May 4, 2015
Ten year anniversary a highlight of overseas graduation ceremonies
Strong industry representation was a standout at recent graduation ceremonies in Singapore and Malaysia.
More than 680 students graduated at the ceremonies in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Penang held respectively from 16-19 April.
The Singapore ceremony saw more than 370 students graduate from UOW’s IT and Psychology programs in collaboration with its transnational education partner, the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM).
Of note, UOW this year celebrated its 10-year anniversary working with SIM which is one of Singapore’s premier education providers in delivering industry relevant academic programs.
Over this period, the collaboration has resulted in more than 2,500 students graduate from the UOW IT programs in Singapore, creating substantial impact not only for the careers of the graduates but in particular for the ICT sector within Singapore and the region.
Highlighting industry recognition of UOW’s graduates, the Occasional Address was delivered by Mr Chia Wee Boon, Chief Executive Officer, National Computer Systems (NCS), which is the largest IT service provider in Singapore boasting 7,000 staff and a presence in 18 cities over 10 countries in Australia, Asia and the Middle East.
High achievement awards were also presented to UOW graduates by representatives of the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT), Government of Singapore, as well as from the Info-communications Development Authority (IDA) which actively supports the growth of innovative technology companies and startups in Singapore. The ceremony had further significance as it saw the first cohort of 128 psychology students graduate.
In Malaysia, industry representation was also a very strong feature of the Kuala Lumpur and Penang ceremonies that were held in collaboration with UOW’s longest-standing transnational education partner, the INTI International Group of Colleges (Laureate International Universities). Three hundred and sixteen students from UOW’s business, IT and communications programs graduated at these two ceremonies.
Enhancing UOW graduates’ profiles and job prospects at the two ceremonies was the participation of some of Malaysia’s largest industry players presenting excellence awards to high-achieving graduates. Industries included GE, Microsoft, PwC, Astro, Flextronics Technology, ACCA Malaysia and CPA Malaysia.
A highlight of the Kuala Lumpur ceremony was the Occasional Address by Ms Ching Yee Fu, CEO of Tricor Senedi a multinational software development and solutions company. Ms Fu delivered an inspiring address to the graduates and audience based on her extensive experience as a self-starter, socially responsible entrepreneur and innovator.
UOW’s Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Global Strategy), Professor Joe Chicharo, led the senior delegation from UOW at all three ceremonies.
Professor Chicharo stressed in his closing address the high esteem that employers from around the world held for UOW graduates and that the current graduating cohort formed an important part of the University’s ever-growing global alumni community.