteresting as it showcased the dierent perspectiveo human thinking in a diverse population. Among theguests were Azrai Skymmar, the Chairman o MalaysianMensa who welcomed the guests and Lee Yi Dian, a

puzzle expert rom Mensa, who spoke about what hewas most passionate about: Board games. Dr. Leeenlightened the crowd on the dierent types o puzzlesthat can use problem-solving skills.

Participants then oundtheir way to their preerredboard game to witnesshow dierent decisionmaking modules can aecttheir perormance in aboard game. Among theboard games played wereCarcassonne, PortobelloMarket, Ticket to Ride,

Zooloretto and Pandemic.

Many remarked that they have never seen these games beore. Ater strategisingtheir game plan, the participants were given a ew minutes to relect on their decision-making and problem-solving skills displayed during the game.

Participants careully strategising their next move during the orum.

Participants having a good time strategizing theirgame plan during the orum.

A participant making a tactical move while the others looked on.

Dr. Lin (centre) interacting with some o theparticipants with a game o cards during the orum.


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Happenings

For a good cause

The night was spooky and the air illedwith all sorts o eeriness that could raiseevery strand o your hairs. As og illuminated

the atmosphere at a hotel in Subang Jaya,the young people got into their characterswith their stunning costumes and thrilled thenight away.

HALL-O-w-e-en! The night when theatmosphere was illed with all sorts o ghostsand zombies rom the ourth dimension,but or the students o Sunway University

American Degree Transer Program (ADTP),it was a night o un and games, as theyunleashed their creativity and artistic talentsas they crept into Halloween reigning terroron all present during the Halloween Night.

Themed the Paranormal Halloween Night,the nights event began with the deejaywelcoming the guests. A tinge o suspenseoverwhelmed the audience as the lights wentout. Dancers dressed as zombies startedcrowding the stage one by one, possessedby the beat o Michael Jacksons thriller.

The paranormal Halloween night continuedwith enthusiastic and inspiring perormancesby Lee Zhan Hao, Khaz and Basil, Suitcaseand Fragments and Frictions. The best

looking zombie was awarded or the bestdressed.

The event was a undraiser, where Sunway ADTP managed to donate RM 5,000 tothe Vivekananda Home in Rembau, NegeriSembilan.

ADTP student committee advisor, MalissaMaria Mahmud said the students decidedto donate the proceeds to this charitableorganization because they were not verywell unded. Ranging rom new bornbabies to children who are in primary six,we elt a need to do our best to help aidthese children in order or them to lead amore comortable lie, she said.

Receiving the cheque at a presentationceremony at Sunway University, Suah Sing

Yik who represented the Vivekananda Hometogether with Chan Wai Heng, expressedhis humble gratitude and thanked thecommittee or their hard work. I am happyto see youths taking an initiative to makea contribution to society today, especiallythe Viviekananda Home, he said. We areextremely grateul or your contribution.


ISSUE 16 Vol 06 / Mar 2011 // 21


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Many people may know Chermaine Poo as an actress, TV host or even emcee one who speaks fuentEnglish, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese and Thai,plus some airly well in Korean, Italian, Spanish and French- but ew know that she is a Chartered Accountant byproession.

Dubbed by the media as The Beauty with Brains, thisSunway alumna who completed her ACCA ater graduatingwith her Bachelor o Arts (Honours) in Accounting and

Finance at 19, said she enjoyed the time studying atSunway. Student lie was taxing but un, she quipped.

No doubt it was very hectic studying part time, but I nallymade it by Gods grace. When one decides to do part time, it isimportant to cultivate good time management, determination andsheer perseverance. Being in Corporate Finance did not help, asthe hours were excruciating and long, Oten having to work during

weekends plus I took maximum subjects every exam. I used to writethe proessional qualication/title on my name card below my name just

to encourage mysel to press on! Its like trying to see the light at the endo the long tunnel!

Her eort to pursue an additional qualication has paid o. In manyways it has helped built my level o proessionalism, determinationto excel, and yes, patience in waiting or the nal outcome. I haveutilised my skills and knowledge gained doing the ACCA in my ownbusiness, she added, mentioning names like Chong Kwai Fatt,Chow Chee Yen and a Ms Menon, who made Financial Accounting

so much more bearable.

When she shot to prominence, emerging as the winner in theMiss Malaysia/ Universe 2005, and bagging three subsidiary

titles, namely Miss Beautiul, Miss Natural Beauty and MissCrowning Glory, lie took on a 180 degrees turn or her.

She was also voted as one o the FHM 100 SexiestWomen in the World 2006. In mid-2006, she decidedto leave the bank to venture into the entertainmentindustry ull time. I have never regretted mydecision, she said.

Astro is currently screening its biggest production andhighest rating TV serial drama, Tudung Express,where Poo played the lead role o a Muslim convert.My upcoming projects are an action packed Malay

horror movie and a Chinese drama series middle othis year, she said. I am also currently an ambassador

or a ewinternat iona l

brands inAsia.

Alumni

Living in the limelightShe has acted in a numbero movies: Culik directed byaward-winning director AdmanSalleh; Jin Notti, actingalongside Mawi; and TheFuneral Party, directed by GlennGoei and involved Set Director,Ian Bailley o Atonement andDirector o Photography romEyes Wide Shut. I have alsocompleted London Callingwhich was directed by award-winning director, and it was shotin KL and UK, she said.

On top o that, she also did acameo in one o Oscar-winningdirector, Ang Lees highlysuccessul movies entitled,Lust, Caution, starring top

Hong Kong movie star TonyLeung, leading American/

Taiwanese singer Wang Lee-Hom and Hollywood actressJoan Chen.

Since 2008, she has been TVhosting the Formula One MotorRaces, the 12-Hour EnduranceRace or Porsche, MalaysianSuper Series (commissionedby Sepang International Circuit),Merdeka Endurance Race,Porsche Carrera Cup and severalother motor race programmes.

These programmes have beenaired on ESPN and Supersportsor our consecutive years.

In addition, I also TV-hostedMTV Fresh New Day and anumber o other liestyle, traveland living, music and othergenres o TV programmes, shesaid. Besides, I also requentlyemcee in events all over Malaysiaand around Asia. My latestprogramme is Dapur Nyonya.We are currently in productionand will be on air starting May

this year. Catch it every Thursdayat 10am on TV3.

Credits:

Hair Styling: Tim rom Albert Nico, Fahrenheit 88

Make up: Stev Chong rom MAC

Nails by: Twinkle Nails, Metropolitan Square

Wardrobe by: Nila Palacios

Location: Kechara Oasis, Level B1 at Jaya O

22 // MAGAZINE


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ISSUE 16 Vol 06 / Mar 2011 // 23

Nursing students educateon domestic violence

Worldwide, White Ribbon Day iscelebrated to raise awarenessabout violence against the women.

Over at Sunway University, studentsrom the Department o Nursing,within the School o Health and NaturalScience recently organised a talk onDomestic Violence against Women,

where student representativesspoke passionately about the issuesaecting women today.

The audience was taught about thedierent types o violence and how toprotect themselves should they everbe attacked.

One o the speakers, Kimberly Loh,a student rom the Faculty o NursingGroup 2009, 07 said that genderinequality is a thing in the past.However, there are some tribeswhich still practice the mindset that

women are a burden, she said.Children are still being buried alive.

In most countries, she added,children are now being educated andtaught rom an early age that violenceagainst women is wrong. They arealso taught to respect each otherand care or one another, Kimberlyadded.

The situation has improved in mostcountries because non-governmentalorganization (NGOs), workingalongside the community, have takenthe initiative to educate the womenon their rights and taught what todo and where to go should they beviolated against.

Santhana Raja, a Language andCompulsory Centre lecturer, saidthat it was indeed challenging orthe students to put together theevent in such short notice, let aloneraise some money to be given away.Nevertheless they accomplished theirgoal and also raised the bar or uturestudents to ollow.

Admission to the talk was throughthe purchase o white ribbon pricedat RM 1. Even with this small amount,the nursing students were able toraise a total o RM 1,580 or 20 single

mothers currently residing in Kg. Sg.Kayu Ara, Damansara. They wereprovided rice, sugar and milk.

Three representatives, Vasantha Tharamalingam, Shanthi Katharayanand Aswathamah Varathappa werepresent to receive the mock cheque.

Vasantha, Shanthi and Aswathamah receiving the mock cheque worth RM 1,580.00 during the event.

Representatives o the single mothers receiving provision.

A nursing student questioning the presenters on whatmeasures are being



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24 // MAGAZINE

Happenings

Welcominginternationalagents

Sunway University recently paved the way tointernationalisation, when it hosted its rstInternational Agents Conerence or 66 participantsrom various parts o the world.

In his welcome speech, Baskaran Sabapathy inhis capacity as organising chairman o the SunwayInternational Agents Conerence 2010 said theconerence was aimed at providing agents andrepresentatives with an in-depth knowledge oSunways programmes, acili ties and services.

Besides motivating the agents topromote Sunway, we also wantedto oster interaction between theagents and our sta, he said.This conerence was vital as itwas a stepping stone in buildingthe Sunway brand together andincreasing the international studentpopulation at Sunway.

Heads o schools and departmentswere given an opportunity to talk

about their programmes and servicesthroughout this conerence viarelationship marketing approaches.

Addressing the audience during her closing speech,Executive Director o Sunway University, ElizabethLee said that the brie stint at Sunway should besucient to give the agents a good exposure owhat student lie is about at Sunway. We wantyou to know what you are selling to the students,she said.

International education, she added, oers a goodexposure which will help international students tobecome working adults who are results-driven,capable and individuals with visions. Internationalstudents can eventually become the links to ostertrade, attract oreign investment and transer otechnology through the advancement o economyin their home country.

The agents engaging in conversations withone another during the conerence.

Sunway sta and agents posing or a

photograph during the conerence.

Dr. Wong Yoke Chen, Director o the A-level Programme withsome o the agents.


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ISSUE 16 Vol 06 / Mar 2011 // 25

Happenings

Intellectualpropertyassets in

wirelesstechnologiesand mobilityat Sunway

Funds are aplenty or Researchand Development programmes,but ew companies are making useo them.

Leading the way, SunwayUniversity recently teamed upwith the Multimedia DevelopmentCorporation (MDeC) to co-hostthe 4th MSC Malaysia R&D Series& IP Connect 2010, which saw atotal o 100 MSC Malaysia StatusCompanies and Institutions oHigher Learning attending theseries.

Themed Wireless and Mobility,the series o lectures were aimedto inorm the MSC Malaysiacommunity o the many availableR&D programmes and unds,besides encouraging networkingand knowledge sharing within theMSC Malaysia community.

This is the irst time SunwayUniversity co-hosted the MSCMalaysia R&D Series with MDeCand was involved in IP Connect,said Proessor Robert Bignall, Vice-Chancellor o Sunway University.This series serves as an eectiveplatorm or the exchange oideas and knowledge in wireless

technology. Sunway Universitytoday shared their R&D in wirelesstechnologies that are relevant inour daily lives and are available inthe market.

Chie Operating Oicer o MDeC, Ng Wan Peng said that MDeCs mission is

to oster world-class R&D in emerging wireless communication technologies,ultimately creating awareness in IP protection, promoting commercialisationand reshaping the industrys uture by cultivating innovation and to becominga high-income knowledge society.

Today, wireless technology is widely used via mobile phones, laptops andother mobile devices and applications, she said. The prevalent use ocomputers and wireless technology has also become an important part othe society as people are increasingly involved in social media channels.

The MSC Malaysia IP Connect is a platorm or Research Institutions,institutions o higher learning, and MSC Malaysia Status Companies tooster IP licensing or sale opportunities, create new productisation orcommercialisation opportunities, as well as to increase technology transerbetween IHLs/RIs and MSC Malaysia Status Companies..

Sunway Universitys School o Computer Technology showcased their IPassets in a number o topics which include the Regionalized HypermediaSocial Networking Platorm (Zmedia), Agent based Mobility Protocol (AMP),Interactive Location Based Inormation Visualization System or Urban

Activity in Kuala Lumpur, Bus Tracking Using Global Positioning Satellite(GPS) and 3G Networks.

Other IPs portolios were presented by Universiti Putra Malaysia, TMResearch & Development and Clariy Consulting Sdn. Bhd.

Proessor Robert Bignall receiving a token o appreciation rom Ms. Ng Wan Peng during the event.


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26 // MAGAZINE

International Student

Sunway, his second home

To 19-year-old Adilet Tursyn,Sunway will always remain as asecond home.

Having lived here or ive yearsnow, Adilet said he has spent hisentire teenage years at Sunway.Personally, it was a great andmemorable experience to study inSunway, he said. I had a chanceto gain good quality knowledgeand made a lot o great riends.

The eldest in the amily, with threeother siblings, who are currentlyliving with their parents in theSouth Region o Kazakhstan,

Adilet irst arrived at Kuala Lumpurin August 2005.

He attended Grade 10 and 11 atSunway International School romJanuary 2008 to December 2009,beore pursuing his CanadianInternational Matriculation Programrom January 2010 to December2010.

On completion o CIMP, Adiletwas accepted into the Universityo Queensland in Brisbane,

Australia, where he is planning todo his degree in the Inormation

Technology.

Overall, or him, it wasnt hardadjusting to the learningenvironment at Sunway. It isa very multicultural, diversiiedand riendly atmosphere whereI quickly settled in, learnedthe language and made newriends, he said, naming someo his best and closest riends Hatso rom Madagascar, Samidrom United Kingdom, Vargha romIran, Mahendra rom India, Jia Kairom Malaysia, Monte rom Sudanand so on.

But I think it wouldnt be possiblewithout the lecturers and teachers here at Sunway, who alwaysmotivate students to achieve theirbest, he added, naming AaronSmajda, his Physics andICT teacher at SunwayInternational School,

as his favouritelecturer.

I had un playing or the school orchestra, under the guidance o Mr.Smajda, he said. He is someone who can play the role o an advisor oreven a parent, when it comes to moral support. Most students ind himmore than just a teacher or a lecturer because he is always open andsincere.

Looking back, he recalled the moment he stepped out o the Kuala LumpurInternational Airport. I ound the local weather conditions, especially thehigh humidity, to be the biggest challenge, he said. Nevertheless, KualaLumpur is a very beautiul city populated with very riendly people odierent races. I was incredibly ascinated to see the worlds tallest twintowers.

In his spare time, he has visited a number o ascinating tourist destinations,including the historic city o Malacca, Penang, Langkawi and Pangkor.

In Langkawi, I had the opportunity to stand on top o the highest mountainon the island to see its beautiul surroundings and nature, he said. InPenang, I simply enjoyed the taste o Malaysias inest cuisines.

It was a challenge or him to get used to the Malaysian spices and ingredientsinitially. Ater a while, he said, you just get used to everything.

His avourite Malaysian dishes are Nasi Ayam and Kway Teow, and hisrecommendation or the best ood selections

are in Ipoh.

I have allen in love with theseaood here in Malaysia,

he said. Because o itsgeographical locationin Kazakhstan,seaood is somethingextraordinary and

exotic. Whatyou have herein Malaysia isdeinitely notsomething thatyou can easily indin Kazakhstan.


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Features

Walking on cloud nine

Turn on the microwave or six minutes and by the time the ood is ready to eat, your riend walking on CloudNine would have walked the whole distance between Sunway University and the Sunway Pyramid Mall.Instead o the usual short drive, it is now the CanopyWalk rom Sunway University East Building towardsthe mall near Sunway Lagoon Theme Park..

With this walkway now in place, our studentswill be able to ind alternative parking so that theycan continue to attend classes conveniently andpunctually, said Elizabeth Lee, Executive Director oSunway University.

Lee said the university has also takensteps to look into the saety aspectso the canopy so that students canconidently and saely use the walkwayto the Mall, where they can enjoygreater accessibility to the wide range oservices. This is an excellent exampleo the symbiosis within the dierentSunway Group entities working or the

good o the community in the IntegratedResort City o Sunway, said Lee.

The construction work o the stretchstarted in May last year and it is nowa non-slip suraced steel structuretopped with double-layered laminatedglass roo, costing around RM2 millionto construct.

Further shaded by many trees, users o the walkwaywill experience a scenic view o the Wildlie Park, TheSur Beach and the Wagon Wheel o the neighbouringSunway Lagoon Theme Park.

The 360m long Canopy Walk is open daily except duringpublic holidays rom 7am 12 midnight and is ittedwith close-circuit TV cameras along the walkway.

ISSUE 16 Vol 06 / Mar 2011 // 27


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Documents

Blaze Vol 06 Issue 16