International Culture Day

The Department of Soft Skills Competency (DSSC) for Sungai Long Campus, Arts and Cultural Performance unit students, several UTAR international students and staff jointly organised the International Culture Day: Malam Budaya (Cultural Night) on 12 August 2016 at Sungai Long Campus.

Present at the Cultural Night were UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, sponsors, DSSC’s trainers and UTAR staff. Aimed to promote the advantages of cultural strength and diversity in the university, the Cultural Night also saw participants from various countries besides Malaysia such as Jordan, Nigeria and South Sudan.

At the opening ceremony, Prof Choong said, “An event like this enables us to learn a great deal by working with friends from various ethnic, cultural, geographic, socioeconomic, linguistic and religious backgrounds. Such an opportunity is certainly an open door for you to have real interactions with peers from diverse backgrounds before you enter your future workplace.”

There was a range of enthralling performances at the Cultural Night. The first session consisted of Japanese Fan Dance, Vietnamese and Chinese Dance, and a Japanese song presentation titled ‘Tokyo’. The second session comprised a variety of traditional and modern performances: Korean Mask Dance, Traditional Indian Dance, Cowboy & Irish Tap Dance, Modern Dance and Diabolo.

The highlight at the Cultural Night was the Fashion Show with models wearing beautiful traditional costumes which drew thunderous applause from the audience. Awards were presented to two respective winners for the Best Male Traditional Costume and Best Female Traditional Costume. The event also saw prizes won by some guests and participants at the Lucky Draw.

The International Culture Day: Malam Budaya concluded with a group of eight singers performing Michael Jackson’s ‘We Are the World’ in different languages, namely English, Chinese, Tamil and Arabic.