Vol 09 Issue 34

CONTENTS

Movers & Shakers The Sunway Education Group

03 GLP Welcomes First Cohort Sunway College
05 Experiential Learning With NESCAFÉ
06 A Legend Tomorrow No. 2, Jalan Universiti
08 Giving Thanks To Educators Bandar Sunway
09 Graduating With Greater Purpose 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan
12 Deeper Insights Into SASS Malaysia
13 21st Century Learning The SFP Way T: 603-5638 7176
14 Embracing Math And Logic Challenge E: [email protected]
sunway.edu.my/college
With Passion
17 Going Global: Sunway TES ACCA Audit Sunway University
T: 603-7491 8622
Simulation E: [email protected]
18 ‘Get Well Soon’ Wins AUSMAT university.sunway.edu.my

Pitch Competition Monash University Malaysia
19 Celebrating 20 Years Of Excellence T: 603-5514 6000
E: [email protected]
10 Journey Towards Self Discovery monash.edu.my

Face To Face Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine
and Health Sciences
04 Breaking Barriers T: 603-5514 6000
Deeper Understanding E: [email protected]
med.monash.edu.my
07 Learning Courage
15 Better Luck Comes With Hard Work Sunway International School
T: 603-7491 8070
Social Report E: [email protected]
16 Recognising Talents sis.sunway.edu.my

UP2 or UPP or Uniquely Purposeful Programmes is a quarterly publication that represents a Sunway College Johor Bahru
progressive Sunway College. Owned and governed by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, this T: 607-359 6880
leading private institution of higher learning is forging ahead towards the next level E: [email protected]
of excellence. sunway.edu.my/jb

Advisor : Dr Elizabeth Lee UP2 is published by Sunway College Sunway College Ipoh
T: 605-545 4398
Editorial & : Jerrine Koay Should you have any comments, E: [email protected]
kindly contact: sunway.edu.my/ipoh
Photography Team Katherine Kee
The Public Relations Department Sunway College Kuching
Nichole Kong Sunway Education Group T: 6082-451 221 / 573 251 / 573 252
T: 603-7491 8622 E: [email protected]
Alyna Yong E: [email protected] swck.edu.my
www.sunway.edu.my/college
Concept & Design : Writers Ink Sunway-TES
Centre for Accountancy Excellence
Printer : Kuan Press Sdn Bhd
T: 603-7491 8622
No 9 Jalan SR 3/7, E: [email protected]
Taman Serdang Raya, Seksyen 3 sunway.edu.my/college/sunwaytes
43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor
Sunway International Business
& Management

T: 603-7493 7023
E: [email protected]
sibm.com.my

Shanghai Sunway Financial Training Co. Ltd.

T: 603-7491 8622
E: [email protected]
sunway.edu.my/college/ssft

Sunway Le Cordon Bleu Institute of
Culinary Arts

T: 603-5632 1188
E: [email protected]
lecordonbleu.com.my

Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia
T: 603-7491 8622
jci.edu.my

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed
or implied in UP2 are those of the authors or

contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of

the Sunway Education Group.

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

GLP WELCOMES FIRST COHORT

Yusri Razalli with the first cohort of the German Language Programme

Having entered into a partnership with the Carl Duisberg Centren of Germany in December 2018 which was witnessed by
His Excellency Nikolaus Graf Lambsdorff, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Malaysia, Sunway College
Kuala Lumpur welcomed the first cohort of 19 students for its German Language Programme (GLP) this year.

With 18 JPA (Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam) engineering scholars enrolled into this programme, Yusri Razalli, the Deputy
Director of the Bahagian Pembangunan Modal Insan in JPA, was on hand to welcome the students in July.

“Carl Duisberg Centren has more than 12 years of experience in preparing JPA scholars in a holistic manner for further
studies in Germany and has close to 100% success rate of student placement for the past decade. We are confident Dr
Mira Majtanova with her more than 16 years of teaching the German language will successfully prepare the current batch
of students for study in Germany” said Vanitha Satchithanadan, Director of the AUSMAT Programme at Sunway College.

Here in Malaysia, these 19 students are to undergo a 6-month intensive GLP Module 1: Level A1 – Level B1 from July to
December 2019. Then they will pursue the Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT) programme and GLP Module 2: Level B2.

They will then proceed to continue the GLP at the Carl Duisberg Centren (CDC) for Module 3: Level C1 in Cologne,
Germany for 8 months. Whilst preparing for their Level C1 examinations, science bridging programmes and internship
placement, these students will stay with their German host families.

Upon successful completion of the GLP, these students can proceed to pick their degree course from the 400 Universities
and Universities of Applied Sciences offering more than 19,000 different degree courses with zero tuition fees.

“Our first priority is to offer Malaysian students a direct pathway to studying in Germany, the 4th most popular destination
among international students in the world. Germany is an attractive place to study and German university degrees are
highly respected by employers worldwide. With excellent teaching and research facilities, our prospective students will
earn an internationally renowned degree, giving them excellent prospects on the global job market. Since German
universities provide outstanding academic programmes that combine theory and practice and offer a range of
practice-oriented study programmes, our students will be future ready”, said Vanitha of the GLP.

“Our second priority is to offer prospective students full-fledged facilities that will surely and greatly improve their learning
experience by leaps and bounds. Our campus fully equipped with academic and sports facilities, is amongst the largest
and most modern private institutions in Malaysia. With access to QS 5-Star rated state of the art university facilities to
support their studies, our students can also tap into a busy calendar of campus events and social activities organised by
a vibrant and active student community. The Sunway student experience is characterised by unlimited possibilities and
infinite opportunities abound inside the classroom and out”, she continued.

03

- FACE TO FACE -

BREAKING BARRIERS

Awarded the Jeffrey Cheah Entrance Scholarship to
pursue the Foundation in Arts (FIA) programme at Sunway
College, 19-year old Brendan Michael Thasan intends to
pursue a career in the Information Technology (IT) field after
graduating with a CGPA of 3.83 in FIA.

Brendan has enrolled for the BSc (Hons) Information
Technology (Computer Networking and Security) at Sunway
University. Winning the Vice Chancellor’s Subject Award
for Computing and gaining the Jeffrey Cheah Continuing
Scholarship has spurred him to pursue his interest in IT.

During his fifteen months in the programme, Brendan found
presentations to be the most interesting albeit challenging
component of his FIA studies. Some of the highlights in FIA for
Brendan included being a teaching assistant for the Sunway
International School Harvard’s Asia Leadership Youth Camp.

As for his former role as the President of the Sunway
Foundation Programme (SFP) Student Council, Brendan found
it stressful yet enjoyable as he learnt a lot from carrying out
activities like the Charity Carnival which raised funds for the
needy, Teachers’ Day which was held to appreciate their
lecturers and SFP Talent Time which enabled SFP students to
showcase their talents. Brendan is thankful for his lecturers and
friends who supported him along the way. With their help, he
managed to break down barriers, step out of his comfort zone
and strive to be better each day.

A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING

Go the extra mile and gain a deeper understanding of what
you are learning is Chang Ye Sean’s advice to future students
of the Foundation in Science and Technology (FIST) at Sunway
College. Awarded the Certificate of Academic Excellence for
FIST and the Vice Chancellor’s Award, 18-year old Ye Sean from
Johor undertook the FIST as a scholarship recipient.

Choosing to enrol into Sunway College because of the wide
variety of foundation programmes offered, Ye Sean discovered
the challenge in FIST was in learning to apply what was
learnt in classes for the examinations. Finding his lecturers to
be passionate about making learning interesting, Ye Sean’s
favourite lecturer is Ms Yuva who taught him Chemistry.
Chemistry was a pretty tough subject but Ms Yuva would
patiently listen and give her best which encouraged students
like Ye Sean to learn.

With many group projects to work on in FIST, Ye Sean shared that
he has become a better team player and a better person as he
was able to encourage, help his friends and group mates. For
his next step on the education pathway, Ye Sean was awarded
the Jeffrey Cheah Special Entrance Scholarship to pursue BSc
(Hons) in Medical Biotechnology at Sunway University.

Interested to explore more into the field of biotechnology, Ye
Sean is looking forward to conducting experiments in the labs
and hopes to develop new medicinal technologies to help the
world in curing diseases.

04

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING WITH NESCAFÉ

The VU NYEP team Members of the team at work

Coming from different backgrounds and with different perspectives on life,
eight final year students from the Victoria University (VU) Bachelor of Business
programme came together for one whole month. By working on building their
entrepreneurial skills through the Nescafé Youth Entrepreneurship Programme
(NYEP), these eight people discovered the meaning of experiential learning.

Calling themselves Sun Brew, Braxton Yap Win Kit, Yong Jing Bang, Cheong Jia Kee, Braxton Yap Win Kit Jennifer Chandra
Muhammad Aqmal Nurhakim Mohd Kamari, Jennifer Chandra, Regina Kwong Yi
Qae, Fong Kang Ling and team lead, Richa Shil Dwarkasingh had to develop on Muhammad Aqmal
the spot skills to run their Nescafé pop-up store on the Sunway campus. Nurhakim Mohd
Kamari
Before embarking on their adventure in selling coffee via the Nescafé
Challenge, these students had much to learn about the strict standard Regina Kwong Yi Qae
operating procedures, the hygiene requirements in the food and beverage
industry, the protocols involved in getting their marketing materials approved,
preparing and crafting drinks, developing promotional plans as well as learning
to work together as a team.

After their initial training and upon receipt of their start-up investment in Cheong Jia Kee
kind, Sun Brew went to work on building their coffee business on campus.
Entrepreneurial Skills senior lecturer Teh Ya Yee encouraged her students to
participate in the NYEP as this was an opportunity for them to sharpen their skills
through running an actual business.

Excited about putting into action their marketing strategies, the Sun Brew Yong Jing Bang
team recalls breaking the Sunway record by selling approximately 612 cups
of coffee on the last day of the Nescafé Challenge. Working as a team
had its challenges but for all the team members, it was teamwork and
communications that helped them resolve their individual differences and
enabled them to meet their set key performance indicators (KPIs) which was to
sell 400 cups of coffee daily for one whole month.

Learning to delegate work as part of a team, the Sun Brew team stayed
motivated, learning to never give up and encourage each other through the
debriefing sessions held at the end of each work week.

Discovering there is more to ‘business’ than just their technical skills, the added
boost to their self-confidence, time and stress management skills has given the Sun
Brew team a real eye-opening experience when it comes to running a business.

Fong Kang Ling Richa Shil Dwarkasingh
05

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

A LEGEND TOMORROW

Accompanied by their teachers, a crowd of approximately 800 students from 25 schools around Selangor, Kuala
Lumpur, Johor, Melaka, Perak, and Negeri Sembilan attended the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia 17th English
Language Event Public Speaking Competition 2019. The preliminaries were initially held in April and the semi-finals had 12
students judged by a panel from Sunway Education Group comprising Professor Stephen James Hall, Head of Centre for
English Language Studies as Chief Judge; Jayne Wong Oi Mun, Teaching Fellow of Centre for English Language Studies
and Angela Soyza, Senior Lecturer with Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY).

The final stage of the competition had six students from SMK Kepong, SMK Convent Bukit Nanas, SMJK Yu Hua, SMJK
Katholik Selangor, Pay Fong Middle School and SMK Seafield presenting a 3-minute speech each to compete for
the honour of being crowned champion. The panel of judges from the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia
were Professor Abhimanyu Veerakumarasivam, Professor of Genetics from the Department of Biological Sciences,
School of Science and Technology, Sunway University; Darina Yusof, Country Chief Risk Officer of Standard Chartered
Bank Malaysia Berhad and Danial Rahman, Global Head of OpenLearning.com. Speakers of the day included
Danial, Professor Abhimanyu, Darina and Chacko Vadaketh. In attendance for this day was Chook Yun Yng, President of
the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia.

16-year old Vigneshwaran Sundrasagar from SMK Kepong was crowned champion of the Oxford and Cambridge
Society Malaysia 17th English Language Event Public Speaking Competition 2019. Winning a full bursary from Sunway
College, a cash prize of RM600, a certificate of commendation from the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia
and an individual trophy, Vigneshwaran spoke eloquently on ‘Teenage Rebellion is a Sign of Creativity.’ In his speech,
Vigneshwaran said “The so-called rebels of yesterday are the very people we look up to today. Just remember, you may
be a rebel today, but you will be a legend tomorrow.” The Challenge Trophy was awarded to his school, SMK Kepong.

Chairperson of the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia English Language Event, Margaret Hall commended
Vigneshwaran for his good delivery which focused on creativity with the storytelling supplemented by appropriate hand
gestures plus numerous historical and contemporary examples.

First runner-up, 16-year old Priyanka Gunaseelan of SMK Convent Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur walked away with a Sunway
College bursary worth RM15,000, a cash prize of RM400, a certificate of commendation from the Oxford and Cambridge
Society of Malaysia and an individual trophy.
Second runner-up, 17- year old Ong Yi Jun of
SMJK Yu Hua, Selangor took home a Sunway
College bursary worth RM10,000, a cash prize of
RM200, a certificate of commendation from the
Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia and
an individual trophy.

Lim Li Yen of SMJK Katholik, Selangor; Pang Xing Vigneshwaran and his teachers with Professor Stephen James Hall, Head of
Yu of Pay Fong Middle School, Melaka and Centre for English Language Studies and Chook Yun Yng, President of the Oxford
Carlos Sebastien John of SMK Seafield, Selangor and Cambridge Society Malaysia
each took home consolation prizes of a Sunway
College bursary worth RM5,000, a cash prize of
RM100, a certificate of commendation from the
Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia and
an individual trophy.

Winners of the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia 17th English Language
Event Public Speaking Competition 2019

06

LEARNING COURAGE - FACE TO FACE -

Last year, 19-year old Ng Soong Ling from Kuala
Lumpur added another accolade to her growing list
of achievements with the Harvard Prize Book Award.
Having chosen to pursue the A-Levels in Sunway College,
Soong Ling from a family of five kept herself actively
involved in college activities. Participating in the Sunway
College Student Council for three semesters and serving
as the Director and Student Welfare and Treasurer for
the Council, Soong Ling was also on the Netball Club
Committee and a member of the GOLD media Sunway
Team that participated in MASISWA in 2018.

An active member of the Christian Fellowship and an
A-level Student Ambassador, Soong Ling also served
a term with the Sunway Student Volunteers and tried
her best to give back to society through volunteering
activities carried out by her church. Introduced to
volunteering by her parents and at activities in church,
Soong Ling loves the innocent bright smiles of the children
when she volunteers.

At the interview with the panel of three judges, Soong Ling
spoke of her growth as a leader by overcoming her fears.
Though her volunteer activities, she learned that learning
to apologise and take responsibility as a leader requires
courage and to her, that is the definition of being fearless.

As for her academic achievements, Soong Ling spoke of
maintaining an average academic achievement of 90%
and above in the A-Levels programme. She shared that
she pays attention in class and tries to really understand
what is being taught as her lecturers provide detailed and
interesting explanations for each topic. Comfortable with
the 100% examination-based assessment of the A-Levels,
Soong Ling chose Sunway College as she was attracted
by the environment and facilities within the campus after
attending an open day. She believes A-Levels will provide
her with a firm base of knowledge to develop herself further.

Surprised and grateful for the Harvard Prize Book Award,
Soong Ling intends to work harder at achieving more
and to fully develop her potential. The former student of
Catholic High School Petaling Jaya, Selangor will most likely
be heading off to the London School of Economics at the
end of September this year to pursue a degree in Actuarial
Science. “Experiencing the exciting and colourful university
lifestyle. Especially looking forward to the whole new
environment and experience London is going to give me.
Surprisingly, also the fact that I am taking one more step
further into adulthood. While being nervous there is also
excitement of finally living on my own.”

While waiting to head off to the UK, Soong Ling is gaining
experience through an internship at the office of Michelle
Ng, current assemblywoman of the Selangor State
Legislative Assembly for Subang Jaya. “To not be afraid
to ask questions when I don’t fully understand something.
Being new is not an excuse, if I don’t know, ask, then try my
best to complete the task”, are some of the most important
points she is learning in her internship experience.

07

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

GIVING THANKS TO EDUCATORS

The recipients of the Certificate of Student Appreciation of Teaching Lecturers from Sunway Foundation Programme who
Award from Sunway International School and Sunway College received the awards. (from left) Chin Key Paan, Cass Goh
Yan Peng, Nurulnissa Ahmad Kamil, Chloe Yong Wern Jin
with Suzana Ahmad Ramli

In nurturing and developing the lives of the students at Sunway, a total of 63 teachers and lecturers from Sunway
University, Sunway College and Sunway International School (SIS) were given the Certificate of Student Appreciation of
Teaching Awards.

Professor Patrick Siau Chi Yin, currently practice Professor of Culinary Arts at Sunway University, the Malaysia Team Coach
at the World Pastry Cup 2019 in Lyon, France and the Sunway University School of Hospitality Team Coach created a
special strawberry-flavoured cake for the educators of Sunway on the Teaching Appreciation Day.

Officiating the special cake-cutting session was Dr Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Education Group;
Dato’ Lee Weng Keng, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Group, Education and Healthcare Division; Professor Graeme
Wilkinson, Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University; Professor Pua Eng Chong, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University;
Professor Peter Heard, Provost of Sunway University; Teo Ee Sing, Executive Director of Sunway College; and Chieng Mien
Wee, Executive Director of Sunway International School and Director of Pre-University Studies.

On this day, Dr Elizabeth Lee spoke of the role of the educators in changing lives, transforming students and hoped the
awards would serve to encourage Sunway educators to produce better outcomes for the students, their colleagues and
for themselves in Sunway.

On winning the Pre-University Most Promising New Lecturer Award, Biology and Sciences, and Ethics lecturer Cass Goh
Yen Peng in the Sunway Foundation Programme is heartened by the acknowledgement. She intends to equip her
students with the skill sets required by the 21st century workforce. Having started her journey with Sunway College three
and a half years ago, Cass aims to educate and help her students succeed in their pursuits.

Having received the Certificate of Student Appreciation of Teaching Award, a second time in her eight-year teaching
period at Sunway College, Accounting and Business Finance lecturer Nurulnissa Ahmad Kamil shared that she comes
from a family of educators, a teacher and a coach trainer.

Grateful for his award, Mathematics Fundamental Unit 1 and 2 in the Monash University Foundation Year programme
lecturer James Stephon celebrated 25 years of teaching and is encouraged by the award to continue his contributions
as an educator.

The other winners included Heather Brooks, who received the SIS Most Promising New Teacher Award whereas Dr
Andrew Brian Filmer, Senior Lecturer of Sunway University School of Arts, Department of Performance and Media
received the Sunway University Certificate of Commendation for Award in Excellence in Teaching. Caroline Yap Yu Li,
Teaching Fellow of Sunway University Business School, Department of Accounting received the Sunway University Award
for Excellence in Teaching.

Dedicating a Malay poem to all Sunway educators composed by Geethanchali Ramasamy, Sunway TES Centre for
Accountancy Excellence lecturer and Hairani M Nur, Sunway University School of Hospitality Senior Teaching Fellow,
the President of Sunway Academic Staff Association (SASA) Jennifer Rathabai likened teachers to a candle that shines,
survive challenges and continues to shine a light of knowledge and love for the students.

Adding colour to this day of celebration were student and tutor performances by opera singer Cassandra Foo Wern Yen,
a finalist for Sunway’s Got Talent 2019, a Latin dance cha-cha inspired performance by Giselle Tan Ying Ying and Loke
Wai Peng Emily plus a self-composed acoustic performance by Ian Lam Ka Fye.

08

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

GRADUATING WITH GREATER PURPOSE

Vina Paramitha, recipient of the Jeffrey Cheah Danya Frances Rajah, the Valedictorian of Class Over 200 students from
Sunway College and
Entrance Scholarship with Professor Graeme Wilkinson June 2019 with Her Excellency Ms Julia G. Bentley Sunway International
School (SIS) completed
their first step of their
education pathway
towards excellence by
receiving their Ontario
Secondary School
Diplomas (OSSD). 125
students received
the Ontario Scholar
Awards and another
45 students took
home the Community
Service Awards at the
graduation for the
Canadian International
Matriculation
Programme (CIMP).

Loaning their presence

to this joyous occasion

were Her Excellency

Ms Julia G. Bentley,

High Commissioner

of Canada; Yang

Berbahagia Puan Sri

Datin Seri (Dr) Susan

Cheah, EXCO Member

Ng Zhen Cong, recipient of the Maple Leaf Award Serene Aimee Tan Diwen, recipient of the of Sunway Group; Dr
with Dr Elizabeth Lee Community Service Award with Dato’ Roslee Yahaya Elizabeth Lee, Chief

Executive Director of

Sunway Education Group; Professor Graeme Wilkinson, Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University; Cheng Mien Wee,

Executive Director of Sunway International School and Director of Pre-University Studies of Sunway College; Heath

Kondro, Principal of the Canadian International School and Sunway International School; George McEwan, CIMP

Director of Sunway College and Dato’ Roslee Yahaya, Head of Academic Service for the Canadian Curriculum and

CIMP Deputy Director of Sunway College.

In her welcome remarks, Dr Elizabeth Lee spoke of the hands-on learning students gained through volunteering as this
enabled them to connect with members of the community and being empowered to offer help to those in need. During
her speech, Her Excellency Ms Bentley, High Commissioner of Canada commended the CIMP graduates for both their
community service efforts and their academic performance.

Serene Aimee Tan Diwen received the most awards this day as she received academic subject awards for English -
University Preparation, the Writer’s Craft and World History Since the Fifteenth Century. For the 793 hours volunteering to
work with children, raising funds through Orphan Care Foundation and more, Serene received the Community Service
Award. Enjoying volunteer work since her childhood days, Serene intends to help others in the future.

To receive their OSSD, students are required to complete a minimum 10 hours of volunteering. This graduating cohort
contributed an average 30 hours individually. They raised RM12,170 in 12 hours over 2 days when they were called to take a
business from conception to birth for PBKSA (Persatuan Briged Kesenian Sukarelawan APM) as part of their Business Leadership
Community Project. Over the past 5 years, this subject has had the students raising RM174,265.60 for local charities.

For her score of the highest overall average of 96%, 16-year old Vina Paramitha from Indonesia received the Jeffrey
Cheah Entrance Scholarship and the Jeffrey Cheah Scholastic Award. Younger than most of her cohort, Vina adapted
quickly to her environment in CIMP by becoming more independent and responsible.

The Maple Leaf Award was given to Ng Zhen Cong in recognition of his excellent academic performance and active
participation in extra-curricular activities. Zhen Cong shared that he learnt something new every day as he has a passion
for refining his writing skills in CIMP. With much to offer to their loved ones and themselves, valedictorian Danya Frances
Rajah urged each of her fellow graduates of the June 2019 cohort to walk out with purpose and change the world.

09

- FOCUS -

JOURNEY TOWARDS SELF DISCOVERY

Serene with her parents Joy Chee Loo See and William Tan Chong Yaw

Formerly a Sunway International School (SIS) student, Serene Aimee Tan Diwen recently graduated from the Canadian
International Matriculation Programme (CIMP) with flying colours for both her academic and extracurricular activities. Having
earned herself the CIMP Subject Awards for Writer’s Craft, World History Since the Fifteenth Century and English – University
Preparation, Serene was also awarded the Community Service Award for completing 793 hours of community services.
Home-schooled prior to her enrolment in SIS in 2015, Serene shared that her days in SIS taught her teamwork, leadership
and communication skills enabling her to become a more holistic and rounded person. Highlights of her SIS days
included the opportunity for her to perform with the choir club at her older brother, Samuel Tan Dixhen’s CIMP
graduation in 2018 which then progressed to her becoming the club President.
Practicing time management and keeping a full schedule during her time in Sunway, Serene’s activities has included
peer tutoring in History, Biology, Mathematics and French in both SIS and CIMP. Juggling a balance between consistent
academic excellence and involvement in extracurricular activities, Serene has competed and won awards for SIS Got
Talent, Sunway National Poetry Slam 2016 in the group division, Battle of The Books 2017, ISAC Touch Rugby Tournament
2017 and Harvard Prize Book Award 2018.
A former President of the SIS Christian Fellowship for three years running and a former committee member of the worship
team for Sunway University Christian Fellowship, Serene has always wanted to help other people. Helping the needy has
Serene embracing outreach to the Orang Asli indigenous community and supervising programmes at Orang Asli homes,
volunteering at children’s home, teaching children with special needs, fundraising for a refugee aid centre and a baby
dumping project by NGOs.
Both her parents, Williie Tan Chong Yaw and Joy Chee Loo See are happy with their decision to enrol both Serene
and her older brother, Samuel into SIS and the CIMP programmes. According to their father, this education option has
given both Serene and Samuel a seamless transition into university with the 70:30 ratio of formative assessment and final
examinations.

10

- FOCUS -

In their family of four, community service and helping the needy is
part and parcel of their lifestyle. Communications and coordination
of schedules in their family has enabled them to embrace the need
to help others. Having served as the Chairperson and Secretary of the
SIS Parents Council, both William and Joy believe that it is necessary
for parents to know where their child’s strength lies and what is best for
them. According to Joy, “The SIS counsellors would advise the children in
choosing the subjects that best suits them so they can score well and be
more relevant to what they want to do in the future.”

Aspiring to shine in the field of health sciences so that she can help the
needy, Serene has embraced the opportunity to learn more about the
discipline by seeking observation placement. Having been attached to
a Subang audiology clinic, a Melbourne speech pathology centre, the
Penang General Hospital paediatric department plus the Kedah and
Selangor dental clinics, Serene has decided on dentistry. The first-hand
experience of working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the paediatric
ward in Penang General Hospital has her experiencing the doctors’
working environment thereby making her more determined to shape her
future by helping others.

Intending to specialise in paediatric dentistry, Serene hopes to serve with
Mercy Ships which is a global charity that operates hospital ships offering
world-class healthcare services to those in the developing world who
have no access to these facilities. Having learnt French and winning a
subject award for French during her SIS days, Serene hopes to utilise this
skill as she has been advised that volunteers would find this beneficial in
the countries that Mercy Ships serves in.

For Serene, “It is as if I have just enrolled in Sunway International School
(SIS) yesterday but in fact, I am graduating from Sunway College’s
Canadian International Matriculation Programme (CIMP) now.” She has
enrolled in James Cook University, North Queensland, Australia for the
Bachelor of Dental Surgery.

Serene with her parents and brother Samuel Tan Dixhen

11

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

DEEPER INSIGHTS INTO SASS

Together with the Monash School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS), Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY)
organised a 5-day programme combining SASS academic components with activities and a competition for MUFY
students in June this year.

The participants involved in this Monash Arts Immersion Programme and Scholarship Competition were given
opportunities to delve into the world of arts and social sciences by exploring areas of study taught at SASS, namely
screen studies, gender studies, communication, global studies and writing.

For the participants, the overall experience was enjoyable and exceeded their expectations as it gave them deeper
insights into SASS degree courses, helped improve their analytical skills and provided them with a better understanding
of issues prevalent in the world today.

Thematic daily prizes in the form of vouchers for movies, cafés, books, lifestyle stores and online entertainment
subscriptions were awarded to the top performing workshop groups for each day. The competition awarded the top
three overall performers with scholarships for a bachelor’s degree in SASS with cash prizes of RM1,000, RM2,000 and
RM3,000 awarded to the third, second and first place winners.

Third place winner, Chloe Liew had the opportunity to dive into the specific criticism of film and looked at different
aspects like cinematography which was interesting to her. Second place winner, Batrisyia Najwa Azalan loved the
global studies workshop as it made her realise some people have different opinions but that does not mean it is wrong.

First place winner, Lim Ai Li Ashley found the programme really fun as it gave her a more in-depth perspective of what
the school of arts and social sciences really does.

MUFY winners Chloe Liew, Lim Ai Li Ashley and Batrisyia Participants in their work groups
Najwa Azalan of the Monash Arts Immersion Programme and
Scholarship Competition with their lecturers

Participants of the Monash Arts Immersion Programme and Working as a team
Scholarship Competition pose for a group photo

12

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

21ST CENTURY LEARNING THE SFP WAY

In preparing students for 21st Century learning skills, the educators of the Students and their Food Science project
Sunway Foundation Programme (SFP) aspire to empower their students
to discover that success in life is all about humanity. Through the lens of
three class projects held recently, the students of SFP had the opportunity
to immerse themselves in the 6C’s of Education – Critical Thinking,
Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Citizenship/Culture, Character
Education/Connectivity.

The Maths Fun Fair was recently organised to challenge the perception of
Maths as an alien language. A non-competitive platform for students to
enhance their problem-solving skills, the SFP students designed a variety
of math games as a mode of communications under the guidance
of Maths lecturer, Kelly Chin Key Paan. By relating mathematical
applications to our daily lives, the Maths Fun Fair proved that Maths
involves a whole lot of human interaction and fun.

Intrinsically linked to human thoughts and behaviours, the Psychology
Exhibition Day aims to raise awareness of the various psychological
disorders that exist in our society today. By making SFP students
compelled to collaborate closely in planning their own exhibitions
successfully, Psychology lecturer Melissa Anak Nuah challenges her
students to adapt to different needs and environment whilst keeping
each other motivated throughout the whole process.

A unique blend of logic and creativity, the Food Product Development
Project had the SFP students formulate three variations of their own
recipe which was followed by a sensory evaluation test with at
least 20 subjects to identify consumers’ preference. By enabling the
students to understand the physical and chemical factors affecting
sensory properties of food product, Food Science lecturer Liew Jia
Shi encouraged the students to stay curious about everything and to
experiment with new, creative ideas.

By moving learning beyond classrooms, the SFP’s philosophy and
pedagogy is a reflection of Nobel laureate and Pulitzer prize winner
Toni Morrison’s remark to her students, “If you are free, you need to free
somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower
somebody else”.

Students talking about their Psychology project

Students’ Maths project Another group with their Psychology project

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- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

EMBRACING MATH AND LOGIC CHALLENGE WITH PASSION

Math and Logic Challenge winners with Dr Elizabeth Lee and Sunway College A-Level Math lecturers

Organised by a dedicated team of lecturers from Sunway
College’s A-Level programme, this year’s Math and Logic
Challenge attracted a total of 782 teams for the State
Challenge which was initiated in April. For the National
Challenge final, a total of 195 teams from 68 different
schools in Perak, Johor, Kedah, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan,
Pahang, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor competed
in two rounds to determine the winning teams.

For the National Math and Logic Challenge, a total of Team challenge
390 participants attended, accompanied by their friends,
teachers and parents. The first round was the individual
challenge and the second round was the team challenge
made up of 2 students per team.

Addressing the participants in her closing address, Dr
Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Sunway Education
Group congratulated them for their hard work, passion
and enthusiasm for the Math and Logic Challenge. Out of
the three main prizes for the Math and Logic Challenge
this year, two teams from Kuen Cheng High School, Kuala
Lumpur took home the second runner up prize and the
Championship prize.

As the second runner up, Kuen Cheng High School, Kuala Individual challenge
Lumpur received RM500 in cash. Their students, Ng Jiunn

Xiang and Tan Zi Yang each won a Sunway A-Level bursary valued at RM30,000 and or, a Sunway Degree bursary for

studies in Actuarial Studies or Industrial Statistics or Financial Analysis or Financial Economics, valued at RM24,000. In

addition to the bursaries, they each took home individual trophies and certificates of commendation.

As the first runner up, Chong Hwa Independent High School, Kuala Lumpur received RM600 in cash. Their students, Tan
Chee Xiang and Woon Jian Xiang each won a Sunway A-Level bursary valued at RM45,000 and or, a Sunway Degree
bursary for studies in Actuarial Studies or Industrial Statistics or Financial Analysis or Financial Economics, valued at
RM30,000. In addition to the bursaries, they each took home individual trophies and certificates of commendation.

As champions of the Math and Logic Challenge 2019, Kuen Cheng High School, Kuala Lumpur received RM800 in cash
and took home the challenge trophy. Students, Benjamin Loh Ze Min and Ewe Kai Yu each won a full Sunway A-Level
bursary valued at RM36,000 and or, a Sunway Degree bursary for studies in Actuarial Studies or Industrial Statistics or
Financial Analysis or Financial Economics valued at RM45,000. They each took home individual trophies and certificates
of commendation.

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- FACE TO FACE -

BETTER LUCK COMES WITH HARD WORK

Having emerged as the world’s top
Institute of Chartered Accountants of
England and Wales (ICAEW) student, a
delighted Ng Yi Sze believes the harder
you work then the luckier you are.
Awarded first place and the Little Prize
in the Professional Stage Order of Merit
for Business Planning: Taxation with an
outstanding mark of 100% in the 2018
ICAEW Professional Level Paper Exam, first
place Yi Sze also took home the Plender
Prize for Professional Annual International
Order of Merit 2018, the Highest Non-
Graduate Student and the Simon Morris
Memorial Prize 2018. Delighted by the
awards received, Yi Sze is now more
confident and feels she will have more
opportunities in the field of accounting.

Prior to enrolling into the Certificate in
Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB)
at Sunway TES Centre for Accountancy
Excellence programme, Ng Yi Sze had
the opportunity to intern in the Finance
department of Oleon (Asia-Pacific) Sdn
Bhd. It was here she found her passion for
accountancy and received the Sunway
TES and ICAEW Global Accountant
Scholarship which funded her tuition and
examination fees.

Formerly from SMK (Perempuan) Bukit
Kuda, Klang, 20-year old Yi Sze spent 18
months in CFAB and another 12 months
preparing for the ICAEW professional stage
level. Grateful for the constant support
from the lecturers and their dedication in
sharing their knowledge and experiences
with the students, Yi Sze shared the
programme is challenging as the yearly
updates to the syllabus required students
like her to keep themselves learning and
be familiar with the latest syllabus.

Yi Sze has also widened her world view of
the accounting landscape as she has just
completed her work-based learning at
KPMG Malaysia. Having just completed
her 3-month Authorised Training Employer
(ATE) work-based learning, a newly
confident Yi Sze shared she has learnt to
think from a different perspective.

15

- SOCIAL REPORT -

RECOGNISING TALENTS

Converging to share stories of their education journey in Sunway, the select group of scholars from the Jeffrey Cheah
Foundation (JCF) Community Scholarship recently got together to welcome new additions to the family of JCF scholars.
Current scholar Venisri Jeyaraman who is pursuing BSc (Hons) Business Studies in Sunway University and former scholar
Leong Chee Keong were present to share their experiences of being part of the family of JCF community scholars.

During this gathering, Professor Graeme Wilkinson, the Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University spoke of how the JCF
Community Scholarship recognises the need for social inclusivity and social responsibility. The JCF Community
Scholarship has been a blessing for those from disadvantaged backgrounds as the JCF provides an education fund,
accommodation, book purchases and living allowances to enable student scholars to further develop their talents and
potential whilst studying at Sunway.

This sense of inclusiveness and social responsibility is reflected in the 5-star rating in the International QS ranking
and Sunway University is the only non-government linked university in Malaysia to attain this. Delighted that the JCF
Community Scholarship is all about providing quality education to the deserving, Professor Wilkinson hoped the scholars
would continue to develop their talents to help build a more harmonious society for the future.

Established in 2002, the JCF Community Scholarship which
annually allocates 20 scholarships to youths in need for
education at Sunway University and Sunway College is a
vital vehicle to enrich and improve lives. Grateful for the
opportunities made available through the scholarships, JCF
community scholars like Venisri and Chee Keong chose to
share their stories to encourage the next generation to push
boundaries and develop their potential through pursuit of
higher education.

Venisri feels very blessed to have been offered the Lee Siok Ping, Director of Student LIFE together with Leong Chee
opportunity to study in Sunway University on a fully Keong, a Sunway alumnus and Venisri Jeyaraman, a current JCF
sponsored scholarship. Currently working in Citibank Community scholar
Malaysia as a management associate, Chee Keong is
honoured to be an alumnus of the BSc (Hons) Financial
Analysis and to have been given the opportunity to develop
a career in banking.

JCF Community Scholars with Lee Siok Ping and Professor Graeme Wilkinson
16

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

GOING GLOBAL: SUNWAY TES ACCA AUDIT SIMULATION

Lee Kok Choong, Dato Gan Ah Tee, Teo Ee Sing, Dato’ Merina Abu Tahir, Esther Thng, Nor Sherriza Nor Rashidi,
Peter Lim Chu Guan, and Zetty Othman launch the Sunway TES-ACCA Global Audit Simulation Programme

Taking an innovative approach to focus on building employability and real-world skills in students, Sunway TES Centre of
Accountancy Excellence (STES CAE) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) collaborated to
globally launch the first ever real-world case-based audit simulation programme in June this year. An exclusive partnership
between STES CAE, ACCA and multinational audit firms of PwC, EY, KPMG, Deloitte, and BDO, this audit simulation
programme enables students to acquire practical audit work skills through effective time management, team work,
communication and leadership, all which are essential to ensure work readiness.
The Sunway TES-ACCA Global Audit Simulation Programme was officially launched by Teo Ee Sing, Executive Director at
Sunway College together with Dato’ Merina, Abu Tahir, President of the Malaysia Advisory Committee (MAC) and Chair
of ACCA Advisory Committee; Lee Kok Choong, Malaysia Learning and Development Leader, EY; Dato Gan Ah Tee,
Regional Senior Partner, BDO; Esther Thng, Regional Head of Education, ASEAN ANZ, ACCA; Nor Sherriza Nor Rashidi,
Employer Branding – Lead, PwC; Peter Lim Chu Guan, Partner, Deloitte and Zetty Othman, Manager, Talent Acquisition
and Branding, KPMG.
Attracting 54 students from Indonesia’s Petra Christian University, London School of Accountancy and Finance, and
Padjadjaran University; Dubai’s Middlesex University; India’s International Skill Development Corporation (ISDC Global),
the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Bahrain Polytechnic, and Oman’s Sultan Qaboos University, the Sunway TES-ACCA Global Audit
Simulation Programme also had 218 students from STES CAE participating in this programme.
These 272 student participants were then divided into 38 groups of 7 members per group. Within one week, these
participants were given an audit crash course comprising of an audit workshop, audit simulation and audit review.
Guiding, facilitating and reviewing these students through this programme were representatives from the multinational
audit firms.
At its global launch, Dato’ Merina Abu Tahir spoke of how the programme is a shining example of Sunway TES’ innovative
approach to focus on building employability and real-world skills in students. Wishing all the participants the very best of luck,
Dato’ Merina urged them to keep an open mind and learn as much as they can during the audit simulation programme.
For STES CAE, the programme was first initiated in Kuala Lumpur in 2015. Currently in its 8th installation, Sunway TES
believes in creating a culture of excellence that provides inspirational interventions for students to accomplish their goals
according to Teo Ee Sing.

17

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

‘GET WELL SOON’ WINS AUSMAT PITCH COMPETITION

Winners and finalists of the Sunway AUSMAT Pitch Finals 2019

In welcoming the finalists to the AUSMAT Pitch Competition 2019, Vanitha
Satchithanadan, Director of the Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT)
programme at Sunway College spoke of how short persuasive speeches
could potentially change attitude, lives and community.

Wong Eunice from Nobel International School The panel of judges for the AUSMAT Pitch Competition comprised of
competition advisor, Oliver Kee Swee Keat, Senior Lecturer of AUSMAT;
Bernadine Caruana, Counsellor (Education and Science) to Australian High
Commission, Kuala Lumpur; Annyza Tumar, Head of Academic Enhancement
of Sunway University and A. Alagarani, Senior Lecturer of Victoria University at
Sunway College.

All finalists were awarded with individual trophies and certificates of
commendation for their efforts. Balqis Elmira from Q Academy, Dheptika Gopal
from Sirius Scholar Study Skills, Gurparkash Kaur from Sri Dasmesh International
School, Jordan Wong Liang Hao from Sri Emas International School, Wong
Yun Qi from Arrows Resource Centre, Chloe Ng from Sri Desa Learning Centre
and D’leene Douglas from Sri Desa Learning Centre each took home the
consolation prize of an AUSMAT programme bursary worth RM5,000.

Cassandra Chui Jhia Ee from Lumière Academy Walking away with the second runner-up prize, Lau Shir Lyn from Sri Sempurna
International School spoke on ‘Social Imprisonment’. She received an
AUSMAT programme bursary worth RM10,000. The first runner-up, Cassandra
Chui Jhia Ee from Lumière Academy spoke on ‘Are You Alive or Just
Breathing?’. Her efforts won her an AUSMAT programme bursary worth
RM15,000.

Emerging as the champion of AUSMAT Pitch Competition 2019 and winning
herself a full AUSMAT programme bursary worth RM18,500 to pursue at
Sunway College, Wong Eunice from Nobel International School impressed
the judges with her speech titled ‘Get Well Soon’. In her pitch, she spoke of
mental health issues being just as common as physical health issues.

Lau Shir Lyn from Sri Sempurna Walking the audience through the symptoms of mental health issues, Eunice
International School cited the example of panic attacks. Finding it hard to breathe and having
sweaty palms, those who suffer from panic attacks could suffer episode after
18 episode as there is no cure for panic attacks. Urging the audience to listen to
people suffering from mental health issues, Eunice wanted to start a conversation
about mental health in order to overcome the stigma attached to it.

- MOVERS & SHAKERS -

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Celebrating MUFY’s 20th anniversary with a cake cutting ceremony

In July, Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY) Sunway College KL honoured the achievements of over 500 students
at this year’s graduation ceremony and celebrated its 20th Anniversary. From 23 students in 1999, MUFY at Sunway
College KL currently has over 1,200 students in 2019.

Among the esteemed guests who graced this double celebration were Dr Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer of
Sunway Education Group; Jo Mithen, Chief Executive Officer of Monash College; Professor Andrew Walker, Pro Vice-
Chancellor of Monash University Malaysia; Bernadine Caruana, Counsellor (Education and Science) in the Australian High
Commission; Professor Graeme Wilkinson, Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University and Lee Thye Cheong, Director of MUFY.

Kicking off the celebration was a MUFY staff and students flash mob followed by an elaborate pyrotechnics show. This
was followed by Dr Elizabeth Lee and Jo Mithen signing a digital plaque and the esteemed guests were then invited on
stage for the cake cutting ceremony. Entertainment for the night involved performances from MUFY alumni and video
presentations highlighting MUFY’s journey over the last 20 years.

That same night, the graduating class of July 2019 received their certificates and awards. Jessie Koh Jie Xin received the MUFY
Excellence Award for achieving the highest average score of 99.93% among all MUFY providers worldwide. 103 students
received the Monash University High Achiever Award Scholarship for achieving an average score of 89% and above.

The highlight of this double celebration arrived when MUFY at Sunway College KL anchored their 20 years of excellence
by coming out top in 23 out of 24 subjects among all MUFY providers worldwide.

Dr Elizabeth Lee and Jo Mithen signing the High achiever award recipients
digital plaque

19