The Organization of Taiwan Education & Cultural, Malaysia and UTAR jointly organised Bengkel Peningkatan Teknik dan Kemahiran Kaunseling untuk Kaunselor dan Guru Bahasa Cina SM/SJKC Peringkat Kebangsaan Kali ke-5 (馬來西亞輔導老師研習營) from 12 to 14 January 2021 at The Orient Star Resort, Lumut, Perak.

The seminar was co-organised by Perak Education Department Chinese subject, Majlis Pengetua-pengetua Sekolah-sekolah Menengah Conforming Malaysia (MPSMCM), Kunshan University, TransWorld University and Yuan Ze University. It was directed by the Education Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia and Penolong Pengarah Bahasa Cina from States’ Education Departments.

With the aim to provide a platform for teachers to relieve stress and adjust their minds to face the more difficult challenges of the new school year under the high pressure environment of the pandemic, the seminar saw more than 120 counselling teachers, teachers and principals from primary and secondary schools attending the three-day seminar under the strict precautionary measures.

UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong was invited to grace the closing ceremony. Prof Choong said, “In the face of the pandemic, educators need to strengthen orderly management to ensure quality education. In terms of mental health, counsellors play an indispensable role, especially during this pandemic. This event is a timely rain, bringing together psychologists and counsellors from different educational institutions to exchange with each other and discuss issues related to mental health, improve the professionalism of counsellors, and upgrade their counselling skills under the pandemic.”

Also present were Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia, Education Division Director Charlin Chang, Taiwan Education Center in Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Beh Chew Nam, MPSMCM’s Perak Representative Lim Song Khan, Perak State Education Department’s Penolong Pengarah Bahasa Cina Chong Yee Woon and representatives from states, schools and associations.

There were several talk sessions during the seminar. Speakers from UTAR were Faculty of Arts and Social Science Department of Psychology and Counselling Head of Programme of Guidance and Counselling Pheh Kai Shuen and lecturer Tay Kok Wai. They presented topics related to psychological adjustment under the pandemic, campus mental health and self-harm prevention.