Newsletter Mar – Apr 2019
Erasmus+
BERJAYA University College (BERJAYA UC) is proud to be a partner of the Erasmus+ Programme (Key Action 2) Capacity Building for Higher Education (CBHE) project entitled, ‘Furthering International Relations Capacities and Inter-cultural Engagement to Nurture Campus Diversity and to Support Internationalisation at Home. (FRIENDS) This will be a three-year project involving three stages: planning, development and implementation.
The Erasmus+ Programme is funded by the European Union, and promotes modernisation, accessibility and internationalisation of higher education in partner countries across the world, including Asia. Members of the FRIENDS project consist of 16 institutions of higher learning from 9 countries: Bhutan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Turkey.
The conference held at BERJAYA UC from the 5th of March to the 8th of March was the first meeting among a series of meetings that will be held over the next three years at various partner institutions. This meeting discussed the introduction of the FRIENDS project, and how it would develop, while also exploring the development of project task force action plans.
Member institutions will benefit from this project through intercultural module made available online to promote understanding between different nationalities; mobility program – exchange student camp in Bulgaria and for academic staff in Thailand; internationalisation strategies for the university and networking between partners in Asia and Europe to promote mobility so that students can experience a semester exchange programme
Honour’s Seminar Series – Mr Chow Ming Hai
Mr Ming Hai Chow, Director of Revenue for Royale Chulan Hotels and Resorts, discussed the importance of revenue management in hotels, and how it is linked to the financial performance of each department. He explained the difference between the Sales and Marketing Department and the Revenue Management Department, with the latter more involved in providing strategies for Sales and Marketing to maximise profits for the hotel. Two examples of these strategies are offering competitive prices on room rates, or taking part in collaborations with online travel agents. Mr Chow concluded by encouraging the students to pursue a career in revenue management, noting that the work is challenging but it is also a rewarding path to take.
Honour’s Seminar Series – Mr Ong Ning Geng
Mr. Ong Ning Geng, the owner of Chocolate Concierge, gave a presentation on the different ways chocolate can be produced from the humble cacao bean. For the students to understand better, he provided three samples of different types of plain chocolate, each with a distinct flavour; he even opened a cacao fruit for everyone to smell its sweet fragrance! It was interesting to hear that there are approximately 1,800 molecular compounds involved in the process of making chocolate. Indeed the students were fascinated by the concept of becoming a professional chocolatier!
City Hunter Challenge Race
The City Hunter Challenge Race was organised by our students studying under the Bachelor of Events Management in aid of the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia. . This exciting event is part of the Event Production and Operation course. The objective of this event was to raise awareness on the urgent need to protect our fragile environment – in a fun way. Through this event, students not only raised funds to help the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia in their pursuit to recover the depleting wild population of turtles in Malaysia but to also get an opportunity to enhance their event planning and management skills.
Kudos to our School of Tourism’s Events and Tourism (E.A.T.) Committee and our sponsors, Brooks, JacSport, Yogur Train, and Jantzen for making this exciting event happen! The Global Environment Centre (GEC) endorsed the event and helped raised awareness for our students to keep our rivers clean and to protect our endangered freshwater sea turtles.
‘U OK M8’ Campaign
The “Be Positive” Team from the Events and Tourism (E.A.T.) Committee launched their mental health awareness campaign, ‘U OK M8,’ (pronounced as ‘you ok mate’) which ran for 3 days. The campaign aimed to tackle students’ stress and mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, by encouraging them to talk about their problems and share their feelings with our counsellors. As part of the event, students coloured a monochrome canvas backdrop to show that life can be colourful.
Comvita
Some of our students and staff from the School of Hospitality and the Faculty of Culinary Arts took part in a seminar that examined the various types of honey made available to the public. Our guest speaker, Ms. Tam Poh Poh, the Business Development Manager for SEA and Taiwan, eloquently explained the difference between pure honey and the more processed honey, allowing students to taste the difference. She then went on to demonstrate the health benefits of consuming honey, such as providing diabetics with a safer form of sugar alternative.
Open Day
BERJAYA University College held an Open Day for any prospective students who were interested to take up a diploma, Bachelor’s, or postgraduate degrees. Various interactive workshops were held by the different faculties, such as ‘Fruit Carving,’ ‘Tips to Spot Fake news,’ and ‘How to Calculate an Operating Budget for a Bakery Business.’
Engaging Practical Exams
As part of BERJAYA University College’s ‘Immersion Methodology,’ our Culinary and our Hospitality students hosted an event taking inspiration from the popular video game, ‘Super Mario Bros.’ The dishes were named after aspects of the game, and decorations taken directly from the game’s own design. Our Hospitality lecturer, Justin Ho Li Vern, even dressed up as Super Mario! Indeed the exam was executed with creativity and fun.
Easter “Eggstravaganza” afternoon Tea
In the lead-up to Easter celebrations, BERJAYA University College hosted an afternoon tea in collaboration with Tea Drop at Samplings on the Fourteenth. The restaurant was decked in Easter decorations, specifically colourful eggs and miniature rabbits. Students from the Faculty of Culinary Arts and School of Hospitality were efficient in ensuring excellent service to our guests, and in providing the delicious pastries and light-bites. To complement the dishes, a selection of various teas were made available, ranging from a fruity Honeydew Green Tea to a more floral Chamomile Blossom Tea.
This event showcased to all our guests the effectiveness of our Immersion Methodology put into practice, and represented the excellent level of professionalism and skill taught and perpetuated by BERJAYA UC.
Toastmasters
BERJAYA University College was honoured to receive the International Corporate Recognition Award from Toastmasters International. Dato Sri Robin Tan and Toastmasters International President, Ms Lark Doley presented BERJAYA UC with a crystal globe recognising the institutions support of the Toastmasters communication and leadership programs. Many spoke eloquently at this event, conveying the extraordinary work of Toastmasters International.
