Sungai Long Campus welcomes international exchange students with Chinese New Year celebration

UTAR welcomed the new inbound students of the UTAR International Exchange Programme to the Sungai Long Campus with a Chinese New Year celebration on 10 February 2023. The exchange students were from countries such as Brunei, Japan and China.  

UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat, UTAR Vice President for Internationalisation and Academic Development Ir Prof Dr Goi Bok Min, UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, staff from UTAR Centre for Extension Education (CEE), five exchange students and their “buddies?” from the UTAR Buddies programme were all present for the celebration.

To provide the exchange students with an authentic Malaysian Chinese New Year experience, the celebration commenced with a lively lion dance performance by the UTAR Wushu Club of Sungai Long Campus and the tossing of Lou Sang. Apart from that, the students were also given a chance to try their hands at Chinese calligraphy after their luncheon session.

UTAR Wushu Club performing lion dance

UTAR Vice President for Internationalisation and Academic Development Ir Prof Dr Goi Bok Min (middle) alongside the lion dance performers

UTAR Vice President for Internationalisation and Academic Development Ir Prof Dr Goi Bok Min, UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, UTAR staff, exchange students and lion dance performers wishing everyone a Happy New Year

The tossing of LLou Sang

International students with their calligraphy art

When asked about their reasons for joining the UTAR International Student Exchange Programme, two of the exchange students, Syammimi Manaeh and Nurul Adibah Basirah Abdullah, from Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei shared, “As part of our university’s discovery course, we were given the opportunity to join this exchange programme. Thus, we decided to join the programme. We felt that it would be a good learning experience for us.”

Syammimi (left) and Nurul (right)

Meanwhile, Japanese exchange student, Miyuki Nakayama from Soka University expressed her desire to learn the Malaysian culture, thus she joined the programme. “The reasons why I decided to come to UTAR were to find my goal for the future and also to experience Malaysian’s multiculturalism. I would like to know more about the many cultures in Malaysia and also that of my fellow exchange students by participating in cultural activities that are organised by the University. Not only that, I wish to go out to explore Malaysia and expose myself to the various cultures it has to offer,” said Miyuki.

Another exchange student, Hsieh Yu-chi from the National Chi Nan University conveyed her hopes of coming to Malaysia, saying, “For a long time, I have always wanted to stay in a foreign country and learn more about it. Thus, I chose Malaysia as my destination as not only was the programme interesting, but it also gave me the chance to travel across the country, visit its nature reserves and learn its cultures.”

Miyuki

Hsieh (left) and Miyuki (right)