Chancellor of Sunway University, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah Awarded Rotary Top Honours

Our Chancellor, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah has been awarded the 2012 Honorary Gold Medal by the Royal Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur, in recognition of his leadership and development of education and research in Malaysia.

Tan Sri Jeffrey received the award from the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at a prestigious dinner held at Hotel Istana. The Honorary Gold Medal is one of most prestigious awards given by the Rotary Club. The last time the award was given was nine years ago in 2003.

The Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur (as it was known then), is the oldest in South-East Asia, and existed in spirit as early as 1918 when leaders of government, commerce and professions residing in Kuala Lumpur mooted the idea of forming an association to promote community service and inter-community harmony. In recognition of the 70 years of service the Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur had given to the community, the then Sultan of Selangor conferred the royal status on the club effective 8 October 1997.

This is a great honour to the club as no other Rotary club in the world has been given the "Royal" status. On 21 October 1997, Rotary International approved the name change to its present day name.

President of Icograda inspires Sunway DAD students

Sunway’s Department of Art and Design (DAD) students recently met Leimei Julia Chiu, President of Icograda, world body for professional communication design and visual communication, enriching them with creative ideas and sharing her knowledge during a business and design talk in Sunway University. Ms Chiu who is also the Executive Director of the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP) and Professor in the Department of Visual Communication Design at Musashino Art University, Japan was intrigued by the passion of Sunway’s budding talents. The Business and Design talk was organised by wREGA, Graphic Design Association of Malaysia. Through wREGA, the students were fortunate enough to meet Julia as well as other graphic designers in the industry.

Leimei Julia Chiu, President of Icograda presenting a speech to the Sunway DAD students.

Green & Sustainable Design

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Education and Democracy: Students' Voice, Power and Responsibility

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JEFFREY CHEAH FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THE REDUCTION OF EDUCATION INEQUITY IN MALAYSIA

Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (“JCF”) and Teach For Malaysia (“TFM”) recently signed a corporate partnership agreement at the newly completed Graduate Centre at Sunway University.

Tan Sri Dato' Dr Ramon Navaratnam, Trustee of JCF and Dato' Noor Rezan Bapoo, Trustee of TFM, signed the agreement, witnessed by Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, AO, Founding Trustee of the JCF and Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group; and Dzameer Zulkifli, Co- Founder of TFM. Also present at the signing ceremony were Tan Sri Rainer Althoff, Trustee of JCF; Sarena Cheah, Executive Director of Strategy and Corporate Development Sunway Group; members of Sunway Group and Sunway Education Group’s senior management team, and 9 Jeffrey Cheah Foundation scholars of Sunway University and Monash University, Sunway campus.

Jeffrey Cheah Foundation contributes RM150,000 to Teach For Malaysia

As a corporate sponsor, JCF contributed RM150,000 to TFM, an amount that will go towards assisting the organisation in achieving its mission to reduce education inequity between rural and urban schools. This Bronze sponsorship entails financial support and non-financial support to TFM.

TFM’s vision is aligned with the fundamental principles of the JCF to give quality education, giving to society, and a vision in perpetuity. The TFM Foundation is working to encourage pedagogy in young Malaysians, which forms the essence of the education sphere.

On JCF’s partnership with TFM, Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah said, “Giving back to society through providing quality education to deserving Malaysian students is my personal vision and I am happy to learn that Teach For Malaysia’s vision mirrors that. I hope that JCF’s support will go a long way towards supporting Teach For Malaysia’s mission to end education inequality.”

Tan Sri Navaratnam, in his speech during the ceremony, said TFM's efforts to build a movement set to address education inequity in Malaysia was commendable and added that the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation is pleased to have the opportunity to lend support to the TFM Foundation including sharing the passion of teaching with Fellows in high need schools. It will be an honour for the JCF Trustees to be able to participate in the Teach For Malaysia Week.

Supported by the Ministry of Education, Teach for Malaysia Week will see reputable and well-known personalities invited to teach alongside Teach for Malaysia Fellows. The programme aims to inspire youths in high school to see life beyond their current circumstances, so that they in turn can inspire the public to recognise that education is everyone's responsibility.

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, who will be conducting a class in SMK Puchong, Petaling Perdana during Teach For Malaysia Week, said, “Teach For Malaysia Week” is a great opportunity to create greater awareness in Malaysia on the importance of education and equip the future generation with valuable skill sets. I am humbled and honoured to be able to share my experiences with a very different audience that I am used to and hope that I am able to inspire them in one way or another.”

The 1st Not Quite Right Video Competition: Results out!

A total of 55 short films were submitted from all over the country for the 1st Not Quite Right Competition, organised by Sunway University’s Department of Performance and Media for young filmmakers aged between 16-20 years. Many of the entries tackled the theme of ‘not quite right’ with great imagination, humour and gusto.

Ezra Zaid (Not Quite Right judge) with first prize winner, Tan Zen Kin (Hero Pills)

The competition was aimed at secondary school students. Sunway University intends to organise another competition like this next year and it hopes even more will participate.

Sunway University invited 3 talented people from the media and creative industries to be the NQR judges. They were Liyana Jasmay, award-winning film and television actress and Sunway University alumna; Amir Muhammad, publisher, writer, and award-winning filmmaker and Ezra Zaid, BFM radio host, publisher, and That Effing Show/Pop TeeVee host.

The results were announced on 25 March 2012, at the Roof Top Theatre, Department of Performance & Media, Sunway University.

Not Quite Right 2012 first prize winners, Hero Pills

The Top 10 Finalists of the 1st NQR Competition:
• Assassin 3.0 by Ee Kai Sheng
• Chronicles (NOT) by Fong Meng Khai
• Friend Zone Rejuvenate by Yeoh Jackson
• Hero Pills by Tan Zen Kin
• It Can Be Done by Seet Mian Mian
• Nerdception by Parminderjit Singh
• Once Upon A Dream by Adam Rizal
• The Prescription by Liew Khar Khiaw
• The Scam by Bryan Ong Cheng Mun
• This Is Not Write by Lee Ching Ching

The 1st NQR Competition Prize Winners:
• 1st Prize, RM2,500: Hero Pills by Tan Zen Kin
• 2nd Prize, RM1,750: The Prescription by Liew Khar Khiaw
• 3rd Pize, RM1,000: Chronicles (NOT) by Fong Meng Khai
• Jury Special Award, RM500: The Scam by Bryan Ong Cheng Mun

The Top 10 NQR Finalists and prize-winning entries can be viewed at www.sunway.edu.my/dpm

Glow-in- the-dark ensemble

The Sunway University Ensemble comprising 27 students and alumni shunned lights to embrace Earth Hour on March 31 between 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm as they performed during a recital which raised funds for the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, a non-profit organisation that gives to society through scholarships for the deserving.