Curtin Sarawak AIESEC members take part in annual leadership seminar

Miri – 20 February 2013 – Members of the AIESEC Curtin Sarawak Chapter recently attended the annual Malaysia Leadership Development Seminar 2013 (MyLDS) held at Universiti Malaya from 25 to 30 January 2013.

AIESEC is the world’s largest student-run organisation focused on providing a platform for youth leadership development to create a positive impact on society. The Curtin Sarawak chapter was established in February 2012 and coincidentally, Curtin Sarawak is the first tertiary institution in East Malaysia to have an AIESEC chapter.

MyLDS gathers youth nationally and abroad to create a vigorous learning environment for leadership development. Themed ‘Impact Now!’, this year’s event saw the participation of 540 delegates from Malaysia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Indonesia, the Philippines and China.

The seminar aims to inspire AIESEC members to develop their leadership and teamwork skills, acquire a deeper understanding of their roles as AIESEC members, expose them to current world issues, as well as help map their career paths.

It also incorporated a one-day networking event, Malaysia Youth to Business (Y2B), at Taylor’s University on 29 January 2013. The Y2B is a unique event designed to connect top youth leaders of the country with global corporate leaders to explore topics such as leadership, innovation and corporate responsibility. Some of the corporate partners for Y2B include Accenture, Danone, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Ernst & Young and MSC Malaysia.

Third-year mechanical engineering student Angelina Tan Wen Ching was given the honour of being one of the 31 facilitators for MyLDS 2013 who were chosen from 110 countries with AIESEC chapters.

“To become a facilitator, one has to submit an application and go through an interview process before being selected by the Member Committee of AIESEC Malaysia. Being a facilitator for the largest national conference, I was responsible for the learning and personal growth of the youth involved,” Tan related.

Tan was one of the team leaders who presented an Initiative Group Report to the AIESEC Malaysia National Plenary last year, which paved the way for the establishment of the AIESEC Curtin Sarawak Chapter. In addition, she has attended several local, national and international AIESEC conferences in Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore.

“I’ve been a member of AIESEC for more than a year now and the journey has been an exhilarating one. I’ve gained a new perspective on life, experienced cultural diversity, acquired organisational skills and learned the true definition of leadership, which is to empower others to believe in their own ability,” remarked Tan.

Fellow delegates from Curtin Sarawak, final-year chemical engineering student Aravind Naidu and second-year electrical engineering student Chew Whei Yi, were also pleased with their participation in the seminar.

“MyLDS 2013 helped me to discover my leadership qualities and improve on my public speaking skills. It also taught me to create a larger impact on society as a global citizen,” said Aravind.

Chew, who was appointed the Chief Delegate, described the seminar as an amazing experience. She said she came away with the notion that it is easier to inspire and motivate others than to train them to become leaders.

AIESEC has some 60 years’ experience in providing avenues for youth leadership development. With over 60,000 members from more than 110 countries, it allows young people to participate in leadership and internship opportunities in a global learning environment and is entirely run by youth for youth.

Tan (front row, 2nd left) with fellow delegates from Curtin Sarawak.

Tan posing with other facilitators at the seminar.