Dialogue in the Dark – An Unusual Experiential Learning for VUMBA Students

30 VUMBA students have participated in the “Dialogue in the Dark (DiD)” workshop on the 5 th of March on Sunway campus as value added learning to the subject Business Ethics and Sustainability, which is one of the core subjects in completing VUMBA programme. Dialogue in the Dark (DiD) is a social enterprise which was established in Germany 25 years ago, providing non-visual business workshops with the objectives to shift perspective from disability to ability, and to enhance human interaction and empathy towards others. The workshop was conducted in complete darkness hence students are urged to adapt to blindness and learn to use hidden senses more effectively. Based on the feedback from students, it was very successful and inspiring as there was a lot of experiential learning in the areas of communication, teamwork and empathy. Students were very much impressed with their unusual experience in communicating and solving common tasks together in the dark. In coping with darkness, students learned to build trust and offer a helping hand to each other.

This unusual experience brings about impactful insights for VUMBA students in their everyday routines, be it at work, at social events or at home.

See the Light & Support Dialogue in the Dark

Sunway University became the first Malaysian educational institution to Support Dialogue in the Dark (DiD), a social enterprise which was established in Germany 25 years ago. DiD provides experience of a non-visual world through exhibitions & business workshops and was recently brought to Malaysia with a hope of empowering the visually impaired community, whilst also enlightening the public to appreciate light.

Stevens Chan Kum Fai, who lost his vision from Glaucoma in 2007, is the Founder & CEO of DiD Malaysia. He said, “Dialogue in the Dark is an experience that one should not miss out on! As you learn to see the world through the eyes of the Blind, you will certainly experience a transformative change of perspective compared to the condition that you see the world you’re in now!”

From left: Ng Chin Huat, Chairman, DiD; Stevens Chan Kum Fai, Founder & CEO of DiD; Associate Professor Dr Foo Yin Fah, Director of Sunway Institute for Social Entrepreneurship & Head (Academic), Department of Accounting, Banking and Finance; Dr Lee Weng Keng, Chief Executive Officer, Education and Healthcare Division, Sunway Group; Dr Elizabeth Lee, Senior Executive Director, Sunway Education Group and Sunway University;