Newsletter July – Aug 2018
Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz talk
Kuala Lumpur: Are entrepreneurs born or made? A question was posed to none other than the ‘Iron Lady’ of Malaysian politics, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz. It was a memorable occasion for about 250 students and staff of Berjaya University College (BERJAYA UC) when Rafidah shared her insights on creating new lifestyles through entrepreneurship.
“People, profit and planet”, emphasized Rafidah on the importance of the three ‘P’s for business sustainability. She added that changes are taking place now and continuously. “You must be the disrupters in the market – create new values in new markets”, she advised. “Entrepreneurship must be future-proof. Relevant today, relevant yesterday and relevant tomorrow,” added Rafidah.
During her talk, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz stressed that to be an entrepreneur, one has to acquire the right mindset, gain as much knowledge about the business, practice hands-on approach in business and understand the stakeholders’ needs.
To a question about the fear of failure to be an entrepreneur, Rafidah answered in her trademark wit and candour, “If you start life fearing failure, don’t do anything then.” She added, “You want to achieve something, work out what needs to be done to achieve it. Never start anything with the word ‘failure’.”
Emeritus Professor Walter Wong, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chancellor in applauding Tan Sri Rafidah on her stimulating talk, said, “We are thrilled to have a prominent figure like Tan Sri who shared a frank perspective about what it takes to be an entrepreneur in the 21st century. We need to shift the emphasis from theory to practice and encourage innovation and creativity among our young generation today.” Madam Mae Ho, Executive Director and Chief Executive said, “We will foster and nurture our students’ entrepreneurial spirit more widely, and provide opportunities for it to flourish in tangible ways that the broader society will countenance in new products and services in our city and region.”
“Are entrepreneurs born or made?” asked Sarah Gandi Purwanto, a Bachelor of Business Management (Hons) student. Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz replied, “Entrepreneurs are not born. No one is born anything – not a Prime Minister, not a leader and not an entrepreneur. If you want to be an entrepreneur; you need to understand what it takes to be an entrepreneur.”
Honours Seminar Series – Dr. Noor Azlin Yahyah
Dr. Noor Azlin Yahyah from the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) came by BERJAYA UC on 4 July for in conjunction with the Honours Seminar Series. She gave a talk on “The Importance of Ecotourism in Preserving Our Natural and Cultural Heritage.” Tourism students learned how Ecotourism could provide effective economic incentives for conserving and enhancing the bio-cultural diversity for sustainable living and economic growth in tourism industry.
Let’s Start 2.0 Campaign
We are proud to have Mr. Rajen Devadason, Malaysia’s top Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Retirement Planner who came and joined Let’s Start 2.0 Campaign. This campaign, organised by the students of the School of Communications & Media Arts, guides students in understanding the importance of knowing the principles and hands-on theories for long-term life and wealth enhancement. He emphasised that it is a good idea of having a retirement plan as early possible.
Marketplace of Sustainability
Students from BERJAYA School of Humanities & Social Sciences under the Faculty of Liberal Arts organised a ‘Marketplace of Sustainability’ in conjunction of their SFS1112 Team Development Skills coursework, to show their support towards a better and cleaner environment. The students sold their handcrafted products made from recycled materials so others could contribute their part to support the cause.
Hari Raya Staff Gathering 2018
BERJAYA University College celebrated a festive “Hari Raya” this year with staff and students on July 6. During the joyous occasion, students performed the traditional drumming of the Malay Kompang following a famous Raya tune. Everyone enjoyed traditional delicacies such as Roti Jala, Serunding, Lemang and Ketupat.
Introduction to Convention Sales by Mr. Kuan
Mr. Kenneth Kuan, Head – Sales of Ipay88 was invited to BERJAYA UC to share his insights and knowledge with Events Management students on ‘How to be a successful sales person’. The interactive session gave our students the opportunity to learn more on how to handle day-to-day challenges when dealing with clients and effective selling techniques to generate income.
Hungarian Gastronomy and Specialties Seminar
We were very happy to have the Vice-President of the Hungarian National Gastronomic Association, Mr. Zoltan Barabas and representatives from the Hungarian National Team for the World Chef Congress to come and give a short seminar on Hungarian Gastronomy and its Specialties. He also presented Tokaji Aszu, a famous Hungarian wine from the Tokaj region in Hungary along with a presentation on the process and its historical background.
A Taste of Hungary – Hungarian Dinner
The Embassy of Hungary in Kuala Lumpur represented by H.E. Attila Kali together with BERJAYA UC and the Hungarian National Gastronomic Association hosted an exclusive “A Taste of Hungary” dinner on July 11. Mr Peter Gyorgyicsek, an internationally acclaimed Master Pastry Chef was the emcee for the evening.
Chef Istvan Volenter, Chef Attila Timar, Chef Agnes Timarne-Filip, Chef Anna Maczak, Chef Monika Marosi from the Hungarian National Team for the World Chef Congress worked together with Chef Choong Siew Lee and our students to prepare an exquisite dinner at Berjaya UC’s fine-dining restaurant, Samplings on the Fourteenth. The menu included Foie Gras with Golden Raisins and Brioche, Stuffed Paprika with Hungarian Cottage Cheese Spread and Dill, Duck Breast with Lavender Flavoured Honey, Crispy Duck Ragout and traditional desserts such as Somlo Sponge and Esterhazy Cake.
“It was an inspiring experience for our culinary students to work together with the Hungarian chefs during this dinner” said Chef Choong Siew Lee, Global Master Chef from the Faculty of Culinary Arts, BERJAYA UC.
Events Management students field trip
BERJAYA UC’s School of Tourism organised field trips for their Events Management students as part of their studies. They went to Connexion Conference and Event Centre, Bangsar South to meet up with event professionals who shared their wealth of knowledge in promoting venue and key areas to be measured before an event launch. The students then proceeded to DOREMi Sound and Lights, where they were exposed to actual equipment used for major event setup.
Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2018
BERJAYA UC students gained first hand experiences through various events held in conjunction with the Worldchefs Congress 2018. This year, the network’s biennial Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2018 held in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) had an expected turn-out of 4,000 leading chefs from 105 countries, 200 exhibiting companies and 20 illustrious speakers.
Among the competition categories include a Global Chefs Challenge, Global Pastry Chefs Challenge and Global Young Chefs Challenge (for young chefs under the age of 25) where Malaysia was represented by Berjaya UC’s Mong Zhi Ling, a Bachelor of Culinary Arts student, who managed a commendable 7th placing overall.
BERJAYA UC also collaborated with Worldchefs by providing National teams with kitchen facilities to prepare their mise en place for the competition. The teams from USA, Scotland, Hungary, Denmark, Colombia, Japan and Germany received support from the Faculty of Culinary Arts staff and students. This gave the students a first-hand perspective of the intensity of high-level competition and the mastery of culinary skills by the different country representatives.
Edinburgh Dinner
The Scottish National Team together with Chef Lecturers from the Faculty of Culinary Arts, supervised an Edinburg-styled dinner for members of the Selangor St. Andrew Society. The Scottish dinner included Cold Smoked Scottish Highland Salmon, Cullen Skink, Haggis, Neeps & Tatties, Roast Beef in Whisky Sauce with Spring Vegetables and Dauphinoise Potatoes, Sticky Toffee Pudding with Caramel Sauce and Stilton Cheese with Crackers and Pear Chutney. One of the highlights of the event was the “piping in the Haggis” where the Haggis was marched in and escorted by St. John’s Alumni pipe band playing the bagpipes, laid down on the host table where Paul Henderson, the past president of the Selangor St. Andrew Society recited Robert Burns’ “Address to the Haggis”.
Alumni Forum Series 6
We were honoured to have our alumni’s dropped by our campus on July 18 to participate in the sixth Alumni Forum Series. During the forum, the alumni’s shared their working experiences, challenges and how they overcome it to our students. Among the invited alumni’s were Ms. Phuah Shie Ling from Diploma in Events Management who is now currently working as a Marketing Communications Coordinator in Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. Mr. Liew Jiang Chee previously from Bachelor of Hospitality Management who works as Assistant Manager for Entier French Dining and lastly we have our very own Lecturer for BERJAYA Business School, Mr. Ng Boon Aun who is a Master of Business Administration graduate in BERJAYA University College.
GFL Introductory Dialogue
We were happy to have representatives from China and Japan visit BERJAYA University College on July 20 to present their talk on sustainable environment, economic and ethical reconstruction. The invited speakers were Mr. Lin Tseng Jung, founder of GFL Education & Institution Sdn. Bhd., Prof. Aaron Wang, Prof. Lilian Lee, Dr. Ricky Lee, Dr. Su Chien-chen, Assistant Professor Yang Cheng Long, Mr. Jian Wei Lu, Mr. Greg Sheng and Mr. Akinori Oishi who is a Character and Multimedia Artist from Japan.
Each speaker presented their talk and shared their knowledge on various aspects of improving the quality of life through meditation, art and calligraphy.
MONIN Cup Professional 2018
On April 14, we saw BERJAYA UC’s School of Hospitality student, Ivon Soon, emerge as Champion in the MONIN Cup Student Malaysia 2018. The competition featured young and talented students below 27 years old showcasing their creative and innovative mocktail & cocktail creations to impress the panel of judges.
Two months later, at Arena Bar TTDI, a BERJAYA UC alumni, Koh Kay Kim, representing Wizards@Tribeca, KL, walked away with the MONIN Cup Professional Malaysia Championship title!
We are proud of these accomplishments when they represent Malaysia for MONIN Cup Asia Pacific 2018.
Honours Seminar Series – Mr. Zaidi
We were honoured to have our ex-lecturer Chef Zaidi give a talk on “Food Catering Industry on the Rise” for Honours Seminar Series. Mr. Zaidi, an Executive Chef who is currently working with Komatra Sajian Sdn. Bhd, shared his expertise and experience in food catering industry and the skills necessary in handling staff or suppliers. It has been an eye opener for our students, as it creates possibilities to venture into food catering business.
5th International Anatomical Sciences and Cell Biology Conference (IASCBC) 2018
BERJAYA University College was the venue for the 5th International Anatomical Sciences and Cell Biology Conference (IASCBC) 2018. Esteemed guests and medical practitioners from the Asia Pacific region met up for the 2-day international conference comprised of workshops, plenary sessions, keynote sessions, micrographs competition and a robust mutual exchange of scientific information. This is the first time that Malaysia is hosting the renowned event.
2nd APCEM Conference
The 2nd Asia Pacific Centre for Events Management (APCEM) Conference took place at Berjaya Times Square Hotel on the 30th July 2018. The event focused on “Risk Management in Event Planning”. Local experts on risk management shared their thoughts on pertinent issues that affect the event industry. The invited speakers were Ms. Kitty Wong, President of K&A International Co. Ltd. and Dr. Peter Wynn-Moylan, Principal Lecturer in Convention & Event Management Units at Southern Cross University. The keynote address on “Risk and Hazard Management for Festivals and Events”, provided guidelines for proactive methods to identify, assess and control hazardous conditions when managing an event.
The event also featured Panellists Madam Gracie Geikie, Director/Principal Consultant of Place Borneo Group of Companies, Mr. Lee Mark, Chief Operating Officer of The Hot Shoe Show & Co. Sdn Bhd, Mr. K.C Lim, Explopyromunitions, Blast Master Sdn Bhd, Professor Dr. Jennifer Chan, Professor of Tourism and Hospitality Management from the Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) who is also the Director of Borneo Tourism Research Centre, Sabah. Ms. Selina Kok, Founder and CEO of Sevent Media Sdn Bhd, En. Harun bin Bakar, Manager of Accident Prevention Section Operation Division, Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) Malaysia. The event was moderated by Associate Professor Dr. Antoon De Rycker, Head of BERJAYA School of Humanities & Social Sciences.
Café and Bakery Show 2018
BERJAYA UC joined the Café and Bakery Show 2018 held at PWTC last August 2-5, 2018. A wide range of Café Industry ranging from Coffee and Tea, Food and Beverage, Packaging , Desserts, Bakery and Pastry, Chocolates, Flavors, Syrups, Milk and Sugar Products were exhibited in Malaysia Int’l Café & Bakery F&B Lecturer Mixon Govindarajoo conducted a demo “Sensational Desserts in Minutes”.
Merdeka Themed Afternoon Tea
BERJAYA University College hosted a wonderful Merdeka themed Afternoon Tea at Samplings on the Fourteenth on 11th of August. The afternoon tea comprising of various delectable pastries, sandwiches, scones and other savoury items were perfectly paired with selections of tea from Tea Drop (Australia). Our culinary, hospitality and exchange students from Sichuan worked together with lecturers to ensure our guests experience our Berjaya hospitality.
Open Day 18 & 19 August 2018
It was an inspiring weekend for about 250 prospective students and their parents on Saturday, 18th August and Sunday, 19th August 2018 at BERJAYA UC’s Open Day. The Open Day gave these prospective students and their parents the chance to experience talks and workshops specially lined up for the event such as Retail Visual Merchandising, Fine Dining Etiquette, Breadmaking 101, Folding Sheets – Housekeeping extraordinary, Careless Whisper – Art of Communication and many more.
Meanwhile, the Department of Student Services provided a compatibility test using the RIASEC Career Test to help students identify and determine their areas of interests. The test matched students’ personalities, interests, skills, values, strengths and uniqueness to their interest of study which will allow them to gauge the careers that are most likely suitable to them. Staff were on hand to explain the test results and provide free consultation.
BERJAYA UC also invited two celebrities from the hospitality industry to inspire students of the many potential opportunities in the world of hospitality. Shaun Liew, owner and Restaurateur of Wizards @ Tribeca, Yellow Brick Road in Damansara and Common Craftsman as well as Malaysia’s Brewer’s Cup Champion 2017, showcased his brewing skills to more 50 students in the Coffee and Tea Academy. He advised the students during his demonstration to widen their knowledge and opportunities in the hospitality industry. Noted celebrity chef, Sherson Lian, star of Asian Food Channel’s Family Kitchen, Host of 5 Rencah and 5 Rasa on TV3, gave insights into how he started learning his cooking skills to owning and managing his own restaurants as well as hosting his own widely watch cooking shows.
Academic faculty were present to provide academic counseling about the programmes offered in the areas of culinary arts, business, liberal arts and social sciences, hospitality, retail management, tourism, events and language.
Malaysia International Gastronomy Festival / Taste MIGF
It was an inspiring weekend for about 250 prospective students and their parents on Saturday, 18th August and Sunday, 19th August 2018 at BERJAYA UC’s Open Day. The Open Day gave these prospective students and their parents the chance to experience talks and workshops specially lined up for the event such as Retail Visual Merchandising, Fine Dining Etiquette, Breadmaking 101, Folding Sheets – Housekeeping extraordinary, Careless Whisper – Art of Communication and many more.
Meanwhile, the Department of Student Services provided a compatibility test using the RIASEC Career Test to help students identify and determine their areas of interests. The test matched students’ personalities, interests, skills, values, strengths and uniqueness to their interest of study which will allow them to gauge the careers that are most likely suitable to them. Staff were on hand to explain the test results and provide free consultation.
BERJAYA UC also invited two celebrities from the hospitality industry to inspire students of the many potential opportunities in the world of hospitality. Shaun Liew, owner and Restaurateur of Wizards @ Tribeca, Yellow Brick Road in Damansara and Common Craftsman as well as Malaysia’s Brewer’s Cup Champion 2017, showcased his brewing skills to more 50 students in the Coffee and Tea Academy. He advised the students during his demonstration to widen their knowledge and opportunities in the hospitality industry. Noted celebrity chef, Sherson Lian, star of Asian Food Channel’s Family Kitchen, Host of 5 Rencah and 5 Rasa on TV3, gave insights into how he started learning his cooking skills to owning and managing his own restaurants as well as hosting his own widely watch cooking shows.
Academic faculty were present to provide academic counseling about the programmes offered in the areas of culinary arts, business, liberal arts and social sciences, hospitality, retail management, tourism, events and language.
