‘Unity of The Human Race’ session by Cartoonist Zunar.

Mr. Clarence Leong, CEO of Easy Parcel, for Hatch Up: Entrepreneurship in the New Normal.

Ms. Nurhijjah from the Mental Health Association shared on the prevalence of mental illness and preventive strategies.

By UOW Malaysia KDU

The UOW Malaysia KDU Student and Alumni Centre (SAC) organized another Virtual Youth Empowerment Week in early April 2021. Students were treated with not just to experts from industry, but also a celebrity cartoonist.

Aligning with the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013 – 2025, the Youth Empowerment Plan focuses on six primary pillars (psychological, community, organizational, economic, social, and cultural). SAC organized this series to assist students in adopting various healthy action plans through provision of a customized week-long event called the Youth Empowerment Week.

From 5th April to 9th April, Students were treated with incredible speakers from Cartoonist Mr. Zunar, Ms Mazlina Sabtu, Mr. Clarence Leong, Mr. Jared Lee, and Ms. Nurhijjah, enabling them to be workplace-competent once they graduate. Topics ranged from Career Exploration, Culturation, Fitspiration, Hatch Up, and Sustainability. The virtual series was intended for UOW Malaysia KDU students, but a welcome was extended to the wider public to also attend.

On Monday, Cartoonist Zunar, was the first keynote speaker share on Culturation – ‘Unity of the Human Race’. He started with a report by the United Nations Development Program, revealing that racial diversity is not a threat to national unity, but in reality, polarization occurs due to a separation of different cultures. He reminded students how important it is for Malaysians to accept cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity.

On Tuesday, students learned about Sustainability with the topic of ‘Youth for Sustainable Consumption & Production’. Ms. Mazlina Sabtu, Manager of WWF EcoCampus, shared how the amount of plastic in our ecosystem has proven to be a big problem for everyone. She also guided students on the solutions to combat plastic waste and improve our global food system. She inspired students by reminding them that every single individual has the power to make a difference.

On Wednesday, SAC invited the founder and CEO of Easy Parcel, Mr. Clarence Leong, to provide insight into entrepreneurship in the new normal. Mr. Leong shared his life journey from how he first started his business to today, and he reminded students of how important it is not to give up and to persevere towards achieving your dreams. He shared how despite the challenges of being an entrepreneur, he learned to keep motivating himself to keep going and grow the business.

On Thursday, Mr. Jared Lee, the founder of GRIMFilms, and active Youtuber, shared tips on creating a short film. He shared that even though a good quality film would require a lot of planning and work, it is worthwhile. He also shared where he got his inspiration from, his process of creating a short film, and how the pandemic has affected his business.

On the final day, Friday, Ms. Nurhijjah Mat Zin, a representative from the Mental Health Association, talked on the percentage of adolescents with mental illness and much more. With the title, ‘Fitspiration: Stigma surrounding mental illness’, students were reminded on how prevalent mental health is and provided with preventive tips.

“This event was very educational for me as we got a good insight into working life,” said Puteri Sarah, Bachelor of Communication (Hons) Public Relations.

“The speakers were very informative and passionate when sharing their topics which made me want to listen more,” said Hanan, Diploma in Entertainment Arts.