Training, Exchange and Development (TED)

By: Stephanie Quilates Dandal

The Training, Exchange and Development department of ALSA

International, or more fondly dubbed, as TED is a relatively new
division within the International Board. The creation was spearheaded
by my predecessor Edward Jeremy Bangun with the hopes of
expanding the benefits for the members of the organization and to
extend influence in various sectors.
In its second year, our team came up with a vision for ALSA members
and the potential the department has. Our team firmly believes that a
student is the product of two sides of the coin: theoretical knowledge
and practical application in a work environment. While Academic
Affairs crafts the necessary academic programs that befits our
members, the TED department seeks to develop the students skills
through various training, internship and exchange opportunities with
partner firms, NGOs, MNCs and international organisations.
TEDs main objective is to aid the members to become prepared for the
real world. While we spend most of our time in school, we can never be
ready with merely academic knowledge in our arsenal. We want our
members to be ready for anything their future employers may ask of
them. Competency is a trainable skill and we aim to perfect it through
our training programs.
Aside from being a competent student, the demands of the real world
are vastly different from the academic world. Currently, we are
studying how we can develop our members interpersonal and social
skills through cultural exchange during the course of their internships
abroad. In this time of globalization, it is important to be sensitive of
different cultures and customs. Sometimes, this can be the leverage
one needs to grasp success in their hands.
Lastly, TED aims to make programs that are both manageable and
enjoyable. We do not believe in tiring our members until they become
mundane beings of the corporate world. What we visualize is
something that our students will enjoy wholeheartedly while becoming
good at the craft they have chosen.
Before we end 2014, we are proud to announce that we have signed a
partnership with Thomas Philip Advocates and Solicitors. It is a firm
that specializes in commercial litigation and dispute resolution in
Malaysia. Our agreement with the firm allows our members to apply to
their firm if they wish to spend time in Malaysia while honing their skills

in both commercial litigation and dispute resolution. Although we

signed this partnership, it would not have been possible without the
efforts of the TED officers and the National Board of Malaysia. Esther
Liew and Mohammad Azfarsyah provided the bridge that allowed us to
traverse the gap for this to be possible. We at the TED department
value the opinion and ideas of each officer to make our projects a
reality.
Perhaps, another significant change when my directors and I moved
forward with TED is the involvement of each TED officer in our
decision-making and policy-making schemes. We designed it this way
since we believe that ideas should be free flowing in order to bring
forth the best plan of action for differing models. Involving our officers
more gives them more responsibility and also the opportunity to
discuss with other officers on a more constant basis. By opening the
communications lines between the International Board officers and the
TED officers, their input gives us perspective on what we should
improve on and what we should continue doing. Working with a team
of different personalities is both humbling and fulfilling.
In the next few months, our team has more to deliver for both ALSA
members and our TED officers. Thank you for your support and we will
continue making partnerships that will be the start of a long-lasting
and
beautiful
relationship.
ALSA Always Be One.