The annual UTARambassador Leadership Camp (ULC Camp) 2023 returned physically with an assortment of fun and educational activities from 8 to 10 September 2023 at UTAR Kampar Campus. With a period of three days and two nights, the seventh ULC Camp saw the participation of more than 200 teachers and students from 29 education institutions in Malaysia.

Themed ‘Reaching for the Stars’, the ULC Camp 2023 aimed to uncover the participants’ leadership potential as well as develop their skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork and communication by encouraging them to aim high and achieve their goals. This year, it was jointly organised by UTARambassadors, UTAR Division of Programme Promotion (DPP), Yu Cai Foundation (YCF), and Yayasan DayaDiri (YDD), in conjunction with YCF Mentoring Programme and YDD Young Leaders Camp.

In his remarks, UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat said, “I am proud of the participants for making this decision to hone their skills and potentials, and be a better version of themselves, so that they can also contribute to society and the country. Hence, I would like to encourage all of you to take advantage of the group discussions and presentations; workshops, team-building exercises, and talks to unleash your capabilities, skills and talents. As you understand more about yourselves through the activities, you can be inspired to contribute to making society and the world better.”

ULC Camp Organising Chairperson Lim Shuen said, “Leadership is about empathy and the unwavering commitment to a vision. The UTARambassadors organise this camp to engage the participants in a series of activities, workshops and discussions that will challenge them and push their boundaries. You will be able to forge new friendships, gain valuable insights, and develop skills that will not only serve you well in leadership, but also in your lives. I hope this experience will leave an endearing mark on your life by inspiring you with passion and integrity.”

Head of the Yu Cai Foundation Quah Bee Fong said, “The ULC Camp 2023 sees the participation of students from different cultural backgrounds. We hope to create a journey of growth that everyone can wholeheartedly enjoy together. We also hope everyone can embrace the differences, celebrate unity, and carry all the experiences with you, which will serve you well in many years to come.”

Echoing the sentiments of Quah, Yayasan DayaDiri Head of Foundation Siti Nashrah Nur A. Malek said, “The ULC Camp 2023 has brought students from various cultural backgrounds to one place. Let us embrace the differences and celebrate unity as we learn to better ourselves together.”

Throughout the three days, the participants were engaged in a mixture of activities, including talks, games, stage performances, sharing sessions, community services, and workshops. The participants had a whale of a time while learning quintessential skills of the 21st century in each activity. A series of solemn training schedules come to mind when one ponders upon the lifestyle of a successful leader. However, the ULC Camp 2023, including previous years, embraced the “learn while having fun” philosophy and took it to another level by enriching its contents with new complimentary activities, which served as not only barrels of laughs but also skill-reinforcing moments to evoke participants’ interaction with their expressive selves.

The ULC Camp 2023 also invited scholars and experts to share their wisdom with the participants in various talks and workshops, including “Defining Leadership” by Prof Dato’ Ewe; “History of Chinese Education” by UTAR Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) academic Dr Tan Beng Piou and Head of Centre for Curriculum Development and Innovation Dr Ngeow Yeok Meng; “Leader in You” by UTAR Alumni Association of Malaysia (UAAM) President Simon Chong Weng Yeap; “Don’t Manage Time, Manage Focus” by Malaysia Memory Sports Organization President Teo Kim Foo; “Knowing Yourself” by Experience Enablers Co-Founder Jason Fung; and “Speaker in You” by UTAR Alumni Asher Lee Chia How.

Elated of learning many life-relevant skills, SMS Raja Tun Azlan Shah student Puteri Daniella Jane enthused, “As a first-timer at UTAR Kampar Campus, I noticed that the campus is huge and comprised of many facilities. I especially like the library, which is beautiful. The ULC Camp was fun and interesting. I learned many new things that are closely relevant to my life such as learning to walk out of my comfort zone, and learning to be a responsible and trustworthy leader. Not only that, I also made many new friends, including our helpful facilitators as well as peers from diverse backgrounds. The activity that I liked the most was ‘The Moon that Embraces the Star’, as we got to know one another and shared our stories. The talk ‘Knowing Yourself’ by Mr Jason Fung was great too, as it was very interactive, fun and meaningful.”

Meanwhile, a student of SMJK San Min, Wong Weng Thai, was delighted to make a dependable friend during the three-day camp. He said, “I had lots of fun in the ULC Camp. I got to make many friends from other states. The one who was closest to me was a Malay fellow, Wan. He was talkative, funny and confident. Most of the time, you would notice his presence on the stage during the sharing sessions. Not only that, whenever we were at a loss, he would always voice out his opinions and words of encouragement. There was a time when I blamed myself for the deteriorating relationship between our group and the others. Wan was the person who promptly consoled and encouraged our group to push on. To me, the most memorable activity was the talk by Mr Jason Fung. His unique talk session enabled me to understand further about myself. During the camp, I also learned to think outside the box and never limit myself to a narrow mindset. I realise that no matter how tough the path we tread in, we should never give up. As long as we keep on trying, there will always be a solution.”

Wong Ting Kwang, a student from Chung Ling Private High School, was happy to cross hurdles side by side with peers from diverse cultural backgrounds. He enthused, “The campus was especially quiet at night. I was not used to it, since I come from a bustling city. However, the environment of the campus is nice. Not to mention, I got to make many friends from diverse cultural backgrounds. Majority of my teammates were Malays, but there was never a dull moment in our team. Besides, accomplishing tasks together with friends from diverse ethnicities made me burst with satisfaction, especially during the game of hopscotch on the last day, because it required effective teamwork among ourselves. I was also able to clear up my long-time misconceptions towards some of their taboos through their sharing. All in all, I had a lot of fun!”

To commemorate the fruitful learning by the young participants, UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong presented certificates to the participating schools.

The ULC Camp 2023 came to conclusion with a sharing session by participants, and a group photography session.

The list of participating schools is as below: