Leadership Symposium

Chia (seventh from right) with international delegates

It was indeed a proud moment for UTAR’s Entrepreneurship student Colene Chia Wan Kuen, from the Faculty of Business and Finance, when she was selected as a delegate to represent UTAR to attend the 6th University Scholars Leadership Symposium (USLS) held at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University from 1 to 6 August 2015.

Organised by the Humanitarian Affairs United Kingdom, the symposium, which is an international leadership programme for outstanding student leaders, saw a total of 872 participants from 57 countries. The six-day symposium aimed to serve as a platform for student leaders to gain a unique out-of-classroom learning experience that will provide the confidence, independence, skills, and global competitiveness required for the next generation of future leaders.

The Hong Kong Police Band welcoming the delegates at the opening ceremony of the 6th USLS 2015

Invited to grace the opening ceremony were Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the Government of Hong Kong Matthew Cheung Kin-chung and Minister for Local Government; Community Services; Seniors and Volunteering; Youth of Australia Tony Simpson. Another guest that graced the ceremony was the United Nations Assistant Secretary General Director and keynote speaker of the conference Haoliang Xu.

Attentive participants at the 6th USLS 2015

Chia enthused, “I felt that the world was finally united as one when I was placed in an environment with numerous delegates from various ethnicities and nationalities. All of us delegates had a coherent goal in mind, to make the world a better place, to contribute to our society and country, as great future leaders.” She added, “Before the symposium, I was truly blinded by the circumstances in my life and surroundings. The symposium has opened my vision to the world and the prevailing world crises occurring in the world today, for instance the economic crisis, natural disasters, climate change, refugees, and many others.”

She also said, “The USLS programme gave us the opportunity to meet university scholars and delegates from all over the world, and to build lasting friendships and an international network.”

Themed ‘Educate, Enrich & Enlightened’, the symposium was truly an inspiring event and served as an important platform for the student leaders to network, interact, present, and share their experiences. Among the activities carried out during the symposium were several motivational talks, social works such as serving the underprivileged, children from minorities, and helping refugees living in Hong Kong.

Chia (fourth from left) with delegates from the United States of America, China, Australia, and Russia