Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS) Foundation in Science student Lai Yong Xin from Kampar Campus was awarded the Harvard Prize Book 2022 at the virtual “Winner Announcement and Prize Giving Ceremony” organised by Harvard Club of Malaysia (HCM) on 12 December 2022 via Microsoft Teams.

Lai received a copy of the Harvard Prize Book sponsored by the HCM, a certificate endorsed by the HCM, RM250 monetary prize from UTAR, and another RM250 monetary prize from HCM. Lai was awarded based on her excellent academic performance and her involvement in extra-curricular activities, having possessed good communication and leadership skills, as well as her performance at the final interview with the HCM panel.

Lai expressed her gratitude to the panel for selecting her and enthused, “I thank my parents and lecturers of UTAR for their continuous guidance. This award is more than an honour, it is a driving force for me to continue striving for excellence. I would also like to dedicate this award to my parents, who have greatly supported me in all my decisions relating to my studies. This is a moment I will remember forever and thank you once again to HCM for the opportunities and recognition.”

The two other finalists from UTAR CFS were Foundation in Arts students Dang Yun Xin and Foundation in Arts student Nicole Ho Kah Wei, both from the Kampar Campus. They each received a certificate endorsed by the HCM.

Prior to the announcement of the winner, UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat spoke, “This is the third year of this award presentation and we are very thankful to the HCM for giving this recognition to our students. We certainly treasure this award because it gives our students the motivation and inspiration to continue performing well academically and in their extra-curricular activities, as well as developing soft skills that will help them in the future. More than that, with their skills, they will also be able to help the community and the world. We have always understood the importance of providing a culture and environment for our staff and students to excel and contribute to society, and this award is a great example to inspire many others.”

HCM Representative Krishnavenee Krishnan said, “With this award, we hope to bring more awareness to students about the opportunities of studying in the United States of America (USA). It was a pleasure meeting the students and we found the students to be outstanding and enthusiastic. It was good to talk to them and to know their values, aspirations and motivations. We are very excited for their futures and we are sure they will do great things.” HCM Representative Robert Boxwell also commented, “We aim to expose more Malaysian students to the idea of studying aboard, particularly in the USA. There are financial aids and scholarships for the students, but the challenging part would be securing their entrance, so I hope students will continue to excel in their studies and extra-curricular activities, and hone their soft skills.”

Also present at the ceremony were UTAR Vice President for Internationalisation and Academic Development Ir Prof Dr Goi Bok Min, CFS Sungai Long Campus Director Melissa Stefanie Netto, CFS Kampar Campus Director Ts Tan Lee Siew and UTAR staff.

The Harvard Prize Book is a distinguished award run in Malaysia by HCM for participating schools. Each school is entitled to one winner and, in the case of UTAR, was for one Foundation student who has achieved superior academic performance and demonstrated active involvement in extracurricular activities. Since 1910, The Harvard Prize Book has been awarded by the alumni of Harvard University to top-performing students in selected schools around the world. In Malaysia, the Harvard Prize Book programme has been launched in partnership with selected schools. It recognises top-performing Malaysian students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and character, combined with achievements in other fields. Harvard Prize Books are presented annually in nearly 2,000 schools internationally.