Study visit by GUN

Prof Chuah (back row, centre) with GUN Masters students

The Institute of Management and Leadership Development (IMLD) hosted 13 master’s students from Guangxi University for Nationalities (GUN), China at Sungai Long Campus from 24 June to 7 July 2018.

The programme aimed to enrich the personal learning experience of the students and exchange good practices between both countries. It also aimed to provide GUN students with a general understanding of the cultures in Malaysia and its public administration. The closing ceremony of the programme was held on 5 July 2018 at Sungai Long Campus. Certificates were presented to all 13 participants from GUN.

Prof Chuah encouraging the students to build their network

Speaking at the ceremony, Prof Chuah warmly welcomed the GUN students and said, “Expanding networks provide one with the opportunity to interact across culture and develop potential business collaboration that would benefit them in the future.” He hopes that the students would benefit greatly from the programme and would play an important part in promoting more students to study in Malaysia.

Sun thanking UTAR for the warm reception

On the other hand, Sun Xinyue on behalf of the visiting group expressed her gratitude to UTAR and shared her experience of studying in Malaysia. “This programme has not only deepened my understanding towards Malaysia's political, cultural and economic operations, but also aided in understanding the history of Malaysian Chinese, the status quo of China and the related associations and chambers of commerce in Malaysia,” she said.

The programme for the GUN postgraduates encompassed a wide range of topics including the history of Malaysian Chinese, Malaysian Education, Public Administration System in Malaysia, Islamic Politics, Malaysian Economy and Malaysia and the Contemporary World Political System.

Besides, there was also an interaction session between the programme participants and UTAR students to allow the exchange of ideas. During their visit to Kampar Campus, the Student Representative Council (SRC) of Kampar Campus explained the roles and functions of SRC and exchanged opinions regarding leadership with the participants. The participants also interacted with the students from Faculty of Creative Industries to learn more about the difference between the education system of Malaysia and China.

During the two-week programme, the participants also visited a few institutions such as Institut Darul Ridzuan (IDR), Kuantan Port, Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP), Selangor and Federal Territory Hainan Association (Thean Hou Temple), Tan Kah Kee Memorial Hall as well as many other historical and famous sites in order to explore more about Malaysia.

Wang (centre) with UTAR lecturers Low Suet Cheng (right) and Lim Yee Wui

Dai enjoyed his study trip in UTAR

One of the GUN students, Wang Yanfang said her trip to Malaysia was very enlightening. “I didn’t know much about Malaysia earlier, but it was truly amazing to see how the Chinese population in Malaysia had successfully preserved their identity throughout these years,” she said. Meanwhile, another student Dai Kangxi said he felt comfortable and familiar, although it was his first visit to Malaysia. “Malaysia is very similar to China and it felt as if I was home. What made it slightly different was their way of thinking. The attitude of UTAR lecturers and students truly deserve our admiration,” he said.

Their Malaysian Economics programme teacher, Dr Ng Kar Yee from the Faculty of Accountancy and Management, stated that the students paid full attention in her classes, although they were very tired after travelling the long-distance from Kampar Campus the night before. She said, “My lectures consist of two sessions. The first session focuses on providing facts and figures about the Malaysian economy developments. I discuss stages of economic development since independence until today, as well as challenges and opportunities that Malaysia is facing now.”

She continued, “The second session is more on discussion and sharing. The students actively participated in the discussion. They were really interested in topics related to public administration, which focused on the political systems such as the delineation of voters and parliament seats, the political parties that are involved, and how the change of Malaysian government affects the intention of Malaysia to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.” She also said that the programme has benefited her in term of gaining more experience from conducting a Mandarin class and having an active interaction with the students.