SEGi College Produces 396 Career Ready Graduates at Convocation
SEGi’s platform party all donned in gowns to award diplomas. The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Hou Kok Chung (sitting centre in red robes) lead the party.
 Valedictorians of each faculty. (L-R) Foong Ai Rin, Poon Pui Mun, Mathani A/P Kulenthiran and Kuan Khang Jong.  Lim Teik Hong overcame brain tumor to achieve his Diploma.  Moment of celebration for SEGi students. |
12th April 2008 - SEGi College held a significant convocation ceremony today. The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, YB Dr. Hou Kok Chung, was the guest of honour of the ceremony and conferred the diplomas to the 396 graduating students. The 396 graduates and the over 600 guests and staff filled the multipurpose hall of SEGi College Malaysia, a hallmark in the College’s history as it is the first SEGi graduation to be held on campus. Representing SEGi were Datuk (Dr.) Patrick Teoh – President of SEG International Bhd, Lee Kok Cheng – Chief Operating Officer of SEG International Bhd, Professor Dr. Muhamad Bin Awang – Chief Executive of SEGi College Malaysia, and Dr. Lisa Tan – Principal of SEGi College Subang Jaya. Congratulating the graduates on their achievement, the President, Datuk (Dr.) Patrick Teoh said, “This graduation marks a milestone for SEGi Group of Colleges as this is the very first graduation ceremony of our held at our new flagship campus at Kota Damansara.” YB Dr. Hou Kok Chung in turn congratulated the graduates and said, “I would like to impress on the graduates assembled here today that you are the future leaders of this nation. Your role is imperative in spearheading the nation’s development of a knowledge driven economy. Education in itself is a life-long journey and the rewards are not merely career advancements or monetary returns.” “Most importantly, education must also be ingrained as an on-going effort towards further developing the potentials of individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious based on strong ethics and universal values. It is an effort designed to produce individuals who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards and who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being, as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large,” said Dr. Hou. The 396 graduates were from the faculties of business and accountancy, engineering and technology, creative arts and design, and education and social sciences. A graduate of each faculty was awarded the highest award of valedictorian. The valedictorians are Mathani A/P Kulenthiran who graduated with a Diploma in Management, Kuan Khang Jong who graduated with a Diploma in Chemical Engineering, Poon Pui Mun who graduated with a Diploma in Advertising Design, and Foong Ai Rin who graduated with Stage II: Montessori Theory and Methodology (Merit). It was a bittersweet experience for Mathani A/P Kulenthiran, an expatriate housewife who came to the shores of Malaysia 12 years ago. Mathani gave up trying to complete the CIMA programme as she struggled to take care of her two children and to keep up with her studies. Time passing made Mathani feel that she was missing out on something in her life, which was a higher qualification.
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“Now, as a diploma holder, I am able to shoulder and responsibility with more courage and confidence. This quote by Swami Vivekananda has always been motivation for me: ‘We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one’s own feet’” “ shared Mathani.
Engineering valedictorian, Kuan Khang Jong, shared his most memorable experience as a SEGi student. Kuan has since furthered his education to the University of Nottingham, UK.
“The lecturers actually care about the progress of each and every student, and often tried their best in helping us. On top of that, my beloved lecturers gave me a wonderful chance to be exposed to a bigger society of future chemical engineers by allowing my group to join the National Chemical Engineering Symposium. In this event, we were able to meet a lot of other chemical engineers from other universities, and were able to listen to a few discussions of our industrial leaders from Shell and Exxon Mobil in their future research in studies. This has no doubt opened my eyes to the world,” reminisced Kuan.
For Poon Pui Mun, her choice to study at SEGi certainly lived up to her expectations. “I’d a great time studying at SEGi and I know it is the right decision for me. The programme and lecturers make you push the ideas much further, extending your own confidence and way of thinking.”
As for early childhood valedictorian Foong Ai Rin, it was passion for educating young children that drove and motivated her to do well in her programme. “No doubt a lot of hard work was involved, but with the support of caring and dedicated lecturers as well as a bunch of wonderful course mates, things were made possible and hurdles cleared.”
“As I continue working with children, I am more aware of their needs and their sensitivities which I try to compliment with purposeful activities. I find I am more resourceful than I used to be!” shared Foong, who works with young children.
Another highlight of the convocation ceremony was the awarding of the Diploma in E-Management to Lim Teik Hong, a 24 year old student who was diagnosed with brain tumor some years ago. The crowd cheered with joy as Lim triumphantly raised his diploma high up when he received his scroll from YB Dr. Hou.
Lim, who wanted to do an information technology course combined with business signed up with SEGi two years ago to take on the diploma programme. “It is a matter of determination. Once you set your mind on something, you can achieve it.”
Now with renewed confidence, Lim is poised to take up the SEGi 3+0 degree programme in collaboration with the University of Sunderland for the BSc (Hons) Applied Business Accounting.
The graduates of the SEGi diploma programmes are able to further their education by articulating into degree programmes offered in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, the University of Abertay Dundee, the University of Sunderland, the University of Greenwich, the University of Southern Queensland, Upper Iowa University and Universitas Airlangga.
Other than programmes in the areas of business and accountancy, engineering and technology, creative arts and design, and education and social sciences, SEGi also offers programmes in the areas of nursing, hotel and tourism management, and build environment.
SEGi Group of College has been established for the past 30 years, and is today one of the largest private higher education providers in the country. With 16,000 students, the Group has 5 campuses located in Kota Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, Subang USJ, Penang and Kuching, Sarawak.
For further enquiries of the courses offered at SEGi Group of Colleges, call SEGi College, Malaysia (toll free 1800-88-SEGI / 7344 or 03-6145 1777) or campuses located at Subang Jaya (03-86001888), Kuala Lumpur (03-20702078), Penang (04-2633888), and Sarawak (082-252566), email to askme@segi.edu.my. Log on to www.segi.edu.my for further information.