A MUSICAL TOUR DE FORCE The Institute of Music continues to raise the bar in teaching standards. UCSI Education Sdn Bhd (185479-U) VOLUME 10 KDN:PQ/PP/1505/(18824)-(8) ucsiuniversity.edu.my Future-proof careers begin with a defining education. Realise your potential at UCSI. Cutting-Edge RESEARCH GLOBAL IMPACT WORLD- CLASS faculty HIGH GRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY Students from OVER 110 countries ucsiuniversity.edu.my CONTENTS 12 COVER STORY: A MUSICAL TOUR DE FORCE UCSI celebrates 106th Premier Co-Op students International Women’s Day walk away from internship 07 with 106 decorated heels 09 with full scholarships ZEN CHO UCSI's flagship Write Right: Insights from some Co-Op Placement leads to a of Malaysia’s most experienced 21 student’s dream job 25 authors and journalists Publisher: UCSI Education Sdn Bhd (185479-U) 1, Jalan Menara Gading, UCSI Heights, Taman Connaught, Cheras 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • T +603 9101 8880 • F +603 9102 2614 • ucsiuniversity.edu.my Nets Printwork Sdn Bhd (KDN:PQ1780/3379) 58, Jalan PBS 14/4, Taman Perindustrian Bukit Serdang, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia • T +603-8213 6288 • F +603-8959 5577 03 INSIDE UCSI UCSI'S ACTUARIAL SCIENCE PROGRAMMES GRANTED PRESTIGIOUS IFoA RECOGNITION UCSI University (UCSI) has become the first regulating actuaries based both in the CT8 modules,” shared Associate Professor Dr and only private university in Malaysia to be UK and internationally. They represent over Ngerng Miang Hong, senior academic at recognised by the Institute and Faculty of 28,000 members worldwide in driving the faculty's Actuarial Science and Applied Actuaries (IFoA), joining the ranks of an elite innovation and research in the field. Statistics department, who worked closely group of universities like Oxford, Imperial with his fellow lecturer Mr Lai Wan Fei on this College London, LSE and Warwick. With this recognition, students who have endeavour. “We hope to eventually gain a completed their Mathematics in Interest block exemption, covering CT1 to CT8.” Students who are pursuing UCSI's Actuarial Rates course — taken in year one of their BSc Science programmes will now be granted (Hons) Actuarial Science or BSc (Hons) IFoA's CT1 also leads to an exemption for the module exemption for IFoA's Fellowship and Actuarial Science and Finance programme at Society of Actuaries (SoA)’s Exam FM in Certified Actuarial Analyst exams. UCSI — with a B minimum will be exempted Financial Mathematics due to an agreement from IFoA’s first Core Technical module on between the two professional bodies. “This is indeed a notable achievement and Financial Mathematics, also known as CT1. I wish to thank our actuarial science UCSI was also the first private university department for facilitating this achievement,” In total, there are nine Core Technical in Malaysia to be approved by SoA, a said Professor Dr Ooi Keng Boon, Dean of modules. Aspiring students seeking the leading global professional organisation for the Faculty of Business and Information Associate status from IFoA will need to actuaries. Students have been known to Science. “This would not have been possible complete them all with an additional three pass all five professional papers even before without their efforts.” Core Application modules to qualify. their third year of undergraduate study — remarkable achievements that have IFoA is UK's only chartered professional “Moving forward, we are looking to obtain cemented a sterling track record for body dedicated to educating, developing and more exemptions, especially for the CT3 and the faculty. THE UCSI GAZETTE MAGAZINE INSIDE UCSI 04 UCSI RECEIVES MODULE EXEMPTION FOR THE RENOWNED CFP CERTIFICATION UCSI University (UCSI) has gained module Administered by the Financial Planning them confidence in your ability to meet their exemption for the Certified Financial Association of Malaysia (FPAM), aspiring expectations. I am glad that with this Planner (CFP) certification programme, a students at UCSI will only need to complete partnership with FPAM, we can provide our qualification recognised as the gold the remaining three modules before students with a competitive edge in this standard in personal financial planning attaining the certification. specialised career.” around the world. In Malaysia, the CFP qualification is FPAM is an affiliate member of the Certified Students reading UCSI's Bachelor of Financial recognised by the Securities Commission and Financial Planner Board of Standards based Economic (Hons) and Bachelor of Science Bank Negara Malaysia, enabling certified in the United States. It is the foremost (Hons) Finance and Investment will practitioners to stand out in the industry and professional body for financial planning in be exempted from Module 2 of the to communicate their expertise and Malaysia with more than 8,000 members as Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification credibility to their clients. well as 40 Charter and Corporate members, programme when they pass their Risk many of whom are among the most Management course — usually taken in year “Engaging a CFP is beneficial to ensure that established financial institutions in their three of their study — with a minimum one stays focused and on track in our sector. grade B. financial plans,” said Professor Dr Ooi Keng Boon, Dean of UCSI’s Faculty of Business CFP is administered in 26 countries Additionally, Finance and Investment students and Information Science. “An objective and territories with the number of CFP who pass Personal Wealth Management — a perspective is very important when making professionals standing at over 160,000 year-two course — will only be required to difficult decisions and finance is definitely globally. attend a 20-hour workshop on Tax Planning one of them.” instead of the original 60 hours they must undergo before being eligible to register for “Having this credential will tell clients that the Module 1 exam. you adhere to the highest standard and give THE UCSI GAZETTE MAGAZINE 05 INSIDE UCSI FUNDING THE FUTURE UCSI AWARDS RM13.7 MILLION WORTH OF SCHOLARSHIPS TO 607 STUDENTS world,” he said, “and this is what Also in attendance at the ceremony drives the Trust — the belief that we were Dato’ Peter Ng, UCSI Group Yang Berhormat Datuk Dr Mary Yap Kain Ching (centre), Deputy Minister of Higher Education, presented awards to the Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) Scholarship have a role to play in equipping youths Founder and CEO; Senator Dato’ Sri recipients with Senior Prof Dato’ Dr Khalid Yusoff (fourth from left), UCSI University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, and Prof Dato’ Dr Ahmad Hj. Zainuddin (fourth from right), with the knowledge they need to fulfil Khairudin Samad, Advisor to UCSI UCSI University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs and International. their potential and make a difference Group; Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Musa in the world.” Mohamad, Chairman of UCSI Group; Senior Professor Dato’ Dr Khalid The ceremony saw the presentation of Yusoff, Vice-Chancellor and President Tan Soh Lin’s dream had always been to The joyous ceremony was graced by Guest of positive indication that the quality of the UCSI University Trust’s Prestige of UCSI University; members of pursue her studies in the medical field but a Honour Yang Berhormat Datuk Dr Mary Yap education is getting better and better. Scholarship Award which recognises the UCSI University Senate and recent family tragedy served to give her a Kain Ching, Deputy Minister of Higher Today’s scholarship recipients must be the cr�me de la cr�me of the Management Board; faculty deans; as personal purpose. Her mother’s passing Education, Ministry of Higher Education grateful and take full advantage of this scholarship recipients, and the UCSI well as parents and family members last year, having lost her battle with Malaysia. opportunity to develop themselves.” University Trust Scholarship Principal's of the recipients. ovarian cancer, inspired Tan’s decision to Award which is purposed to be an read the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) at Commending UCSI for improving access to This year, the Ministry of Higher Education avenue for schools to acknowledge the UCSI University (UCSI). education, Datuk Yap said that not everyone will ramp up its efforts to redesign the higher invaluable contributions of its students has the same opportunities in life and education landscape by pushing more as they move on to tertiary education. “I want to be a pharmacist so that I can learn financial support is crucial to help level the initiatives to improve graduate employability how to dispense the right drugs to each playing field for disadvantaged groups and such as work-based learning. “We cannot go Students were also awarded patient,” said the Batu Pahat native. “I also to ensure that education is availed to every this journey alone, we must involve the scholarships for each level — pre- want to conduct research on new drugs so student regardless of their family’s income industry so that students can equip university (including A-Level), diploma, that untreatable diseases can be a thing of level or background. themselves with the competencies required degree and postgraduate study — and the past.” by today’s industries,” said Datuk Yap. a sports bursary for state and national “It is heartening to find that UCSI has athletes. Tan was one of the 607 recipients at the UCSI invested RM30 million this year to award all UCSI was the first university in Asia to University Trust Award and Scholarship these students from various disciplines,” she facilitate industry placements for students These scholarships bursaries were Ceremony 2017 where over RM13.7 million said. “This is really something that I hope each year. It runs what is virtually Malaysia’s awarded to deserving students worth of scholarships and bursaries were other private universities will emulate.” largest university-industry network with over irrespective of race, nationality, disbursed at the University’s first award 4,000 industry partners including world’s religion and creed to pursue their ceremony of the year.