Education

  Star Education Fair

Sunday August 2, 2009

Thumbs-up for UMS team

THE team from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) came out tops in a competition that gauges business leadership skills and social responsibility.

The team was the champion in the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Malaysia national competition and will now represent Malaysia in the SIFE World Cup in Berlin, Germany in October.

SIFE is an international non-profit organisation, that works with leaders in business and higher education in over 41 countries. Its aim is to mobilise university students to make a difference in their communities, while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders.

Students form teams on their university campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people from underprivileged backgrounds.

Saifuddin with SIFE International executive vicepresident Bruce Nasby (centre) pose with the winning team.

The teams then participate in a series of regional and national competitions which provide a forum for them to present the results of their projects, and to be evaluated by business leaders who serve as judges.

National champions then advance to the SIFE World Cup.

The UMS team which was represented by Azalia Abdul Rahman, Sharanjeet Kaur, Lawson Lau and Dalveender Singh, organised seven community outreach projects.

These included helping the handicraft makers in Kampung Rampayan Laut in Kota Belud; creating a joint venture with two UMS students in a locally produced organic yogurt business, (which is now available in 19 retail outlets in Sabah and Sarawak); and working with the PACOS Trust in Kampung Kipouvo, Penampang to help improve the quality of life of an indigenous community through a home-stay project, which created 15 jobs for the villagers as jungle guides, cooks, and housekeepers.

The first runner up was the team from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), while teams from Universiti Tenaga Nasional and Universiti Malaya advanced in the final round of the competition.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah in his closing speech at the competition, said SIFE ccould be used as a teaching and learning methodology in universities.

“SIFE is essential in helping to eradicate hard-core poverty as the programme promotes social entrepreneurship,” he said.

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