Curtin Malaysia students among delegates at international leadership symposium in Bangkok

Miri – 28 September 2017 – Curtin University, Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) was represented by three of its students at the 8th University Scholar Leadership Symposium (USLS) in Bangkok, Thailand recently.

Students Cheah Kah Kei, Usama Moazam and Sergey Begishev joined over 1,000 delegates from close to 80 countries at the symposium held at the United Nations Conference Centre. Cheah is a Bachelor of Commerce student doing a double major in accounting and finance while Usama and Sergey are both Bachelor of Engineering students majoring in petroleum engineering.

USLS is a week-long annual leadership development symposium and training programme organised by Humanitarian Affairs United Kingdom, a London-based social enterprise that initiates and supports humanitarian relief efforts and development programmes in countries that are poverty-stricken and disaster-prone. Held annually in a developing country in the Asia Pacific region, more than 4,300 emerging young leaders from more than 60 countries have participated in the symposium.

The symposium is aimed at providing the next generation of leaders with the opportunity to learn to become effective and distinctive leaders.

According to Cheah, the symposium broadened her perspectives of global humanitarian issues and she was both inspired and motivated by the passion shown by the speakers and delegates.

“Meeting and discussing world issues with other youth delegates convinced me that the youth of today have a big role to play in making the world a better place. Everyone was so passionate and engaged in discussions. I truly felt as though I was a not just a citizen of Malaysia but a global citizen,” she remarked.

Usama, who is from Pakistan, remarked that his eagerness to help make the world a better place was greatly enhanced as a result of his participation at the symposium.

“We were shown many examples of how love and compassion can transcend hardship and strife by the speakers at the conference. Their words completely changed my perception of the world and humanity. I came to believe that only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile,” said Usama.

Meanwhile, Sergey who hails from Turkmenistan, said the event surpassed all his expectations. He said he was simply overwhelmed by the experience, surrounded by so many bright minds from around the world, all sharing the same ideals and goals for a better world.

This is the fifth year that Curtin Malaysia has sent student delegates to the USLS. In total, 13 students have attended the symposium under the sponsorship of its Department of University Life. The Department offers scholarships for Curtin Malaysia students to attend international conferences as part of its student mobility programme, particularly if the conferences are related to leadership development, community engagement or social entrepreneurship.

Cheah (far left), Usama and Sergey (4th and 5th left) and Curtin Malaysia’s Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Beena Giridharan displaying certificates received at the USLS.