Tea Meeting with UTAR President

Prof Chuah giving advice to students during his speech

Graduands of the upcoming March 2017 Convocation were treated to tea with Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik at the “Tea Meeting with UTAR President” event organised by the Department of Alumni Relations and Placement (DARP) at Kampar Campus on 13 July 2016.

Other VIPs who were invited included UTAR Acting Vice-President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology Dean Dr Yap Vooi Voon, Faculty of Science Dean Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology Deputy Dean for Academic Development and Undergraduate Programmes Dr Cheng Wai Khuen, Institute of Chinese Studies Dean Assoc Prof Dr Chong Siou Wei, Faculty of Arts and Social Science Deputy Dean for Academic Development and Undergraduate Programmes Krishnan a/l Vengidasamy, Faculty of Business and Finance Deputy Dean for Student Development and Industrial Training Yew King Tak, and DARP Head Lim Swea Jen.

Prof Chuah in presenting his speech remarked that the convocation is truly a proud moment that celebrates students’ achievements with friends and families. He then proceeded by reminding the final year students to be on their best behaviour on the proud day and advised them to give clear instructions to their parents to aid their easy navigation around the campus.

Prof Chuah further offered pieces of advice to the students concerning their careers and future endeavours after graduation. He cautioned students to remember to “make sound judgements” when deciding on their career paths. From subjects of interviews to the point of being an employee at a company, Prof Chuah reminded students to be well-prepared and to always view opportunities with an open mind.

Using Huawei’s recruitment drive in UTAR as an example, Prof Chuah declared UTAR students to be promising candidates as they stand out with a multilingual advantage, which helps to establish strong networks between clients and companies. “Being Malaysians surrounded with various cultures also enables UTAR students to adapt easily to multicultural environments in foreign places,” said Prof Chuah, citing from Huawei’s comments on UTAR students’ performance.  

Prof Chuah made it a point to the soon-to-be graduates to keep the university’s guiding values in heart as they journey into their next phase of life as they reflect the excellence of character instilled in them.

With the students being able to interact with the President and other VIPs, the tea meeting, as being part of larger efforts to sustain a strong network with the alumni community, also saw the opportunity for students to be informed on the alumni association’s role in helping students stay in touch with the university after graduation. The tea meeting ended with short briefings by DARP and the Department of Student Affairs.

Students listening attentively during Prof Chuah’s speech

Front row, from left: Dr Lim, Prof Choong, and Yew posing with students after the event