Sunway Education Group celebrates 25 years of trailblazing education with SEE2012

The Sunway Education Expo 2012 (SEE2012), a signature event held to mark 25 years of trailblazing education, was a festival of ideas and creativity that lit up the hearts and minds of those who were present during the two-day event held at Sunway University recently. Themed “Inspiring Hearts and Minds”, SEE2012 was a platform where creative and innovative ideas as well as achievements in the areas of business, science, technology, languages, fashion, and the creative arts were brought forward.

SEE2012 saw an illustrious line-up of speakers who have in many ways impacted the world. The four sub-themes adopted by SEE2012 are (i) Icons, Geniuses, Mavericks, (ii) Eco-Imagination (iii) Social Innovation and (iv) Arts and Creativity.

Mano Maniam speaking about The Learning Business-Future Imperfect during SEE2012

Icons, Geniuses, Mavericks opened the eyes of students and the general public to a world of knowledge that is intriguing, exciting and most importantly inspiring. Educationist and arts practitioner, Mano Maniam opened our mind to the concept of learning and education and how those who acquire education should be deemed capable. As the demand for education increases and the number of graduates churned out multiplies, the quality remains questionable as many remain unemployed and unemployable. The question we should then ask ourselves is, “Are these the qualities of the people we want inheriting the earth and will be facing a world that is imperfect?”

Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir educating the audience on equality in the Muslim family.

Andre Cointreau enlightened us on the aspect of leadership in the hospitality education with reference to Le Cordon Bleu. Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, woman’s rights activist educated the public on Musawah, a global movement dedicated to fighting for justice and equality in the Muslim family while Anas Zubedy, known for his impactful advertisements on unity shared how he projected the promises he made to his younger self. Dr Stephen Hall, a lecturer who believes that imparting knowledge onto others should be a performance by itself, compared the classroom to a circus and Dr Paul Jambunathan, a clinical psychologist and senior lecturer shared how mental hygiene is important and why it is absolutely necessary for us to talk about our feelings.

Muhammad Zhariff Afandi inspiring the audience on how nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it.

The theme Eco-Imagination saw Professor Ronald Atlas speaking on how bacteria and microbes (tiny organisms) are the only solution towards cleaning up on-going oil spill and Dr Suzy Green emphasising the importance of positive psychology for worldwide well-being in pursuit of happiness.

SEE2012 also saw speakers who have been in the industry innovating new and improved ideas to meet social needs. The audience heard from Elim Chew, founder and president of 77th Street (S) Pte Ltd who has dedicated her time in creating a platform for young people to start a business through innovative ideas, making them more self-reliant. Joshua Lee, Programme Director of stART Society explained how he withdrew from the corporate world to initiate stART Society, an academy dedicated to serving underprivileged children through art such as music, design, writing, drama and dance leading to a more positive well-being. Muhammad Zhariff Afandi, from RockCorps Malaysia explained how volunteerism can be revolutionised by giving youths a platform to give back to the community in return for something like concert tickets. Kenny Low, Founder of City College and O School developed an avenue for youths who are passionate about dance to shine while Angela Yap, author of “Managing Yaa-hoos!” reflected how she spent her life moving between different fields, developing new ideas and understanding the existing system in order to do good, such as making NGOs sustainable so that they can make social changes that continue to impact the world. Elisha Satvinder Singh, Chairman of Dignity for Children Foundation shared his vision of giving children in need a holistic education to break the cycle of poverty.

Warga Wilayah, the brainchild of Azmyl Yunor and Mark Teh coming to life on stage.

What is the world if it does not see the values and soul of humanity through Arts and Creativity. Michael Chuah spoke about how he followed his passion into the showbiz and the entertainment industry, while a young Sunandhini Sambath is proof that age is no barrier to follow one’s dreams, in her case, it is the zeal for fashion. Azmyl Yunor and Mark Teh captivated the audience with the very essence of being Malaysian through their performance production titled Warga Wilayah. Professor Mohd. Anis Nor expressed what performance is, why performance studies are crucial and how it is used as a creative tool. Literary extraordinaire, Umapagan Ampikaipakan shared how he got hooked on reading at a younger age and his trials and tribulations of conquering Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and Ray Cheong, a Malaysian home-cooked melody maker ended with a brilliant musical performance.

The two-day event was an effort by Sunway University to provide visionary leadership in education. Associate Professor Dr Foo Yin Fah, Co-Chair, Organising Committee of SEE2012 and Dean (Acting) Sunway University Business School said, “We want to change the world as educators. We do not just teach; we awaken the mind to its fullest potential. We do not just fill the vessel; we ignite the light of our spirit to shine so bright. We do not just cut down the jungles of ignorance; we irrigate the desert of our hearts so that empathy and benevolence may grow in abundance and we hope that we have achieved this through SEE 2012.”