UTAR held its 36th Convocation at Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik in UTAR Kampar Campus, Perak from 17 to 19 March 2023. A total of 2,299 graduands received their convocation scrolls in four sessions held over the three-day period.

They graduated from 108 programmes comprising 79 Bachelor (Honours) degrees, 22 Master’s degrees and seven PhD programmes. Of the 2,299 graduands, 14 received their PhDs, 69 received their Master’s degree and 109 received their Honours Degree with Distinction, while the rest received their Bachelor Honours with Merit and Bachelor Honours degree.

This convocation also celebrated the graduation of UTAR’s first batch of students for five new degree programmes, namely Bachelor of Science (Honours) Environmental, Occupational Safety and Health; Bachelor of Technology (Honours) in Electronic Systems; Bachelor of Technology (Honours) in Industrial Management; Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) Guidance and Counselling, and Bachelor of Science (Honours) Dietetics.

The Session One of the Convocation was declared open by UTAR Council Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Ting Chew Peh; Session Two was declared open by UTAR Chancellor Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik; Session Three and Four were declared open by UTAR Education Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Sak Cheng Lum.

The guests of honour for the four sessions of the Convocation were Independent and Non-Executive Director for Fraser & Neave Holdings Berhad and Hong Leong Assurance Berhad Dato’ Ng Wan Peng; Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Ajiya Berhad Dato’ Ts Chan Wah Kiang; Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of GDEX Berhad Mr Teong Teck Lean, and Chief Growth Officer of Seek Asia Careers and Connect Platform team Ms Chook Yuh Yng. 

Also present at the ceremony were UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat, UTAR Education Foundation Board of Trustees Members and UTAR Council Members, namely Ir Academician Emeritus Prof Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, Datuk Lee Leck Cheng, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ong Ka Chuan, Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Chor Chee Heung, and Mr Hew Fen Yee.

In his convocation address, Prof Dato’ Ewe advised and congratulated the students for their hard work and commitment. He added, “As you exit this formal education in the university and enter into the next phase of your life, you will have the freedom to make your own choices and decisions in life. For you to progress, you must know yourself well and focus on your own strengths and capabilities to make wise decisions. Be aware of changes and be adaptable to positive change. Be passionate about the things you want to achieve, and emerge stronger and better. Be guided by higher values in life; values which will lead you to be responsible citizens in society, positive contributors at work and most of all, a cherished and loving member of your family at home.”

Dato’ Ng in her speech congratulated the graduands and motivated the graduands with her success stories. She described, “Today is a day of great pride and celebration. It marks the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. You have overcome countless challenges, both in and out of the classroom, to reach this point. And you should all be incredibly proud of your achievements. But as you well know, your journey does not end here. In fact, it is just beginning. As you step out into the world, you will be faced with a whole new set of challenges and opportunities. And it is up to you to make the most of them. The world we live in today is complex and rapidly changing. We are facing challenges such as geopolitical conflicts, economic uncertainty, and climate change, to name a few. But with these challenges come opportunities to make a real difference in the world. As graduates, you are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and creativity to tackle these challenges head-on. Whether you choose to pursue a career in business, science, technology, or the arts, you have the potential to make a positive impact on the world. But to do so, you must stay hungry and stay foolish. You must never stop learning, exploring, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible. You must be willing to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from failure. And you must always keep an open mind, and be willing to listen to different perspectives and ideas.”

Dato’ Chan in his speech inspired the graduands by sharing his five golden virtues, namely benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and fidelity. He said, “As you move on to a new chapter of your life, I would like to remind you that this is not the end, but just the beginning. The future is full of possibilities, and it is up to you to chart your course. We live in a world that is rapidly changing, and full of surprises. Industries are undergoing seismic shifts with fast-changing technological innovations following the empirical model of Moore’s Law, demographic changes are affecting socio-economic outcomes, and globalisation is breaking down borders in the way we communicate and conduct business. Traditional business, technology and communication models are no longer applicable and many new unexpected opportunities are created. It has become increasingly clear that the challenges we face require bold, adaptive, and forward-thinking solutions. We need to accept the changes and be perceptive enough to seize the opportunities as well for growth and development. As the next generation of leaders, you have a vital role to play in shaping the future of our society, our nation and the world. While you pursue success and growth in your life and career, do remember to be true to yourself, to your values and to your goals in life. Stay humble and practise the five constant virtues. These are the things that will keep you grounded, focused and motivated as you navigate the ups and downs of your career.”

Mr Teong in his speech motivated the graduands with his success stories. He enthused, “Graduands, what you have today is your youth and qualification. This is your huge capital to build your own path. I hope you will discover your love and passion in what you do, not just something great for yourself and your family, but ultimately, contributing to the nation and mankind. Today, you join a long line of alumni who have graduated before you, achieving great things in their respective careers. As a UTAR graduate, your unique UTAR educational experience has not only equipped you with knowledge; but also, soft skills and discipline to be outstanding with your own unique capabilities. It is equally important to adapt to new technology and be able to connect all the dots across various stakeholders. The 21st-century demands a range of skills that go beyond traditional academic knowledge. Critical thinking, communication, creativity, adaptability, and digital literacy are all essential skills that can help individuals succeed in this rapidly changing world. As you move forward, I urge you to embrace the values of integrity, hard work, and excellence. The world needs leaders who are passionate about making a difference, and who are committed to creating positive change.”

Last but not the least, Ms Chook in her speech congratulated the graduands and enthused, “Thinking back on my own job search journey in my 20s, I remember how I bombed my first few job interviews because I wasn’t prepared enough. I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted, so I sent out several job applications for jobs that sounded good instead of targeting my approach, which means I couldn’t spend as much time preparing for the interviews. I lacked confidence during the interviews and just could not convey what I was able to bring to the table for them. Afterwards, I would reflect on what I should have or should not have said, with regret! I remember feeling so disheartened with every rejection, but those rejections also taught me a valuable lesson which I’d like to share with you today. Before you even start looking and applying for a job, it’s important that you first have a vision or at least an idea for where you want to be in the future and take steps to make that a reality. That requires a lot of planning, and there’s no other way to go about it but to put in the time and effort so that you’re prepared for what’s to come. As you enter the workforce, I encourage you to absorb and learn as much as you can. Whether you stay with the same company or move on to different opportunities, take advantage of every chance to learn. Be open to new experiences, and never stop seeking knowledge. This will not only help you develop your skills, but also make you more valuable and allow you to live a more fulfilling and productive work life.”

Faculty of Science Doctor of Philosophy (Science) graduate Dr Ng Wen Jie said, “A PhD is a huge undertaking where you attempt to push the boundaries of knowledge and commitment over a few years. Indeed, the journey to a PhD may not be as smooth as one would expect, especially when you are a full-time lecturer. It was truly a challenge when most of the time was spent with preparation, teaching and paperwork. There will be twists and turns as well as unexpected obstacles, which will make you perspire, and sometimes, push you to depths of despair. Hence, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my supervisors Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng, Assoc Prof Dr Sit Nam Weng and Prof Dr Peter Ooi for their valuable guidance and advice throughout my research journey. Without their support and understanding, I wouldn’t be here; their advice and encouragement always drive me to put more effort into my research, push my boundaries and get better results.”

M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Bachelor of Chinese Medicine (Honours) graduate Hoo Jia Wen said, “We will be stepping into our careers and our next phase of life— remember, regardless of the journey or the obstacles ahead, we must remain true to ourselves and focus on our strengths as we achieve our dreams. Do not let anyone dampen your dreams nor let challenges get in your way. Have confidence in your own strengths and believe in yourself to achieve more and attain success. In life, there are always ups and downs so we must learn to enjoy the benefits when we are up and learn to overcome the challenges when we are down. If we embrace change, and move with the ever-evolving world, we will not be left behind. We must move forward. Lastly, on behalf of all graduands, I would like to thank UTAR, our family members, UTAR staff especially our lecturers – for guiding us to this milestone achievement.”

Faculty of Creative Industries Bachelor of Corporate Communication (Honours) graduate Jasmine Loke Hui Xia said, “Dynamic, exciting and rewarding are three words that I would use to describe my educational journey here in UTAR. From the never-ending assignments, projects, examinations and group discussions, I’m grateful to have completed my tertiary education at UTAR under the guidance of such dedicated and supportive lecturers. I have made so many friends along the way whom I’m thankful for and made memories that I will forever cherish. And of course, to my family, my Dad, Mum and sister, thank you for standing by me! I once read that ‘Graduation is just the start of a lifelong journey of self-improvement’ and I believe that we still have so much more to learn. I trust that many of you may have already started your first jobs or are considering furthering your tertiary education, or if you’re like me taking your time before entering the corporate world, that’s okay too! It’s definitely an exciting chapter for all of us to embark on and I wish you all the best!”

Faculty of Arts and Social Science Bachelor of Communication (Honours) Public Relations graduate Kan Purple said, “First of all, I would like to say that I am the first university graduate in my family and I am very proud to be here today. I would like to thank my parents who encouraged me and supported me throughout my life and I really want to tell them that I love them so much. It is with great respect that I thank UTAR, my lecturers and tutors for teaching me and giving me this opportunity to obtain a quality education. On behalf of every graduand here, I would like to thank UTAR, parents, friends and family for your guidance and help throughout our studies until our convocation today. To all my fellow graduands— Congratulations! Yes! We finally made it! I really hope that we can take this special day to appreciate our friendship before we officially step into the career world. And of course, the scary news is “you’re on your own now”, but the cool news is “you’re on your own now”!

With the addition of 2,299 graduates from this 36th Convocation, the number of the University’s alumni now stands at more than 79,000 since its inaugural convocation in 2005.