A PhD Viva Presentation

Prudence and her PhD

Prudence Mutowo goes through her viva to decide is she will be awarded a doctorate.

Najib: Act not meant to control students' activities

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak clarifies misunderstanding about the University and University Colleges Act after a student consultative council meeting in Putrajaya Thursday.

PhD Research Supervision

May 30, 2008

To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.
Chinese Proverb

A fundamental characteristic of PhD research is that it is carried out under the guidance of one or more academic supervisors. It is the supervisor's responsibility to monitor the progress of the research and to ensure that the student is mastering the appropriate research skills and that the project is likely to come to a successful conclusion. The supervisor's role is therefore crucial to the whole enterprise, and indeed it appears that the chief reason why students fail to get their PhDs is because of inadequate supervision. It is therefore vitally important for students to ensure that they receive proper supervision.

The following further points about the supervisory role should be noted:

The supervisor should be fully conversant with the student's research topic and should closely monitor the preparation of the thesis. In general, the supervisor should serve as a good role model of what a professional researcher does.
A good working relationship should exist between supervisor and student, with the supervisor providing encouragement, personal support and guidance at all stages.
It is likely that the relationship will adjust as the project progresses. Initially the supervisor might function largely like a tutor, providing much training and help. Subsequent stages might find the supervisor operating more like a coach, building up skills and confidence, and then finally acting more like a colleague and equal.

In view of the crucial importance of the supervisory role it is vital that the student is provided with a suitable supervisor and that a high standard of supervision is delivered throughout the duration of the project. If you are a PhD student who is dissatisfied with your supervision you should seek as a first priority for this to be resolved. In the first place, it is possible that your supervisor may be unaware of your concerns, and that once alerted appropriate corrective action will be taken. However, in other circumstances it may be that the student-supervisor relationship is not working satisfactorily and that the only proper solution is for a new supervisor to be appointed.

Source: http://www.jwelford.demon.co.uk/brainwaremap/super.html



For further information about PhD supervision see:

1. Code of Good Practice for Graduate Research Supervision (University of Western
Australia)
http://www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/policies/good_practice

2. Code of Practice for Supervised Postgraduate Research (University of Dundee)
http://www.somis.dundee.ac.uk/registry/pgcode/

3. Meeting of Minds by Estelle Phillips
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/postgraduate/story/0,,1563159,00.html

4. The Missing Links by John Wakeford
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/postgraduate/story/0,12848,1169926,00.html

5. Nowhere to Turn by John Wakeford
http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,5500,557465,00.html

OUM akhiri pencarian panjang warga Kanada

May 30, 2008

PENDIDIKAN tanpa sempadan tidak lagi mustahil pada abad ke-21 ini dengan kewujudan teknologi yang membolehkan penyampaian pendidikan tanpa batasan.

Justeru, peluang terbuka luas bagi sesiapa yang berhasrat untuk memiliki kelayakan dari negara luar melalui pengajian jarak jauh tanpa meninggalkan negara asal masing-masing.

Begitulah situasi Peter Fenrich, 51, seorang pelajar sarjana di Universiti Terbuka Malaysia (OUM) yang kini melanjutkan pengajian peringkat ijazah kedoktoran sejak 2006.
Fenrich yang berasal dari Kanada sudah berkahwin dan mempunyai tiga anak berusia 15 hingga 21 tahun, masing-masing menuntut di universiti dan sekolah menengah di sana.

Beliau yang memiliki ijazah sarjana dalam bidang reka bentuk berpandu bekerja sebagai perunding pembangunan berpandu di Institut Teknologi British Columbia, yang menawarkan pelbagai program teknikal dan perdagangan di mana sijil, diploma dan ijazah sarjana muda yang dikeluarkan dipandang tinggi.

“Tugas saya adalah membantu perkembangan fakulti dari aspek kurikulum dan profesional. Ia kerjaya yang mencabar namun memberi kepuasan penuh pada diri saya,” katanya.

Fenrich kemudian membuat keputusan untuk memulakan pengajian peringkat ijazah doktor falsafah (PhD) dan mencari institusi pengajian tinggi yang dapat memenuhi keperluannya.

“Saya ingin belajar secara atas talian, tapi tiada institusi di Kanada menawarkan program PhD dalam bidang pendidikan yang membuatkan saya memilih Amerika Syarikat.

“Namun di Amerika Syarikat, saya masih belum berjumpa dengan kursus diingini, ditambah dengan kos pengajian yang melebihi kemampuan,” katanya.

Akhirnya, rakan sekerja iklan yang bertugas untuk ‘Commonwealth of Learning’, sebuah organisasi antara kerajaan yang dibentuk oleh Ketua-Ketua Kerajaan Komanwel menjadi penyelesaian masalahnya untuk memilih institusi pengajian apabila mengesyorkan OUM.

“Pada mulanya, saya tidak menerima cadangan mereka bulat-bulat, namun selepas mengkaji dengan terperinci, timbul pula rasa yakin dan saya terus membuat keputusan untuk belajar di OUM,” katanya.

Fenrich berkata, kaedah pembelajaran atas talian membawa cabaran tersendiri termasuk menjadi lebih berdikari dan meningkatkan keupayaan diri bagi kejayaan yang cemerlang.

“Ada kalanya saya mengambil dua kursus pada satu masa yang mampu menguji kemampuan saya, seperti berdepan dengan pengurusan masa bagi mengelak sebarang masalah,” katanya.

Menurutnya, pembelajaran jarak jauh dan terbuka adalah pilihan yang penting bagi orang ramai, terutama yang sudah bekerja kerana mereka mahu melanjutkan pelajaran bagi meningkatkan potensi diri sendiri.

Justeru, katanya, pembelajaran secara atas talian yang fleksibel memberi ruang kepada pelajar untuk menyambung pengajian tanpa perlu berhenti kerja.

OUM yang ditubuhkan pada tahun 2000 adalah institusi pengajian jarak jauh terbuka yang pertama di Malaysia. OUM menerima kemasukan kelompok pertama pelajar seramai 753 orang pada Ogos 2001 dan sejak itu, pengambilan pelajar secara keseluruhannya meningkat sehingga melebihi 67,000 orang.

Sejajar dengan moto ‘Universiti Untuk Semua’, OUM berpegang kepada falsafah di mana pendidikan seharusnya terbuka kepada semua, tidak mengira masa, tempat, usia dan latar belakang ekonomi.

OUM menawarkan 51 program peringkat diploma, ijazah sarjana muda dan ijazah sarjana merangkumi pelbagai bidang termasuk sains sosial dan gunaan, teknologi maklumat, kejuruteraan, perniagaan dan pendidikan.

Untuk maklumat lanjut, hubungi 03-2773 2002, e-mel enquiries@oum.edu.my atau layari www.oum.edu.my

Sumber: http://www.hmetro.com.my/Current_News/myMetro/Friday/Setempat/20080530100721/Article/index_html

RM322,000 prize for varsity - NST

KUALA LUMPUR: May 27, 2008

The Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (Informm) of Universiti Sains Malaysia will receive US$100,000 (RM322,070) from the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB).

Informm was awarded the prize for the most outstanding contribution to social and economic development.

The announcement was made by IDB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, recently.

SPSS E-books at Google

Check this out:

Discovering Statistics Using SPSS By Andy P. Fie



Link: http://books.google.com.my/books?id=IY61Ddqnm6IC&printsec=frontcover&dq=subject:%22+Mathematics+%22&as_brr=3&rview=1&sig=kx1_Ii7VlQQRH7cWGdKCNEMqvAw

Why get a Ph.D.?

Why get a Ph.D.?

"Being a graduate student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarves. In the beginning you're Dopey and Bashful. In the middle, you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and irritable (Grumpy). But at the end, they call you Doc, and then you're Happy."

Yours truly

The most basic question every Ph.D. student must know the answer to is: "Why the hell am I doing this?"

It's a good question. The hours are long. The pay is low, with minimal benefits. After graduation, Ph.D. salaries are higher than B.S. and M.S. salaries, but the difference doesn't make up for the income lost by staying in school longer. The M.S. has a better "bucks for the time invested" ratio than the Ph.D. does. And in terms of social status, a graduate student doesn't rank very high on the ladder.

If you do not have an acceptable answer to this question, then don't get a Ph.D. I repeat: if you do not have a rock-solid reason for getting the Ph.D., then it is better that you leave with a Master's.

Why? Completing a Ph.D. is a long, hard road with many potholes and washed out bridges along the way. You may run over some land mines and have to stop and turn around and explore other routes. If the goal is important enough to you, then these obstacles will not prevent you from completing your journey. But if you don't know why you are on this road, then you will get discouraged and will probably leave without finishing, having wasted years of your life.

I faced this situation after the first time I took the Doctoral Written Exam (which at the time was the entrance examination into the Ph.D. program). I missed passing it by just 4 percentage points. I then had to decide whether or not to try again next semester (committing myself again to spending weeks getting ready for the test) or just leave with an M.S. degree.

I didn't come to graduate school with the Ph.D. as the primary goal. So this test result forced me to answer the basic question "Why the hell am I doing this?" After much soul searching, I found my answer and decided to take the test again, passed it, and went on to get my Ph.D.

I got the Ph.D. because I wanted to get a research position after leaving graduate school. I wanted to work with the state of the art and extend it. I did not want to "bring yesterday's technology one step closer to tomorrow." I wanted a job that would I find interesting, challenging and stimulating. While an M.S. would give me a chance at landing a research position, the Ph.D. would give me a much better chance. And I did not want to live with regrets. If I took the Doctoral Written Exam again and failed again, then I could say that it wasn't meant to be and move on with my life. I would have no regrets because I had given it my best shot and was not able to make it. However, if I left with an M.S. without taking the test a second time, and five years later I was in a job that was boring and uninteresting, then I would have to lie awake every night for the rest of my life wondering "What if?" What if I had taken the test again and passed? Would I then be in the job that I really wanted? That was not a situation I wanted to be in. I did not want to live the rest of my life regretting what might have been.

In hindsight, I think one of the main reasons I successfully completed the Ph.D. was the fact that I didn't pass the exam on the first try. It's ironic, but life sometimes works in strange ways. That initial failure caused me to answer the basic question, providing the mental fortitude to keep going despite the hurdles and problems I would later face.

My answer is you should get a Ph.D. if it is required for your goals after graduate school, such as becoming a professor or a researcher in academia, government or industry. Your answer may differ from mine. As long as you have an answer that you believe in passionately, then that's enough. If you don't have an answer, then save yourself a lot of grief and don't get the Ph.D.

Source: http://www.cs.unc.edu/~azuma/hitch4.html

Is your language appropriate? - The Star

May 21, 2008 By VANCE CARSON

YOU are an employer who is awaiting a young man to come to your office for a job interview. There’s a knock on your door and a smartly dressed fellow in a suit presents himself. You immediately have a good impression of him and something tells you that you’ll be hiring him before the day has ended.

Then he speaks.

“All right brother, how’s it hanging, dude? Oh man, I’m sweating like a pig, it’s like a damn oven in here, and I’m bursting ? got a loo in this crib?”

End of interview! The young man may have dressed well and looked the part, but his sloppy utterance of informal English and his casual manner were entirely inappropriate to the situation.

Here’s another example of inappropriate English.

One of your closest friends comes to your house for tea and he brings his girlfriend with him to meet you. The young woman grins nervously and perches on the outer edge of a sofa cushion, hardly making an impact on its surface. She catches your attention by raising her hand, as if she were addressing a strict elderly schoolmaster, and proceeds to ask you a question.

“Excuse me, sir, I do not wish to be impertinent; however, may I be permitted to ingest a small disc of chocolate-coated shortbread and enjoy temporary refreshment with the hot beverage which you have so kindly offered?”

Instead of being charmed and enchanted by her ludicrously polite manner of speaking, I’m sure you would feel hurt by the young woman’s formal request for a cup of tea and a biscuit. You would certainly feel that her nervousness and formal English usage was the result of her belief that you were some miserly biscuit-clutching troll.

Therefore, when thinking about the practical usage of English, we must consider appropriacy, or the most suitable way to address those to whom we are speaking.

As linguistic anthropologist D.H. Hyme once stated: appropriacy is knowing “when to speak, when not, what to talk about with whom, when, where and in what manner”.

A rule of thumb you can use to know when a situation requires formal or informal English relates to the clothes you are wearing (aside from when you are speaking to someone on the phone or writing to on the Internet, when your clothing style is irrelevant).

If you are wearing smart clothes such as a suit or a nice dress, it is likely that you may be expected or required to speak in a more formal manner than usual. If you are wearing jeans and a T-shirt, then it is likely that you will be conversing in a more relaxed and informal way.

Aside from the level of formality in what we say, we should also consider the tone of what we say. I'm not referring to volume or how loud we say things; I'm referring to whether we are hostile and aggressive, polite and accommodating or mocking and sarcastic.

Our underlying feelings and motives for expressing our opinion can of course change the meaning of what we say, depending on intonation. Personally, I would not recommend that you employ sarcasm as a passport to making friends. Whether or not you speak in formal English, if you say something in a friendly tone, people will feel more at ease in your company.

In terms of appropriacy, there are five more aspects of English usage to consider. Specific language is used according to the situation, its purpose or its function. Therefore, we should think about Setting, Participants, Purpose, Topic and Channel.

Setting

At a job interview, we try to sound competent and confident. At a funeral, we would moderate our language to be softly spoken and respectful. If the wife of a deceased man addressed the assembled crowd of mourners in an excited, rambunctious and jovial manner, cracking jokes and laughing, she would be thought to be mad or perhaps guilty of murdering her late husband.

Participants

When talking to children, one would refrain from swearing or using overly complicated language. If addressing elderly people, we may feel the need to speak more loudly and repeat what we say. Talking to old people or children in the style of a foul-mouthed Los Angeles rapper may confuse your audience and may even award you with a visit from the police.

Purpose

An army sergeant would use sharp, clear and direct instructions in giving orders to his men, without regard to polite or friendly language. Smiling, joking and winking before he politely requests his brave soldiers to run towards enemy machine guns, a friendly sergeant may find his troops hesitating to make the ultimate sacrifice for king and country.

Topic

A doctor, university physicist or inventor would use technical jargon and scientific terminology to explain his latest discovery at a conference on cutting-edge technology.

The inventor may address his scientific peer group in either a formal or informal manner, but he would most certainly approach his research findings with a serious tone and instead of explaining things in “layman’s terms”, the boffin would more likely use jargon, or terms which would not make sense outside a particular field of study.

But if that scientist were to go to a restaurant, he would not ask the waitress to administer sodium chloride and acetic acid to his Gadus Morrhua and sliced tubers. He would more likely ask her to put some salt and vinegar on his cod and chips.

Channel

Hurriedly chatting to a friend on a mobile phone, with a poor signal and rapidly fading battery, may be made more to the point than an informal face-to-face conversation in a relaxed café environment.

Moreover, if we witness a towering inferno in which thousands of people may be burnt alive, we are hardly likely to pay much attention to the kind of English we use. Just as long as the directions we give the fire brigade are clear and understood by the emergency phone operator to whom we speak.

“I say, I hate to be tedious and bothersome but I regret to report that there is a rather obnoxious fire which seems to be cheekily blazing its way to the concrete summit of a large superstructure designed by one of Babel’s renegade architects. Could you dispatch a fire engine forthwith and with a degree of urgency?”

Wrong!

“Hey, how ya doin’? Could ya like send the boys from the brigade down here ASAP, there’s a flame-grilled building in town that sooooooo looks like the Olympic Torch. Maybe you guys should like get a move on, or something ?whatever.”

Wrong!

“Hello. I want to report a major fire at the central city tower, please send help immediately.”

Correct!

So, whether you are a telesales agent in KL who is confused by the negative reaction people in a slum in Britain have to your phone calls, which you conduct in polite and very formal English, or someone who can’t get a job because you use rude slang and street expressions at interviews, I ask you to consider appropriacy before your next disappointment.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. Know to whom to say something and know when, where, how and why you should say it.

Is your English appropriate?

Vance Carson is an EFL English teacher who has taught in Reid Kerr College, Scotland, and SMAPK Kajang.

Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/5/21/lifefocus/21195917&sec=lifefocus

Nicol won her fifth British Open title on Monday - NST

May 14, 2008

Nicol won her fifth British Open title on Monday.

IN a stark warning to her rivals, Liz Irving believes Nicol David is in the best form of her life.

Nicol's coach Liz reckons she has not seen a better display from the World No 1 who regained the British Open title by routing England's Jenny Duncalf 9-1, 10-8, 9-0 at Liverpool's Echo Arena in Monday's women's final.

Qualifying Examination (QE) session for the PhD(BA) learner

Dear PhD(BA) and MSc(BA) Learners,

This is to inform you that the Centre for Graduate Studies is organising the Qualifying Examination (QE) session for the PhD(BA) learner. The details are as follows:

Date : 17 May 2008 (Saturday)
Time : 2:30 pm
Venue : OUM Main Campus
Kemboja Seminar Room
Ground Floor (near LSC-Learner Service Centre)
Open University Malaysia
Jalan Tun Ismail
50480 Kuala Lumpur
(Location Map) http://www.oum.edu.my/portal/index.php?op=view&m=8&page=118

Learner : Mr. Yousif Abdulateef Yousif Al-Nas (Bahrain)
Title : The Relationship between Job Satisfaction, Motivation and Employee
Performance: Moderating Effects of Employee Empowerment in Saudi ARAMCO

We would like to invite you to attend the session.

Please note that due to insufficent number of presenter for the Colloquium scheduled on the same day, we have to postpone it to June 2008.

Thank you and regards.

Nor Azami
CGS

AAOU Conference in Tianjin, China

The Conference deadline for Abstract submission has been extended as follows:

Abstract Submissions:

Authors are invited to submit abstracts limited to 400 words, each containing the paper title, the author¡¯s names, credentials and affiliations, complete address (including email, fax and phone of the corresponding author), before 15 June, 2008. Submit electronically as Microsoft Word attachment in A4, single-spaced format, Songti, 10 points if in Chinese; Times New Roman, 11 points if in English. The language is English and Chinese. The abstract must convey your topic¡¯s importance and relevance to the conference theme. Abstracts are to be submitted electronically through:

E-mail: aaou2008@tjrtvu.edu.cn or aaou2008@yahoo.cn

For details: http://aaou.tjrtvu.edu.cn/en/zym.html

UPM survey: English ability important to employers - The Star

SEREMBAN: May 12, 2008 By SARBAN SINGH

Proficiency in English language was the second most important characteristic sought by potential employers according to a survey done by Universiti Putra Malaysia.

UPM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Nik Mustapha R. Abdullah said prospective bosses always looked for employees with good command of the language as they were an asset to any organisation.

“After critical thinking ability, the next characteristic sought by an employer is whether the prospective employee had a good command of the language.

“With a functional ability of the language, many doors will open once students graduate,” he said at the opening of the seventh Malaysia International Conference on English Language Teaching (MICELT 2008) here on Monday.

Nik Mustapha said this was the finding from a recent survey conducted by UPM’s alumni centre involving more than 4,000 recently graduated students.

He said UPM was also the first university in the country to offer the bachelor in education in the Teaching of English as a Second Language (TESL) programme.

Also present was Higher Education Minister deputy director general (public universities sector) Prof Yusof Kassim who represented minister Datuk Khaled Nordin. He also read Khaled’s speech text.

Khaled said English competency forms an integral element in the success of the ministry’s National Higher Education Action Plan.

“Critical thinking, communication skills, excellent English proficiency and enhanced IT skills must form the common foundation for all graduates regardless of their chosen disciplines.

“These new focuses would be incorporated into a compulsory curriculum which runs concurrently with degree programmes at all higher education institutions,” said Khaled.

MICELT, which was first organised 14 years ago was the country’s premier conference in English language teaching.

The event was organised by UPM’s Educational Studies Faculty.

Question bank to assess quality of learners - The Sun

May 8, 2008

Open University Malaysia (OUM) is embarking on a project to develop a question bank that will serve as a repository for examination questions for the 500 over subjects it offers.Senior Vice President Prof Mansor Fadzil said the move will ensure that the questions developed are of high quality that meet the needs of learners.

“The current practice is to develop exam questions every semester which may not meet the quality standard due to the constraints of time and resources. We hope to eliminate this problem with the question bank through the structured development of questions by our pool of experienced subject matter experts, academics and tutors.

“It is timely that we rope in the academics and tutors as they are better placed to provide feedbacks on current developments and changes in their respective subjects. In the past, exam questions were set by the SMEs.”

Mansor said the move will provide a mechanism to gauge learners’ understanding and knowledge of a particular subject as the questions are structured to include the six dimensions of the Bloom Taxonomy namely one’s ability to recall, understand, apply, analyse, synthesise and evaluate.
The question bank, he said, will have an armoury of well-thought and structured questions that can stimulate critical and higher order thinking among learners. “The thought provoking and challenging questions will help nurture critical thinking in learners which they can apply in their working life. This will contribute to the development of high quality human capital needed to spearhead the socio-economic progress.”

He said the project will kick-start with a workshop in mid-April which gathers the SMEs, academics and tutors to brainstorm on the appropriate questions.

“We hope to develop four sets of exam questions for each subject that will be regularly populated. We will start with 11 subjects while the rest will be done in stages. The entire project is expected to be completed in two years. We will ensure that security be given top priority to avoid leaks.”
Meanwhile, the university’s e-content project for its learning modules has started. It entails the development of dynamic web pages that incorporate interactive features to complement the print content of its modules.

Initially, 20 modules will be incorporated with e-content but eventually, all the 500 over modules will have the e-content component built in.

“The interactive and graphic features will give added value to the learners as they make learning more engaging and meaningful,” said Mansor.

Established in 2000, OUM is the first open distance learning institution in Malaysia. The university took in its first batch of 753 learners in August 2001 but the cumulative student intake has since increased to over 67,000.

The university offers 51 academic programmes ranging from diploma to post graduate levels from the Faculties of Business and Management, Information Technology & Multimedia Communication, Science & Technology, Education & Languages and Applied Social Sciences.

With its motto “University for All”, OUM subscribes to the philosophy that education should be made available to all, regardless of time, place, age and economic background.

Contact 03-2773 2002, email: enquiries@oum.edu.my or www.oum.edu.my.

Doing Malaysia proud - The Star

A MALAYSIAN from the University of Manchester, Stephenie Siew Jean Tiew, has won the International Student of the Year 2008 and a prize of £2,000 (RM12,500) with her inspirational story of student life in Britain

Stephenie, from Kuching, is in her final year as a medical student. She received her prize at a ceremony held in London, hosted by BBC Radio 1 DJ Nihal recently.

She was one of 58 Malaysian students out of more than 1,500 students, representing 127 nationalities, who entered the British

Stephenie (right) poses with Choo and fellow Malaysian finalist Choi Yee Xian at the awards ceremony.

Council competition, designed to shine the spotlight on international students and their unique contributions.

To enter, each student was asked to write a personal “letter home” in English, detailing the out-of-class achievements that help make their time in Britain so rewarding.

“I have to thank my parents for influencing me to come here to further my studies as they too had pursued their A-levels and tertiary education in Britain,” said the 24-year-old.

Stephenie showed her passion for working with children by establishing the 'Save a Baby's Life Society' with some of her fellow students.

The group go into local communities to teach basic life support skills to parents and carers of babies. In addition to running workshops, Stephenie fundraises for the society.

Despite her busy schedule, she finds time to mentor local teenagers who are interested in a career in healthcare, and writes for the medical school newsletter – Mediscope – and also represent the university in debating tournaments.

In her letter, Stephenie said: “I can confidently say that my university experience has not only equipped me to face the working world but it has also moulded me into a well-rounded person.

“I'm proud of my accomplishments as the United Kingdom has offered me an unforgettable experience. The supportive culture in campus, be it from faculty staff or peers, has knitted an extraordinary student life for me. I am a simple country girl who has blossomed into a confident and capable woman.”

After winning the award, she added: “I am thrilled and delighted to have been chosen as an ambassador for both my university and my country.”

When presented with the award by Malaysian-born Datuk Jimmy Choo, Stephenie said she was starstruck. “He was so down to earth and humble. It was an honour to meet him as he is a good role model for Malaysians both at home and abroad.”

She added that Choo had promised to make her a pair of shoes. “I'll need to check up on that,” she mused.

In his speech, Choo said: “I am honoured and proud to be invited for the second year running to present the awards to the international students and equally proud that a fellow Malaysian is the recipient of the overall title.”

The following is Stephanie's award-winning letter:

Stephenie Siew Jean Tiew University of Manchester Undergraduate Medicine

Dear Mum and Dad,

Hope all is well at home. My colleagues at my part time job threw me a farewell party.

The job at Subway provided me with a very generous allowance (I managed to fund my driving lessons and buy a car) but with final examinations 4 months away, I think it's only sensible that I make more time for revision. I look forward to both of you attending my convocation in 6 months' time.

As my time in university is drawing to an end, I am deeply grateful for the hard-earned money and morale support you have provided.

I can confidently say that my university experience has not only equipped me well to face the working world but also moulded me into a well-rounded person. I'm proud of my accomplishments.

In April 2007, I was awarded the prestigious Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Student Prize. Only 20 prizes were available and medical schools nationwide were only allowed to propose 1 nominee. I was nominated out of 464 students in my university for my helpful approach, excellent handling of patients and for displaying academic excellence. I was thrilled to be awarded the highest honor in Paediatrics.

I am very passionate about working with children, especially babies. This prompted me to undertake life saving skills from the Royal Life Saving Society. A few medical students and I then established 'Save a Baby's Life Society' and we went out into the community to teach basic life support skills to parents and carers of babies.

Weekday lunch times were spent advertising the workshop and receiving training. Weekends were well spent by supervising the workshop usually held in community centres or nurseries. I'm usually in charge of driving the (very realistic looking baby size) manikins to the workshop venue, setting up the refreshment table and welcoming the parents. We take turns to deliver the training. Parents get hands on experience with the manikins and really appreciate that these simple steps can potentially help them to avoid fatalities in their children.

I also work hard to raise funds to run this society. This involves organizing events like curry nights or a bake sale at the university. I think £162 (from our latest bake sale) is great for a few students baking a few cakes and on top of that, I learned how to make fabulous scones from my British housemate!

As a fourth year medical student, I spent a number of afternoons with sixth formers from neighbouring schools. I responded to a poster in my university calling for volunteers to be mentors to teenagers who are keen in a career in healthcare. These sessions are called 'A Taste of Medicine'.

At first, I was a little worried I wouldn't know what to say. However, my worries quickly dissipated when I met them. They are such a lively bunch. We talked about everything- my course, their schools, my university and their families. We run out of time every session! One of my mentees made it to my medical school and he said that simply having someone to talk to, someone who is there as a guide was really valuable for him. That was truly heart-warming.

As a final year medical student, I represented the university in a regional debating tournament in November 2007. I was the only international student on the team and I was named among the top three debaters. This achievement really boosted my confidence in public speaking and my English language skills. I have since been privileged to be a regular feature writer for the medical school newsletter- 'Mediscope1 which boasts a circulation of 3000 readers. I write medical book reviews, film reviews and interviews with medical personalities. The best part about doing these interviews is the opportunity to dabble in some photography. I pick up more tricks with practice!

Despite the occasional bouts of homesickness, I have no regrets about my decision to further my studies here. The UK has offered me an unforgettable experience. When I'm here, I feel that the sky is the limit and I have dared to dream. This is a place full of opportunities and endless possibilities. The supportive culture in campus, be it from the faculty staff or peers; have knitted an extraordinary student life for me-1 am a simple country girl that has blossomed into a confident and capable woman.

P.S. My penultimate year research paper has been accepted for the esteemed International Workshop on Digital Mammography 2008 in Arizona USA. I will be the only medical student presenting a paper at that workshop. Don't worry about funding as it will be completely sponsored.

Take care.

Love, Steph

Pen your thoughts and win a prize - The Star

WHAT do you think Malaysia will be like in the year 2057? What are your thoughts on youth leadership in this country?

These are some of the thought-provoking questions put forward in the Perdana Leadership Foundation’s “Nurturing the Minds of Future Leaders” essay contest 2008.

The contest, open to Malaysian students aged between 13 and 21, aims to discover young writing talent, encourage sound research skills and elicit opinions from young Malaysians on the future of this country and the role of youth leaders.

Mohd Haizal (right) won a Proton Savvy when he participated in the contest last year.

The prizes this year are just as exciting as last year’s contest, which saw grand prize winner (Tertiary level) Mohd Haizal Zainuddin driving away with a Proton Savvy.

This year, the grand prize is a Chevrolet Aveo along with RM1,000 cash, RM500 in book vouchers and a two-week work stint with a PLF-selected corporation. Other prizes include Macbooks, iPod Nanos and mobile phones.

The grand prize winner will also win a computer workstation for his or her school or institution, while the institution with the most number of qualified entries stands to win a computer workstation, too.

To download the official contest entry form, visit www.perdana.org.my.

Although essays can be written in Bahasa Malaysia or English, English is the preferred language. Students may select from the following topics:


What is your vision for Malaysia in 2057 when the country celebrates its centennial independence celebrations?
Describe what leadership means to you and the role that youth leaders play in shaping Malaysia’s future.
Describe the relationship among culture, education and leadership, and the factors that you believe are important in moulding the future leaders of Malaysia.
All essays must be between 1,500 and 2,000 words. Works are to be referenced.

The closing date is June 30.

For details, visit
www.perdana.org.my.

The Star and Utusan Malaysia are the official media partners for this essay contest.

No mountain too high - The Star

BEING born with hearing problems was not an obstacle to Tang Woan Koon’s earning a university degree.

Although it was difficult for her to follow lectures, Tang made it a point to see her lecturers personally after classes for extra lessons.

An elated Tang at the convocation ceremony.

The 26-year-old’s hard work paid off recently when she received her Bachelor of Information Technology degree from Charles Sturt University at Help University College's (HELP) 20th convocation ceremony.

She was also awarded the HELP CEO Scholarship.

“(It was) sheer determination and hard work that led to my success today,” said Tang, in a note read out by the emcee before she received her degree.

“Getting this degree would not have been possible if not for the support of my lecturers and coursemates. You have made a difference in my life. Thank you.”

Later at a press conference, Tang, the eldest of three children in her family, said her advice for her hearing-impaired friends was to adopt a positive attitude.

“You have to think positive, it does not matter that you’re deaf.

“You also have to work hard. Whether you succeed or not depends on yourself,” she said, through her interpreter, Rose Ng.

Tang said she planned to start looking for a job although she knew that would not be easy.

“Many people worry that we cannot communicate but we are like any other normal person, except that we can’t hear.

“I want to work in the information technology industry because that's going to be a very important industry in the future,” she said.

HELP's convocation ceremony was also a memorable occasion for Datuk Maznah Hamid, who turned 50 recently.

Maznah received an honorary Master of Entrepreneurship from the institution.

“This year has been very meaningful for me,” said the Securiforce Group of Companies group executive chairman, who was also named Mother of Entrepreneurs by Avon Cosmetics (M) Sdn Bhd recently.

Maznah recalled how she had started her company, at the age of 23, in 1981, with only RM5,000 as capital. She built up her security services company through sheer hard work, perseverance and commitment.

“I don't have an MBA or a PhD but I have MSC (Master of Common Sense), BSS (Bachelor of Street Smarts) and PS (People Skills).

“I come from the university of hard knocks.

“I have 20% IQ (intelligence quotient) and 80% EQ (emotional quotient), and that is the way to be successful in business,” she said.

Maznah also told the graduates that the only way to predict the future was to invent it, and advised them never to give up in the face of challenges.

“Business is a war; you must have strategies to win. It is not easy, but it is not impossible.

“With the right personality, you can gain acceptance and build your own business,” she added.

CGS: WE ARE MOVING TO OUM MAIN CAMPUS

Please be informed that the Centre for Graduate Studies will be re-located at OUM Main Campus beginning 14 May 2008. Our operations at the Angkasa Raya Building in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur will be disrupted from 12- 13 May 2008 (Monday – Tuesday).

Our new address is as follows:

CENTRE FOR GRADUATE STUDIES
OPEN UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
JALAN TUN ISMAIL
50480 KUALA LUMPUR.

General line : 03-27732002
FAX : to be informed later

Please contact Learner Service Centre (1-300-887-300) or email to aduan@oum.edu.my for any enquiries.

Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Thank you

From CGS