Educational session through talks

The Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS) organised a talk titled “Journey of UTAR student” on 13 March 2019 at UTAR Kampar Campus.

Present at the talk were CFS Kampar Campus Director Tan Lee Siew, Deputy Director for Student Affairs and Development Lim Khiew Loon, staff and students. Invited to deliver the talk were UTAR alumni Raymond Ong and Abraham Sebastian, to share their experiences and perspectives regarding their studies and future career prospects.

An Executive Recruitment Consultant at Monroe Consulting Group, Raymond Ong began his talk by first introducing himself and sharing his work experience in the employment industry. Besides sharing some of his achievements and teaching students how to prepare their resumes by including relevant information and arranging the contents effectively, he also shared some useful tips for attending interviews. The tips include understanding job responsibilities, being an acquaintance to the interviewer, identifying one’s strengths, skills and achievements, and maintaining proper body language.

Abraham, a video editor at Digital Media Nusantara Sdn Bhd, shared about his former student life in UTAR and the activities he participated during his degree programme. He also said that it is normal for students to be confused about the degree programme or the path that they wish to pursue, but they will eventually know which course or subject to pick during their foundation studies.

In addition, Abraham also encouraged the students to participate in at least two clubs or societies to help them improve their communication and leadership skills. He shared some techniques on how to manage time wisely and do well in assignments and presentations by incorporating creativity, spontaneity and a good sense of humour. The talk then ended with an interactive Q&A session followed by certificate presentations to Raymond Ong and Abraham by Tan.

Another educational talk session titled “Are You Eating Food or Poison?” was held on 20 March 2019 at UTAR Kampar Campus.

Present at the talk were CFS Kampar Campus Deputy Director of Student Affairs and Development Lim Khiew Loon, academics and students. The talk was delivered by Faculty of Science (FSc) Department of Agricultural and Food Science lecturer Chung Kok Heung.

The main objectives of the talk were to educate the audience on the importance of eating healthy food and shed light on the harmful foods that we consume daily, unknowingly. Moreover, the talk also aimed to expose the unhealthy substances hidden in beverages and how to differentiate it accordingly.

Chung began the talk by first explaining the definition of healthy food and poison. He then introduced the seven classes of foods, namely water, minerals, vitamins, fibres, fats, proteins and carbohydrates which were further divided into three categories known as micronutrients, macronutrients and energy source.  

He also advised the audience to always keep cautious of their daily meal intakes as there is a possibility for them to ingest poisonous or hazardous compounds through the food they consume, unknowingly. Apart from that, he also shared some valuable insights on the reported food poisoning cases in Malaysia, such as the outbreak of aflatoxicosis and boric acid poisoning. Furthermore, he discussed the major food safety incidents that occurred globally. According to the speaker, if a person is affected by food poisoning, it is important to first understand its causes and effect, and then find the suitable immediate treatment before seeking proper medical attention from a clinic or hospital.

He presented nine useful tips and taught the audience how to choose good vegetable oils and fresh meats, look for proper food labelling, store food using appropriate temperature, select undented canned food and fresh eggs and look for proper certification. He also encouraged them to purchase seasonal fresh vegetables.

Towards the end of the talk, the speaker conducted a demonstration by requesting the audience to identify the amount of sugar contained in three different drinks that are usually consumed. The talk then ended with an interactive Q&A session followed by a certificate presentation to Chung by Lim.

Ong (left) and Abraham (right) sharing their life journey

From left: Tan presenting certificate of appreciation to Ong and Abraham (right)

Front row, third from right: Lim, Tan, Ong and Abraham with staff and students

Chung delivering the talk

Lim (left) presenting the certificate of appreciation to Chung 

(Seated, second from left) Lim and Chung with UTAR staff and students