11/14/2016 Beyond textbooks | New Straits Times | Malaysia General Business Sports and Lifestyle News

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Beyond textbooks
BY CHAN CHEE-MING (/AUTHORS/CHAN-CHEE-MING) - 13 NOVEMBER 2016 @ 11:05 PM
CAMPUS WATCH
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(http://www.nst.com.my/LET)
More than the study of rocks
THE world we live in today is perhaps best described as “disruptive”. On
one hand, “disruptive” innovation buoying the unstoppable technological
(/news/2016/06/155127/more-
development, market expansion and global societal connectivity has study-rocks)
enhanced our quality of life in myriad ways.
A LIVELY crowd crammed
every corner of the University (/traveltimes)
On the other hand, the “disruptive” undercurrent sweeping across the
world today is threatening to interrupt our normal ways of life, regardless of Malaya (UM)’s Department
of Geology during the recent
of the geographical factor: natural disasters, humanitarian crisis, epidemic
Geoscience Industrial Week
outbreaks, military standoffs, hunger and disease in war-torn regions, and
2016 (GIW ‘16) held there.
the list goes on.
The disruptions are but the two sides of the same coin, and we do not (/learningcurve)
have the luxury of picking the pros and leaving out the cons. UiTM finance students take on
As such, it begs the question of how a university student can better Perth
prepare for the world. This can be addressed relative to the top three
(/news/2016/06/155032/uitm-
global human capital trends, namely culture and engagement, leadership
as well as learning and development. finance-students-take-perth)
Not only are graduates with inadequate or narrow world views A GROUP of final year students (http://goo.gl/Kh37wJ)
together with a lecturer from
considered ill-prepared for global challenges, the very lack of empathy for
the Bachelor of Business
the plight of fellow human beings, regardless of whether the less
Administration (Finance)
fortunate are from Terengganu or Timbuktu, is also a stark contrast to the programme at Universiti FOLLOW US
caring society envisaged. Graduates must learn to embrace the diversity Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
of the human race, and to cultivate compassion for those in need of help, Malacca recently took a trip to
in a colour-blind and open-minded manner. Perth, Australia as part of a course on Issue and Ethics in
Finance.
Living in same-gender, same-race and same ideological cocoons for
academic group work at the university is not going to be helpful in this
direction, where instead of widening our horizon and appreciation for
Five Malaysian universities
people different from us, we allow ourselves to be deceived into the
treacherous world of “we against them” just because they look, speak and among world’s top 800
behave differently from us. (/news/2015/10/five-malaysian-
Leadership is not about commanding others, it is about inspiring others universities-among-
towards shared views and aspirations, and to steer others into alignment
world%E2%80%99s-top-800)
with what we want to achieve. While most graduates today choose the SUBSCRIBE NOW
KUALA LUMPUR: FIVE (HTTP://DIGITAL.NSTP.COM.MY/NST/
less risky career path of employment with companies, a handful of TESTATA=NSTNEWS&ID=NSTNEWS)
courageous ones do venture into businesses with their entrepreneurial Malaysian higher education
  institutions have been named
skills and instincts.
among world’s top 800
The entrepreneurial mindset instilled at university is not merely for universities in the newly-
business startups, it also equips graduates with the essential soft skills for released Times Higher
NSTP FAMILY SITES
challenges in life. These include self-actualisation traits such as Education World University
con dence, tenacity, independence and self-reliance, as well as good old Rankings 2015-2016. New Straits Times Press
(http://www.nstp.com.my)
civic-mindedness of social awareness and responsibility, and the
readiness to extend one’s technical know-how to the society for the MORE >> Harian Metro
(http://www.hmetro.com.my)
greater good.

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 11/14/2016 Beyond textbooks | New Straits Times | Malaysia General Business Sports and Lifestyle News

Being a leader among the people need not be a fanfare, even small Social Activity
Berita Harian
  (http://www.bharian.com.my)
communal efforts led by a socially-aware engineering graduate, for
instance, to solve recurring drain-clogging issues attributed to erosion 1Klassi eds
(http://www.1k.com.my/)
problem in the neighbourhood is a noble act.
Friends of Travel Times
Learning and self-development applies to everyone in a learned society, (https://www.facebook.com/Travel
not only scholars. The old Chinese proverb “live to a ripe old age, learn to Times-159846948191/)
a ripe old age” could not have said it better. In the face of global challenges NST Live Archives
today of such dynamic nature with regular information-overload all the (http://nst-
time, our graduates will be hard put to task if they do not adopt an open live.blogspot.com/)
mind to learn, unlearn and relearn on a constant basis. The fundamental New Straits Times  NST Reviews
specialised knowledge learnt at the university is important, but to keep (https://twitter.com/…
@NST_Online (https://twitter.com/NST_Online) (http://reviews.nst.com.my/)
updated on the technical advancement and new ndings is equally, if not News Image Bank
China ready to improve US relations
more crucial, to ensure one stays relevant in the job market. In addition, 47 m    (http://www.nib.com.my)
continuous learning of new elds of study, though super cial to widen Sudoku
one’s general knowledge will keep one on top of the latest trending in the (http://www.nst.com.my/sudoku)
world, and sensitive to the overspill effects these events may have on the    Cars Bikes Trucks (/cbt)
local community. This will help in the planning and execution of effective
measures to resolve the problems and issues, whether in the graduate’s RELATED STORIES

occupational capacity or as a citizen in general.

For a sustainable future
In short, only with understanding of current knowledge and trends, (/news/2016/11/188411/sustainable-future?
adoption and harnessing of latest technology, broadening of perception utm_source=nst&utm_medium=nst&utm_campaign=nstrelated)
and horizons in the growing borderless and “disruptive” world can our
graduates play the pivotal roles expected of them in nation-building today
and tomorrow. After all, higher education is about nurturing humans rst, Advancing knowledge for the common good
and professionals second, i.e. high-touch, and high-tech. (/news/2016/11/188408/advancing-knowledge-
common-good?
The writer is Deputy Dean (Academic and Research), Centre for Graduate utm_source=nst&utm_medium=nst&utm_campaign=nstrelated)
Studies, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn

6 reads Youngest Malaysian delegate

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delegate?
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Getting the balance right

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Recycling as easy as 1-2-3

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The right graduate-employer t

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t?
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SIR champs go for gold in Asia Cup

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Local researchers honoured at Malaysia's Rising Star

Award (/news/2016/11/186535/local-researchers-
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Leading women in science

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