Sunday, April 25, 2010

AFS Yayasan Antarabudaya Malaysia

Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing on this.


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http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/25/education/6112156&sec=education

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AFS Yayasan Antarabudaya Malaysia is inviting students between the ages of 15 and 18 to participate in intercultural exchange programmes to countries such as the United States (US), Costa Rica, Germany, China, Switzerland and more.


Programmes offered include the Year, Intensive, Semester, JENESYS and YES programmes. Participants would be able to gain intercultural and communication skills, attain growth in independence and character, and even pick up new languages.


The closing date to apply is Apr 30.


For more information, visit www.afs.org.my, e-mail info-mas@afs.org , or call 03-7722 4866 / 7725 4966.

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Internship at Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS)

Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) are looking for interns.

Do check it out at here .

"DEAS offers internship opportunities for those who would like to work in a think tank environment. Interns will be given specific tasks, which usually includes owning a project. IDEAS will reimburse reasonable expenses incurred during the course of the internship. Those interested to become an intern at IDEAS must be able to spend a minimum of two days a week with us.

We accept applications throughout the year. Please provide the following information in your cover letter:

When you can start and for how long
What you are interested to do
To apply, send a covering letter to Munirah Hayati Muhtar at munirah@ideas.org.my along with:

your CV
cover letter
up to 200 words on “My vision for Malaysia”

Applications can be in English or Malay."

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Chen Chow's Other Posts

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Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to share.Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)

For more educational/youth initiatives, check out Educating Malaysian Youth Facebook Page .

6th AYA Awards Open for Nomination

Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing on this.

AYA Awards is open for the nomination of the 6th AYA Awards to be held later this year.

If you feel that anyone around you have impacted your life or you know of him/her have impacted the lives of others, do nominate them for AYA Awards.

The same goes for companies that have made huge impacts on youths.

Do nominate at here

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Chen Chow's Other Posts

Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog

Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to share.Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)

For more educational/youth initiatives, check out Educating Malaysian Youth Facebook Page .

Make full use of University's Life

It's close to end of April. Last year, about 1 week before this date, I wrote an article to share on ways to make full use of life in universities. Still think that the article is quite relevant today.

So, do read the article here .

Make full use of your university's time.

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Chen Chow's Other Posts

Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog

Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to shareFeel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)

Check out Educating Malaysian Youth Facebook Page .

Saturday, April 24, 2010

UNDP Internship 2010

Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing on this UNDP Internship.


http://www.undp.org.my/about-us/join-us/about-undp-internship

Overview

UNDP Malaysia's Graduate Students' Internship Programme (GSIP) provides a wide range of opportunities for graduate students to gain insight into the work of UNDP and the development programmes undertaken in Malaysia.  The successful candidate will be required to work from the UNDP's Office in Kuala Lumpur.

Objectives of the internship

  1. Enhance the educational experience of graduate students through practical and guided hands-on exposure and involvement in UNDP's development projects in Malaysia;
  2. Provide graduate students with an exposure to the working environment of a multilateral organization and a better understanding of UNDP Malaysia's goals and activities.

Thematic Scope of Internship

UNDP Malaysia's work is framed within the following thematic priority areas:

  • National responses to both the short-term and longer term structural implications of the global economic and financial crisis;
  • Addressing poverty, inequality and exclusion;
  • Towards an improved quality of life through sustainable environmental management and energy security;
  • Promoting good governance with a focus on anti-corruption, human rights and the results orientation of the public sector;
  • Promoting South-South cooperation initiatives for development

The areas of work that are available for internship are available here. TOR for Interns-Malaysia

Period of Internship

UNDP only accepts interns for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 6 months. The period of Internship for 2010 is from June –December 2010. 

Eligibility

  1. Must be enrolled in a degree programme in a graduate school (masters level or higher).
  2. Have completed at least four years of full time studies at a university or equivalent.
  3. Have not graduated prior to the beginning of the internship.

Application Process

The Interns Application Form-Malaysia and Curriculum Vitae (CV) must be completed and uploaded with online application before 30 April 2010.  Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Application Documents

  1. Application Form-Malaysia for UNDP Graduate Internship Programme
  2. Curriculum Vitae


Complete the Internship application form and email with curriculum vitae to registry.my@undp.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Closing date: 30 April 2010 (Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.)

Download: Interns Application Form-Malaysia

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For more youth/educational initiatives, do go to http://facebook.com/educatingmalaysianyouth .

Projek Kalsom 16

Check out Projek Kalsom 16, one of the great opportunities to inspire students/youths in rural area. This is a good chance to make actual actions to create awareness among students in rural area.

Join the project at http://projek-kalsom.com/?page_id=13


Check out the details at http://projek-kalsom.com

Do spread the words to your friends too!

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Lots of educational initiatives and youth initiatives are shared at http://www.facebook.com/educatingmalaysianyouth . Do join the Facebook page, and share with your friends too! Lets make our little contribution to the youths/students in Malaysia. If you know of any such initiative, do let me know!

The Rise of Asia's Universities

Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing on this.


An Article in New York Times on the rise of Asia's Universities and one of the paragraphs highlighted below brought up the point of Students should learn how to learn.

The Rise of Asia's Universities
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/opinion/21iht-edlevin.html

The traditional Asian approaches to curriculum and pedagogy may work well for training line engineers and midlevel government officials, but they are less suited to fostering leadership and innovation. Students who aspire to be leaders in business, medicine, law, government or academia need "the discipline" of mindthe ability to adapt to constantly changing circumstances, confront new facts, and find creative ways to solve problems. Cultivating such habits requires students to be more than passive recipients of information; they must learn to think for themselves.

 


Friday, April 23, 2010

22nd Young Corporate Malaysians CEO Series of Talk - Jason Lo

Live blogging from Nikko Hotel for the 22nd Young Corporate Malaysians CEO Series of Talk. Tonight we have Jason Lo, CEO of Tune Talk.


Jason was born in Kuching in 1975. He was a sheltered kids in Kuching, just like other Kuching kids. When Kuching had its first flyover, everyone jammed up to take a look at it.

Jason has always been on stage since young, and he really found the world when he studied together with Khairy in Singapore.

When he went to University of Hull to study, he made 3-hour trip every weekend to London. He always tried to get musical deals there, but it was tough. He was very used to get rejection.

Then, he tried to stay longer in UK, and he told his father that he is doing MBA there, as Malaysian Chinese people would want their kids to do courses like business.

Eventually he came back to Malaysia, he started to produce his album. He joined EMI at the start. Back then, it was tough to get songs to go on radio. He has always been begging around. Hitz gave him a break, when they initially put up his song at 4am, and after he begged for it, they played it at 6pm.

Jason always focused on his fan, and even went off stage to meet the fans.

His partner, Nik ran the business, whereas Jason produced the album.

Once, he spent $100,000 and the revenue was $4,800. That was not really working. And at one point, the debt was $200+K.

Jason had to read the book on how to editing, and throughout the process, he was humiliated many times, from people of Datin class to other people.

He would have to contact supplier last minute, to get the drum sets, as sometimes organizer didn't have the sets ready, and he had to tape the wires sometimes.

Jason started to get calls, from landlord and suppliers, especially to ask for money. So, time was tough.

Fat Boy was having a tough time, and the phone line was cut and the salary of the staff was not yet paid. Jason asked Zaid to go and convert his guitar which was signed by top star. The cost was RM5,000, and thought that he could sell for RM10K, but eventually it was RM900. Jason cried in the car, as he asked Zaid to go in again to convert the guitar. It was tough time, especially he took a lot of efforts to get the guitar autographed by top star.

With the RM900, Jason used RM200 to pay for phone bill, RM200 for electricity, RM300 for Zaid and RM200 for buffet in Subang. Jason said that when things get very tough, go to buffet. It would be worth it.

Jason that when he was CEO of Fat Boy, it was as tough as being CEO of a telco.

Then, Jason went to do Latte 8 at midnight, and the show ended at 1am, and by the time, he left was 2am and went to bed at 3am. Then, at 5am, he had to wake up for his show at Hitz.

Jason also talked about once he fell asleep in the studio, when Ralph Marshall brought some investors around.

Jason also talked about how he called up Khairy one day, and brought up idea of MyTeam. It was great seeing the kampung boys took their first flight to UK, and drew 0-0 against Manchester United Reserve Team. MyTeam also played against National Team and scored first, before losing 1-2.

Before Tony Fernandes started Air Asia, he did ask Jason on what he thought about airline business, and Jason thought back now that he should have jumped on it back then in 2000 to invest on it. Jason was also asked before Izham went into TV station.

When Tony Fernandes started, he asked Mark Lankester to join, but he refused, as he felt comfortable. But when Tony started his hotel, Mark jumped on it, to be CEO of TuneHotels.com .

Jason even went on knee in boardrooms to ask for support for local artists, but Malaysians often just supported foreigners, especially Westerners.

When Tony Fernandes asked Jason Lo to join telco, and Jason eventually invested a bit on it to have some stake. Jason relied on wikipedia to learn, and during his initial business meetings, he learned his way to learn the key terms.

Jason shared about how his dream of people, when they are in Singapore, they could call back to Malaysia on local call rates and on same number. After that, it would be expansion to Indonesia. It would ride on the Air Asia's network.

Jason talked about how Tony Fernandes warned him before hand that the dealers would hold him to ransom, but Jason thought that it won't happen. But it did happen. Jason said that Tony was always spot on things.

Jason was sharing on various tricks that telcos use to make money from the customers. Telcos are like commodities of this century. For Tune Talk, it was a flat rate of RM0.16 per minute (flat rate).

Jason talked about how his RM0.5 Million went down to drain, when the incumbents forced the dealers to take out their posters.

Jason said that he is now working on his 4th album, after putting his children and wife to bed. Jason advised that we should always do creative and innovative things everyday.

Jason shared that Star Trek really showed things way in advance. Example, back in 1950s, handphone was there already, and "iPad" type of notebooks were used there too.

Jason hoped that he would achieve the following before he died.
a) Made 20 albums
b) Played at Wembley
c) Went on top of BillBoard

He said that we should always work very hard to achieve our dream.

As of now, he is making his 4th albums. He had played to 35,000 people in Sungai Petani, hearing them singing his song.

Jason talked about how we could set up platform and went off the ground, and went up bit by bit.

Q&A

Jason loved wikipedia, and he felt that everything is there. He also felt that dare to fail is important and we could learn from mistakes. Entrepreneurs all dare to fail, and if you do that, then your learning curve would be steeper. When fail, learn from it.

Don't close yourself off when you are learning, and always go to talk to people, and learn from people. It is very important to learn from everyone. Even a beggar can make us learn from it. Make it a point for us to always learn.

Jason has a management style, which is full transparency. All the staff know everything that is happening, and all the team discussed together for everything, example the company's marketing plan.

Jason also talked about "Chinese whisper". He hated it very much, if people do it. Communications would get distorted, if people whispered.

Jason said that it is very important that people don't have temper. People should be having fun at work. He tried to be very approachable too.

Sometimes his staff would go to him and ask him to make decision, but Jason always wanted the team to discuss and decide. This would empower the staff, and no decision is made without the knowledge of everyone.

Sometimes, Jason might get voted out by his staff, when they all voted for a certain decision. Of course, sometimes wrong decision could be made, but that is unavoidable.

It is very important for Jason that when his staff left, they moved up. Sometimes, he would try to make it very clear to his staff who wanted to leave, if they are not moving to a more established roles elsewhere. He would do his best to convince them to stay back.

Tony Fernandes chose Jason Lo based on his strength and weakness, and he was not from telco background. Jason has also started a company before.

Jason said that a lot of things that happened today, he didn't plan for it. But when opportunities come, he seized it. Tony, Jason and Mark Lankester all came from music background.

It is very important to communicate with the staff, and have a laugh at things. Jason said that we should be more laughing at ourselves, and not be as touchy on things. It would break the ice and have more fun.

Jason shared his phone number and email address with the audience, and he said that as the bosses, one should be very approachable. One can't do great things, if one is not approachable.

Malaysia should be do a lot more, but often we are scared to fail, and we don't reach our potential.

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Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to shareFeel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Live & Inspire Series - Datuk Vinod Sekhar

Live blogging at Starbucks, Bangsar Village II.

This is the 2nd session of the Season 2 of the Live & Inspire Series. For today's event, do check on this link. Today, the speaker is Datuk Vinod Sekhar on "Entrepreneurship: The Up, Down and All Around".

To follow Live & Inspire's twitter, go to here.

Datuk started by saying that if someone doesn't want to fail, then one shouldn't consider to be an entrepreneurship. Failure is a lesson that shouldn't be repeated. If want to fail again, then fail on something different. It is part of the "tuition fee". If failed on the same thing, then it is a wasted effort.ols

Datuk studied molecular biology, with minor in political science. Datuk's father was a civil servant, and he managed to get scholarships to further studies. The scholarships were sufficient to pay for tuition fee and living cost. His father just provided enough for his flight back. But Datuk wanted to have some fun.

So, he had to work on something during his studies.

In US universities, they sold all sorts of things, from mugs to key chains etc with huge university logo, but they didn't sell any T-Shirt with college crest on it. It cost him USD50 to make 10 samples. He went to many universities' bookstores, but most rejected. Eventually University of Pennsylvania agreed to purchase it.

Datuk Vinod didn't have money to make the few hundred T-Shirts that UPenn ordered. Eventually, he asked for 50% down payment, and managed to get the shirts done. Datuk Vinod shared the actual cost of making the T-Shirt was close to USD2 to USD3 then.

Eventually, the business grew quite huge, and he sold it for millions to Champion.

Datuk Vinod has also sold his innovation to 3Com as well.

Datuk Vinod shared about his disastrous mistakes, like he went into farming or car making. At one point, he thought that he could do anything, and didn't know enough about the field.

He shared that he was millionaire at age of 20, and then multi-millionaire at age of 24, and became a Datuk at age of 26. Unfortunately, he almost became bankrupt at age of 32, during the financial crisis.

During that time, he borrowed USD100 Million, which was equivalent to about RM250 Million. However, when the currency crashed, at one point, it became close to RM500 Million. Eventually, it stabilized to RM380 Million. And interest rate went up from 5.+% to 13.+%.

Datuk Vinod shared that when business failed, it would have hurt people, as people might have lost business or job, and those people might not have done anything wrong. It is impossible for any businessmen to say that they haven't hurt anyone or made someone's life miserable. It is impossible to go into business that one would do right all the time. One would have to make hard decision sometimes.

If one tries to be good guy all the times, one might end up lose everything. One has to look the situation and sometimes, one might have to make hard decision, including firing people. One can feel sorry about it, and perhaps mitigate it, but there is no way around it. If things go down, one has to do something drastic to save the business.

Early on, Datuk Vinod would fight on to keep everyone, but it just didn't work. And that would be reality of business. Datuk Vinod shared that he did spend money, but 60% of money that the company made, went to the foundation, to help 12,000 children one way or another.

If there is excess cash, Datuk Vinod would use it, either spend it on himself, invest, or donate it out. He doesn't believe in having the money in the account. Either it is used to make someone's lives better or improve the society, or make one's lives better.

Datuk Vinod said that lives is short, so we should enjoy it and experience everything. We would never have yesterday again, and last month is gone forever. We should think of everyday as it is all we are going to have.

Datuk Vinod shared on him playing with the children of down syndrome, and he found that his money went missing. He went home feeling angry. Then, he went back with his mother to the place, and they showed him the collage that they had made, and the kids told him that they ran out of coloured papers, and they borrowed some of his. And those coloured papers were Vinod's money. And hence, Datuk Vinod shared that those were just coloured papers.

Datuk Vinod shared on Zimbabwe's currency of 100 trillion and it is worth 5 cents in Malaysian Ringgit.

Datuk Vinod shared that there are enough money in the world to go around, but lots of people still went hungry and dying.

Datuk Vinod believed in capitalism, and he felt that everyone should live above the line, be it for education, health etc, but once beyond it, it is a free for all, where it is pure capitalism. If people don't have money, then as a capitalist, then one can't "take" it from others.

So, as capitalist, should always try to increase the number of middle class, so that more people can afford to purchase, and hence can take more money from them. Creation of wealth is crucial. Get the government to create the opportunity.

By giving, Datuk Vinod received a lot more than what he gave. By being rich, and he can afford big house, big car etc, he could afford to give out more. One does not have to be socialist to give to others. One can have everything, and then one could give away to others. Imagine if everyone is doing something, the amount created would be immeasurable.

If you want to be successful and rise to the top, then one should expect to be shot down, and one has to deal with it. There will always be people who would try to pull you down. So, we just have to accept it and move on.

Q&A

Q: What was your worst failure and how long does you take to overcome it?
A: Worst failure was to go into farming. Datuk Vinod invested more than $40 Million, and he had no experience on it, and he rode on it with an American partner, and eventually lost everything. Beyond it, 150 people lost their jobs. Datuk Vinod related that during financial crisis, the American ran off, and he had no experience in it, and he could do nothing. So perhaps, if Datuk Vinod could understand the business a bit more, he could have done something.

So, Datuk Vinod's advice would be to either learn up on it, or only invest in things that he understood. Only go forward, if he has confidence to run the business. Because of this downfall, it caused Datuk Vinod's other business to falter too, as his money was lost here, and he couldn't use it to sustain his other businesses.

Always understand what is one's weakness, and always surround with smart people. One does not have to always accept what is being told, but one has to be always alerted when there is issue. Make sure that people dare to tell you some observations, if they have, even though it is negative. Datuk Vinod used to think that he knew everything and he did not take advice, but he learned his lessons, and now he always surround himself with top brains.

Q: How does he balance his life?
A: His advice is that people should get a life. Datuk Vinod said that people are willing to stay back on Thursday evening to listen to him talking. It is inspiring especially to hear people's stories. He loved his work, and enjoyed his work.

Datuk Vinod said that some people accuse him of being arrogant, but he thought that he is quite humble. His family and friends have always kept him going. He enjoyed learning and sharing. That's what life is about.

A: No regret of selling the apparel company, as it gave him the capital. The offer price then was very good, and the shirt company would continue to make 100,000 shirts and gave the money to the foundation, besides him getting upfront payment. Sometimes people thought that he sold the optic engine early, but he felt the bigger company could bring it bigger.

When Datuk Vinod started AsiaConnect with RM200,000, and he sold within 9 months at USD15.8 Million, and it was just before the dot-com bust.

He felt that one should not regret making money, and once we sold it, we should not think back at it again.

Q: How did you deal with people who are shooting you down?
A: When people are shooting, they might never identify themselves to you. As you won't know who attacks you, you won't know how to defend. Many people felt jealous when others make it.

Datuk Vinod wrote a play in 1997, and there was bunting all over KL. And he was having a meet up at Bangsar, and when he was introduced as an actor now. The person across said that he knew Vinod Sekhar very well, and he had done business with him. He said that Vinod Sekhar would take advantage of him once he had the chance, and this person was telling it to Datuk Vinod without realizing that he is the guy.

Q: How about those overseas bad media?
A: Not much one can do, if people are shooting you. If those have no basis, then it is fine, as long as you do the right thing and performance would prove it. So, always focus on doing one's things, and keep on doing it right. Datuk Vinod said that as he is always very outspoken and speaks his mind, he would sometimes caused others to attack him. He could not tolerate idiots, and he would react to them.






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Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog

Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to share

Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)s

A bunch of Educational & Informative Articles

Thanks a lot to my loyal blog contributors for sharing a lot of educational and informative articles.


As I have quite a huge backlog of posting, I would post a number of links in this one post. Hope that you all would check it out!









Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Internship Opportunities at CPPS

Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing on this opportunity.


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http://www.cpps.org.my/sub_page.aspx?catID=1&ddlID=512
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The Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) is offering internships for students to join our team in Kuala Lumpur. The interns will work on a variety of topics within CPPS, including national unity and integration, good governance, human rights and the economy. The internships provide valuable understanding of the current situation and challenges faced by Malaysia.

 

The intern(s) will assist in conducting research and write reports on on-going projects. For 2010, this will include research on a proposed State Ombudsman's office, the Open Budget Index 2010 as well as any other projects that the Centre undertakes.

 

The intern(s) will also be expected to help with various administrative tasks, including website maintenance, mailing lists and logistics preparations for Centre events from time to time.

 

 

Qualifications

·      Must be at least in second year of undergraduate programme or post-graduate programme.

·      Minimum CGPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or equivalent

·      Applicants should have a relevant academic background and have completed coursework in one of the following areas:-

o       International Relations/Politics

o       Economics

o       Law

·      Good writing skills

·      Proficient in Windows, Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and basic website maintenance.

·      Experience conducting research via customary media such as books and journals as well as online search engines such as LexisNexis.

·      Willing to commit to at least 3 months full-time or 6 months part-time.

 

To apply or for more information, please contact Ms Khairiah Makata via e-mail to khairiah@cpps.org.my or via telephone at +603 2093 2820. For internship applications, please send in your CV and cover letter. 


SHINING THROUGH - A Choral Celebration

Thanks to HK Chong for sharing with me on this performance.

SHINING THROUGH
A Choral Celebration
 
Soaring voices and lush harmonies, beautiful and inspiring music, fun and engaging audience-chorale encounters; are the elements that make SHINING THROUGH the show to experience this coming June 2010. The Canticle Singers (TCS) proudly presents an eclectic collection of choral music and individual numbers comprising pop classics and yesteryear favourites which many grew up with, as well as songs from the realm of pop, folk, lounge, jazz, gospel, the silver screen and musical theatre. Featuring selections of The Carpenters, The Beatles, Gershwin and Michael Jackson; well loved melodies as well as songs from the latest Broadway to West End musicals including "Les Miserables", "Billy Elliot", "Jekyll and Hyde", "In The Heights", "The Colour Purple" and others; and will be a show to remember and talk about.

TCS is one of the country's most accomplished and versatile choral groups and has staged full concert and  dramatic  musicals such as Two From Galilee 2002,  Do You Hear the People Sing? which won TCS a nomination for Best Group Performance–Voice Boh Cameronian Arts Awards,  Refugee:Images, For the Love of Music, A Grand Night for Singing,  Be Our Guest and  Two From Galilee 2009. TCS productions have benefitted charitable causes  in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Philippines.

 
WEBSITE
www.thecanticlesingers.com

PRESS CONFERENCE
11.00am Thu 6 May 2010 at Istana Budaya. By invitation only.

BUMP IN
Sun 30 June 2010

PREVIEW
8.30pm on Wed 2 June 2010 - By Invitation

SHOW DATES
Evenings 8.30pm on Thu 3, Fri 4, Sat 5 & Sun 6 June 2010
Matinees 3.00pm on Sat 5 & Sun 6 June 2010

TICKETS
Show tickets will be available from AXCESS Ticketing from Thur 6 May 2010.
Priced at RM58 and RM78 (inclusive of RM3 AXCESS fee) via the AXCESS Hotline +60-3-7711-5000, online at www.axcess.com.my and authorised AXCESS outlets at
1 Utama Shopping Centre
Parkson at Sunway Pyramid
Rock Corner at Mid-Valley
Tower Records at Lot 10
Rock Corner at The Curve
Rock Corner at KLCC
Alamanda Putrajaya Shopping Centre
Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil
AXCESS Office, Jln Semangat, Petaling Jaya

VISA PREMIUM DISCOUNT
In an exclusive arrangement between VISA International and AXCESS Tickets, Visa Infinite and Platinum Malaysian Cardholders will be entitled to a 20% rebate off the FULL priced tickets during the first 2 weeks of commencement of ticket sales. Subject to terms and conditions.

CRABTREE & EVELYN GIFT
Every 4 FULL priced RM78 tickets purchased in one single transaction, gets a FREE Crabtree & Evelyn gift. This is limited to the first 100 transactions and are subject to terms and conditions.


CAST LIST ANNOUNCED

The Company
Andrew Lai Chii Horng, Betsy Yeo Wai Li, Chang Yow Keong, Charity Lee Chin Ai, Chow Hung Lan,
Emmanuel Shumba, Jasmine Lee Chian Hui, Jon Ti Yi Hong, Lim Ai Da, Low Tze Liang, Lucy Khoo Poh Looi,
Mak Su Yin, Michelle Siaw Mong Cheng, Patricia Ngo Kim Lan, Samuel Goh Min Tzung, Shameela Chandran
and Thiruganesh Rao

Guest Artist
Stefano Chen

Host
Timothy Ooi
 

Make the most out of your education

Shannon Wills have written to me to contribute this article for my blog readers. Hope that you will learn from what Shannon shares. Do make the most out of your education.

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How to Make the Most of Your Education

If there's one asset I value the most, it's my education. I wouldn't trade it in for all the gold and diamonds in the world or even the combined oil resources on our planet. I know that as long as I have my education to bank on, I'll never have to depend on anyone or worry about my future. Just to make my stand clear, I must reiterate here that by education I don't just mean the degrees I've accumulated over the years. Although there are quite a few, I wouldn't be who I am today if I had depended only on those pieces of paper or those letters behind my name to open doors for me. Rather, I owe my success today to the fact that I've made the most of my education. You can do so too if you:

  • Continue to learn: Learning does not stop the moment you step out of college. Rather, for your education to be of value, you must consider learning as a lifelong process, one that should be pursued no matter how old you are. To learn on a continuous basis, you need to keep your mind open to new experiences and adventures; you must absorb everything around you in every new or even familiar situation. And you must be willing to acknowledge that you could learn something new from every person in your life and every situation, no matter how insignificant they may seem.
  • Realize that learning extends beyond books and degrees: Today, I would consider myself a little knowledgeable and educated because of all the experiences I've gone through in addition to the degrees I've earned, something I would not acknowledge going by my degrees alone. The key to making the most of your education is to do something with your degrees and put the experiences you undergo to good use. In short, we are the sum total of all our experiences, and the more knowledge we gain from them, the better we are using our education.
  • Adapt yourself to your environment: And finally, the person who does not adapt to his/her environment is bound to fail no matter how many degrees they hold or how long they've spent in academic circles. When you're able to adjust to your surroundings, bond well with the people around you, and use your knowledge in the right way and at the right time to further your position in life, that is when you can truly say that you're making the best use of your education.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Shannon Wills, she writes on the topic of Top Online Engineering Degree . She welcomes your comments at her email id: shannonwills23@gmail.com.


Keadilan looking for interns

Thanks to Andrew and Evelyn for sharing on this. They are sending on behalf of YB Nik Nazmi.

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Keadilan is looking for interns! 

The plan is to have two internship programs, one in May and the other in July. The interns will go through a centralised training program, 30 April to 2 May (for May internship) and 2 - 4 July (for July internship). Then they will be assigned to the offices of selected Keadilan MPs and ADUNs for the remainder of the month.

The interns will be provided with a small sum of RM500 for the month but we believe it's a good eye-opening experience to the life of a legislator and politician in an interesting time in Malaysian politics!

Further details will be e-mailed to interested candidates.

If interested, contact Nik Nazmi:

DISCOURSES ON SOUTHEAST ASIA 2010

Thanks Nicholas Wong for sharing on this.

 
DISCOURSES ON SOUTHEAST ASIA 2010 -
Helping Hands: Poverty and Development in Southeast Asia (23-24 Apr, Columbia Univ)
 
Date: April 23 and 24, Friday and Saturday
Time: 9.30am - 5.30pm (Fri); 9.30am - 2.30pm (Sat)
Venue: 102 Jerome Greene Hall, Columbia Law School
 
With photo exhibition''Perspective on Laos: Interactions of Improved Villages, Livelihoods and Development Work'' - featuring 80 photographs by Photographer Tommy Chu from a training project in Lao PDR.
 
The conference is free and open to the public.
To RSVP and for further details, please email sea.discourses@gmail.com by 22 Apr (Thurs).
Visit our blog at http://seadiscourses.blogspot.com


Speakers: Tim A. Hardy Director of Outreach, Burma Global Action Network [Burma] | Karen Zusman Independent Journalist and Producer [Malaysia] | Eugene Martin Former Diplomat and Specialist, US Institute of Peace [Philippines] | Dana Doan Board Member and Strategic Advisor, LIN Center for Community Development [Vietnam] | Toshi Nakamura Co-Founder, Kopernik [Indonesia] | Gil Lacson Relationship Manager for Asia, Women's World Banking [Philippine] | Anis Chowdhury Senior Economic Affairs Officer, United Nations [Malaysia] | Sahba Sobhani Program Manager, UNDP Growing Inclusive Markets Initiative [USA] | and more.


Conference schedule

23 April 2010 (Friday)

09:00    Registration

09:30    Introduction & Opening Remarks

10:00    Keynote "Politics, Governance and Poverty"

11:30    Tea Break  

11:45    Country Case Study "Public-Private Partnerships: Corporate Giving in Vietnam"

12:45    Lunch & Networking

02:00    Panel "Partners in Development: Respective Roles and Obligations"

03:30    Tea Break

03:45    Panel "Microfinance, Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation"

05:15    Closing Remarks

 

24 April 2010 (Saturday)

09:30    Registration

10:00    Keynote "The State of Southeast Asian Development"

11:30    Tea Break

11:45    Movie & Producer Talk "Pls Don't Say My Name: Plight of Burmese Refugees Living in M'sia" 

01:15    Country Case Study "Decentralization in Cambodian Education: Schools Funding Management"

02:15    Closing Remarks



Presented by Columbia University's Southeast Asian League and Southeast Asian Student Initiative | Sponsored by Davis Projects for Peace | Sponsored in part by the Arts Initiative at Columbia University. This funding is made possible through a generous gift from The Gatsby Foundation | Supported by Microfinance Working Group, Thai Club, Columbia Society for International Law, Asia Pacific Affairs Council, and the Residents' Council of International House, New York. 



TeAM T3 get-together: Chok Kwee Bee from Teak Capital

TeAM T3 get-together: Chok Kwee Bee from Teak Capital, sharing her life as a VC

Date: Thursday, April 22, 2010
Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location: PappaRich Bangsar
Street: No 2, Jalan Telawi 4 Bangsar

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115962545083578
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Encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I will be more than happy to post it to share

Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)

Sunday, April 18, 2010

STARBUCKS LIVE & INSPIRE features Datuk Vinod Sekhar

Thanks to Tim Fernandez for sharing on this.

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Event: STARBUCKS LIVE & INSPIRE features Datuk Vinod Sekhar .
What: Workshop
Start Time: Thursday, April 22 at 8:00pm
End Time: Thursday, April 22 at 9:00pm
Where: Starbucks, Bangsar Village II, Level 2

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:

Saturday, April 17, 2010

English Improvement Workshop May 2010

Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing on this.


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English Improvement Workshop May 2010

English Improvement Workshop

 

The Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) is offering a two-hour workshop to provide you with practice in the usage of English to assist you in preparing for required exams to enter universities and colleges in the United States.

 

This Workshop will incorporate skills in each area:

·         Reading

·         Writing

·         Speaking

·         Listening

 

Date:  Friday, May 14th                  

 

Instructors:     Jay Getz - Director AICP, BA English, Master of Urban Planning

                                Doreen John, Coordinator - MACEE Educational Advising Centre (MEAC)

 

Venue:  MACEE Office, 18th Floor, Menara Yayasan Tun Razak, 200, Jln. Tun Razak, KL

 

Cost:  There is NO FEE, but you must sign up to attend this workshop.

 

Date:  Friday, May 14 2010

 

Time:  2:00-4:00 pm

                       

Interested?   Sign up by phone (03-2166-8878) or submit online registration to MACEE:  yati@macee.org.my by Wednesday, May 12th.


University Selection Tips June 2010

Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing on this.


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University Selection Tips June 2010

Where Do I Apply?

 

"Navigating Your Way through the University Selection Process"

 

The Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) is offering a 90-minute program to help you prepare for selecting and applying for admission to universities and colleges in the United States.

 

The USA is noted for its excellent educational system and facilities, as well as for its diversity.  With over 4000 choices of colleges and universities, how do I find ones that are best for me?

 

Learn more about:

·         Factors you should consider when selecting universities

·         Practical Tips for University Selection

·         Practical Tips for Applying to US Colleges and Universities

 

 

Presenters:      Jay Getz - Director AICP, (BA English, Master of Urban Planning), and

                                MACEE advisers.

 

Goal:  After attending this workshop, students will better understand the process of university selection and application for admission.

 

Venue:  MACEE Office, 18th Floor, Menara Yayasan Tun Razak, 200, Jln. Tun Razak, KL

 

Cost:  There is NO FEE, but you must sign up to attend this workshop.

 

Date:  Tuesday, June 1st

 

Time:  2:00pm-3:30pm

                       

Interested?   Sign up by phone (03-2166-8878) or submit online registration to MACEE:  yati@macee.org.my by Wednesday, May 26.



Friday, April 16, 2010

Education Malaysia Conference 2010

Thanks to Dzameer for sharing on this Education Malaysia Conference 2010.


Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Malcolm Gladwell article about Ivy League admissions

Thanks to my loyal blog contributor for sharing this interesting article by Malcolm Gladwell on Ivy League Admissions.

McKinsey & Company Youth Leadership Academy 2010

Thanks to Shin Yi for sharing on this great opportunity.


McKinsey & Company would be having its Youth Leadership Academy 2010.


Monday, April 12, 2010

Projek Amanat Negara

Thanks to Zhen Shing for sharing on this Projek Amanat Negara.


It would be held this Saturday, 17th April 2010 at Malaysia Hall, London 


Do check it out!

Brand's Sudoku Challenge 2010 Asia Pacific Open

Brand's Sudoku Challenge 2010 Asia Pacific Open is back. Are you ready for the challenge?


Saturday, April 10, 2010

Dream of Studying in US?

For those of you who have been following my blog, guess you must have been inundated by a number of posts recently on the US universities admission decision.


If you have a dream to study at top US universities (be it Ivy League institutions, Liberal Arts Colleges or other top Universities), do start preparation now.

For those of you who have no idea how to start, here is a few basic points for you to start.

1. Application deadline for undergraduate admission usually is around 2nd January (it varies by universities)
2. Admission decision is usually around March/April.
3. Classes start around August/September.
4. Before application deadline around 2nd January, you would need to have taken SAT Reasoning Test, SAT Subject Tests and TOEFL, besides writing application essays, getting teachers' evaluation, secondary school report, mid year report, prepare your resume etc.
5. Do note that SAT is only available in Jan, May, June, Oct, Nov and Dec, and you would need to take both the SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests in 2 different months.

OK, if all those attract you, go to http://usapps2009.blogspot.com to continue your learning and exploration. More than 140 links of useful resources are listed there. If you find anything useful, do let us know, and we'll share with other students too!

Good Luck! 

Cradle Pre-Seed and Commercialization Grant

Cradle Fund Pre-Seed/Commercialization Grants

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We are pleased to inform you that Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (Cradle) will be presenting an informational talk on Cradle's pre-seed and seed/commercialisation grants on April 20th at the Malaysian Institute of Management, Kuala Lumpur.

The Cradle Informational Talk, is targeted at anyone who has an innovative technology based idea or a product/service and wants to commercialise it but lack the necessary funding and support in order to achieve this. The session offers potential grant applications with the opportunity to obtain further information about the pre-seed and seed/commercialisation grants and the application processes involved.

So, if you have a great innovative idea or you already have a ready product and are looking to commercialise it, then the Cradle Informational Talk is for you! Regardless of whether your idea is in IT, biotech, manufacturing or retail, come and learn how you can get funding of up to RM150,000 for your idea or up to RM500,000 for your business!

Please find below the event details and program:

Date:April 20th, 2010 (Tuesday)
Time: 9.30am to 1.00pm
Venue:Malaysian Institute of Management
MIM Auditorium, Management House
No. 227, Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur

Programme:
9.30amRegistration & Light refreshments
9.50amWelcome Address
10.00amIntroduction to Cradle Investment Programme 
(CIP Catalyst & CIP 500 Grant) 
By Mr. Johnathan Lee
11.15am Meet Cradle Entrepreneur
11.45amQ&A Session
12.30pmLunch & Networking
1.00pmEnd

Admission is FREE! With only 150 seats available however, please note that reservation is on a first-come-first serve basis. To secure your seat, kindly confirm your attendance via email to Ms. Adrena at raja.adrena@cradle.com.mybefore 5pm on April 12, Monday. Upon your confirmation, you will be provided with a confirmation number which you will be required to present during the onsite registration process for admission into the event.

IMPORTANT: Kindly note that any replies received after the stipulated deadline mentioned above, will not be entertained.

Come and join us to discover how Cradle is able to offer entrepreneurs an end-to-end funding from idea conceptualisation to commercialisation with its pre-seed and seed/commercialisation grants. Let us help you get started today!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Warm Regards,
The Cradle Team

Beat the GMAT Scholarships

For those MBA aspirants, check out Beat the GMAT Scholarships.


Youth Entrepreneurship Talk in Melaka

Thanks to Harvinder for sharing on this event.


Youth Entrepreneurship Talk to be held on 10th April 2010, 2pm to 4pm at Jaya Jusco AEON Bandaraya Melaka.

The speaker would be Daniel Cerventus, co-founder of Entrepreneurs.my . He would speak about what it means to be an entrepreneur, how to be an entrepreneur, social entrepreneurship and social media / online entrepreneurship.

Do check it out!

Any question, please contact Lincoln Corner Melaka, 06-2824859.

Friday, April 09, 2010

Wait List Advice

Andrew Loh and Darell Koh wrote an awesome and detail piece of advice for waitlisters.



Do check it out!

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Fulbright Malaysian Graduate Study & Research Program

Thanks to my loyal anonymous blog contributor for the Fulbright Malaysian Graduate Study & Research Program


http://macee.org.my/02_08_30_1_content.html


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FULBRIGHT MALAYSIAN AWARD

2011-2012
FULBRIGHT MALAYSIAN GRADUATE STUDY AND RESEARCH PROGRAM

Application deadline: July 31, 2010

The Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) is pleased to announce its annual competition for grants under the Fulbright Program for graduate level study (Masters or Ph.D. degrees) and research in the United States for 2011-2012 academic year. Grants under the Malaysian Fulbright student program will be administered as either degree or non-degree grants (Dissertation Research), depending on whether the applicant is seeking to complete coursework or research toward his/her degree program at a Malaysian university or is seeking to obtain a degree from an American institution.


 PERIOD OF AWARD

 


 

All grants are for periods of one academic year. Degree-track grants may be renewed for a second year. Please note that grant renewals are recommended for approval by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarships Board on a case-by-case basis and are not automatically renewable.


 NATURE OF AWARD

 


 

Awards will be partial grants or otherwise require cost-sharing from the candidate's home institution, scholarships or other funding from the admitting university or from personal resources.  While awards may be full grants, the category and amount of any specific award will be based upon available funding and other criteria as determined by the Academic committee during the selection process. All decisions regarding category and amount of grant shall be final. Similarly, the amount of renewal funding shall be contingent upon financial circumstances affecting the Commission. For graduate degree grants, efforts will be made to retain funding levels from the first to the second year. However, students should not assume this will take place.


 PLACEMENT OF GRANTEE

 


Institute of International Education (IIE) will assist applicants in securing placement at a regionally accredited U.S. university and applicants should be accepted by June 1st, 2011.


FIELDS OF STUDY

 


 

Preference will be given to those proposals which are consistent with MACEE's overall thematic approach for Fulbright awards, emphasizing these 5 general areas of study:

  • American Studies
  • Malaysian Studies
  • Islamic Studies
  • Comparative Religion
  • Economics and Technology Transfer
  • Issues in Contemporary Society
  • International Relations

However, students applying for any other field of study than those mentioned above are encouraged to apply, as all highly qualified applicants will be considered.  Students applying for MBA should take note that preferences are given to other fields of study.

 

ELIGIBILITY



To be considered for selection under this program, students shall:

  1. Possess Malaysian citizenship.
  2. Be no more than 35 years of age at the time of application.
  3. Be in good health.
  4. Have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree with Honors (hons.) and cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or its equivalent
  5. Must have a TOEFL score of at least 100 (internet based test) on a test taken no more than two years prior to the time of application (note: certain fields and/or institutions may require a higher score).
  6. Must have a GMAT, GRE, GRE subject test with minimum score as required by the institution of your choice.  Please check with programs or universities that you are planning to apply about the required test.
  7. Be prepared to return to Malaysia immediately upon completion of study.
  8. Be available for interview in Kuala Lumpur.

The Following Individuals Are Not Eligible.

  1. Individuals who are or have already been enrolled in a graduate degree program at an American university and who seek nomination in order to complete said program.
  2. Individuals who seek nomination in order to complete a second masters degree or doctoral degree.
  3. Individuals who intend to pursue internship, residency or research at a U.S. school of medicine, nursing, dentistry or veterinary medicine.
  4. Individuals who are working or currently studying in USA. To be eligible, applicants MUST have returned to Malaysia at least ONE year before the announcement date (March 1st, 2010) for this award.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE



 

  1. Students can download the application form here.


  2. Please mail 4 sets of your application by July 31, 2010 to:
    MACEE
    Fulbright Malaysian Graduate Study and Research Program
    18th Floor, Menara Yayasan Tun Razak
    200 Jalan Bukit Bintang
    55100 Kuala Lumpur

    A complete application includes:
    1. 4 copies of application form.
    2. 4 certified true copies of university transcript(s) for all years of academic study.
    3. 4 certified true copies of degree certificates from all institutions attended.
    4. 4 certified true copies of TOEFL/GMAT/GRE score reports.
    5. 3 letters of reference (one should be from a teacher under whom you have studied).   Letter of reference is confidential, it must be in a sealed envelope and printed on a letterhead.
    6. 4 photographs.
    7. Most universities will require that all graduate students (regardless of field of study) included a thesis abstract or research paper (translated into English) that was completed during previous university-level studies. (Please attach 4 copies).

  3. Students are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to meet an educational advisor at MACEE for admission information into American Universities.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Invitation to Ambassador Lecture series(ALES) "Lisbon Treaty" on 19 april 2010 @ AEI

Thanks to Siti Kamariah for sharing on this Ambassador Lecture Series.
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Dear all,

Greetings from Asia-Europe Institute (AEI)!

We would like to welcome all to the Ambassador Lecture Series (ALES) on 19
April 2010 at 10.45 am @ AEI.

                                PROGRAMME

                          ASIA-EUROPE INSTITUTE
                    AMBASSADORS LECTURE SERIES (ALES)

                           "The Lisbon Treaty"
                                   by
                            H.E Vincent Piket
  Ambassador / Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia


                              19 April 2010
         Auditorium, Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya


I would appreiciate if you could RSVP by 12 April 2010.

With kind regards.

Nurul :)

Nurul Syahida Ahmad Said
Senior Research Assistant
Asia-Europe Institute
University of Malaya
50603 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 603-7967 6931
Fax: 603-7954 0799
http://aei.um.edu.my