Virtual Mobility Programme

UTAR Department of Soft Skills Competency of Sungai Long Campus collaborated with the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (UMN) and Guizhou University of Finance and Economics (GUFE) to organise the Virtual Mobility Programme: The Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Trends and Its Action on 16, 17, 30 June 2022 and 1 July 2022.

The programme started on 16 June 2022 with a welcome speech from Director of UTAR Division of Community and International Networking Assoc Prof Dr Lai Soon Onn, followed by speeches from Deputy Head of UEH Research Management & International Cooperation Dept Dr Pham Duong Phuong Thao, Manager of UMN Global Office Dr Boby Arinto and Dean of GUFE School of Public Administration Prof Zeng Yuhang.

Clockwise, from top left: Dr Lai, Dr Pham, Prof Zeng and Dr Boby Arinto presenting their speeches

A group photo at the opening ceremony

The first lecture session delivered by UEH students was titled The Importance of ESG and Its Role of Business Entity or Organisation. The session saw them introducing ESG and explaining whether or not companies should take concern about ESG. In the second lecture session titled The Comparison Between ESG and SDG, another group of UEH students explained the significant impacts of ESG and SDG on social and environmental awareness. A student discussion was conducted after each of the lecture sessions to discuss the participants’ chosen local company or business entry and their ESG practices or approaches.

UEH students conducting the first (left photo) and second (right) lecture sessions

On the following day, UTAR Faculty of Business and Finance academic Prof Dr Wong Chin Yoong presented a lecture on Understanding the Fundamentals of ESG where he shared ESG’s different points of view.  Other than that, he also discussed free market, shareholders’ profit maximisation, social awareness and corporations’ purpose in the current market. During the first industry sharing session, Jovitania Soediro, the sustainable finance senior analyst of WWF Malaysia, shared a topic titled Sustainable Finance. She helped participants to understand financial system, sustainable finance and the integration of ESG in the financial sector.

It was then followed by the second industry sharing session by Dr Niki Prastomo, the dean of the Faculty of Engineering from UMN. The topic of his presentation was Sustainable Practice and Application: Green Building for Energy Savings Designed for Sustainability. Based on Dr Nikki’s sharing, the participants learnt that UMN was designed as a campus that is environmentally friendly and energy efficient as it utilises Passive Design and Active Design. He believes that sustainability is a mandate for action and a standard code in the global future trend.

Prof Wong explaining the fundamentals of ESG

Jovitania (bottom) talking about sustainable finance

Dr Niki sharing about green buildings in UMN

The session, on the third day, started with fun cultural activities. Each university shared about their local cultures, foods, traditions as well as interesting places to visit. The programme continued with an afternoon lecture session by Dr Fu Guang Xing from the School of Public Administration, GUFE. Sharing the topic titled Sustainable Practice and Its Application, he talked about integrated sustainability, sustainable economic development and the green ecological practice of Moutai in China. It was then followed by a student discussion session.

The lecture session by Dr Fu

On the final day of the virtual mobility programme, several presentations were carried out by the participants. They shared the ESG practices of their chosen companies and proposed ideas to improve them. The presentations were reviewed by four reviewers from each university, namely Dr Chen, I-Chi, the deputy director of UTAR Division of Community and International Networking, Dr Pham, Dr Niki Prastomo and Dr Zhou Qian, assistant professor of GUFE School of Public Management.

ChM Ts Dr Tan Kok Weng from UTAR Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology conducted a sharing session titled Addressing Climate Change Through Multidisciplinary Approach. The session saw him sharing the effects of the greenhouse, the effects of climate change and the challenges faced by developing countries in the energy sector. Last but not least, Reza Priyambada, a member of Indonesia Corporate Secretary Association (ICSA), shared The Role of Corporate Secretary in Sustainability Governance. He introduced participants to the journey of ESG, the regulation of ESG, the principles of ESG, the importance of ESG and its responsible parties.

From left: Dr Tan and Reza

The programme ended with closing remarks from each university’s representative, namely Dr Lai, Dr Wang Xiaohua from GUFE, Huynh Duc from UEH, and Prof Dr Muliawati Siswanto from UMN.

Student represenatatives from UTAR, GUFE and UMN

A group photo at the end of the event