More than 1,000 educators attended the H.A.P.P.Y. mental health awareness counselling conference organised by EduCity and JPNJ.
ISKANDAR PUTERI: EduCity Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (EduCity) recently launched the two-day Healthy, Active and Peaceful Practices for You (H.A.P.P.Y.) mental health awareness counselling conference, in conjunction with the World Mental Health Day in October 2022.
Dubbed the most extensive collaboration with the Johor State Education Department (JPNJ), the two-day conference hosted a series of workshops, talks and forums that featured expert speakers from private and government education institutions.
More than 1,000 counselling teachers from secondary and primary schools, as well as private education institutions in the state of Johor, attended the conference.
JPNJ director Md Said Md Daimon, in officiating the conference, praised the desire of EduCity to organise the programme jointly.
He said, “I feel very excited, because today I stand in front of more than 1,000 counselling teachers from the state of Johor.
“Your presence will certainly give meaning to more than 500,000 students in the state of Johor. This success was only possible due to the good relationship between EduCity and JPNJ.
“Among the collaborations that we hope to realise together with EduCity is training for educators and support to improve SPM candidates in a focused manner.”
During the two-day conference, counselling teachers attended forums and workshops that provided skills and tools to guide their students to understand early signs of a mental health crisis, including guidance on intervention skills for more severe mental health problems.
For example, he pointed to possible initiatives that target students who are not eligible to receive their SPM certificate.
“We also look forward to collaborating in programmes and skills training based on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0) for our students.
“This is to support the country’s aspiration to focus on introducing digital education that can help improve preparation through reality and practical exposure to potential future leaders of the country in various sectors and industries,” he added.
His statement was supported by EduCity operations director Prof Dr Sakina Sofia Baharom, who shares EduCity’s passion for mental health and the importance of presenting a platform for discussions related to the topic.
During her welcome remarks, she explained, “EduCity positions itself as a centre of education discourse through key education events held for local and international audiences.
The launch also coincided with the announcement of a collaboration between EduCity and TikTok, which will see a joint effort to produce content with a high educational value.
“We are honoured to be selected by JPNJ to host this year’s conference, as this cause is close to our hearts and we will constantly announce new events and programmes annually.
“Today’s event is also seen to support our ‘Pay It Forward’ brand tagline, as we accelerate the community towards reimagining a world where the best practices are implemented in our education system through a holistic ecosystem, supported by government and corporate agencies.
“However, other than championing this good cause yearly, EduCity plays an essential role in providing the right skills and job opportunities to our youth, focusing on the IR4.0 industry to ensure their career pathways are sustainable in the new digital era such as artificial intelligence, robotics, drones, animation and electronic game design.
“With JPNJ’s support, we hope to be able to continue our good work in reaching the students in providing them with an opportunity to further their education in prestigious institutions that will accelerate their employability rate to industry quality level,” she added.
The two-day event aimed to equip educators with the skills and tools to guide their students to understand the early signs of a mental health crisis, including guidance on intervention skills for more severe mental health problems.
Md Said (right) with Prof Dr Sakina Sofia at the launch of the two-day conference.
The launch coincided with the announcement of a collaboration between EduCity and TikTok, a leading destination for short-form mobile video. Moving forward, the collaboration agreement will see a joint effort to produce content that has a high educational value purpose, representing EduCity and its education partners.
EduCity and TikTok also took this opportunity to raise awareness of the TikTok Mental Health Video Campaign, happening throughout the month of October 2022. Targeting support from educators to share their advice on the topic, users may use the hashtags #MentalHealth and #TikTokGuru to get more traction in their video content in spreading awareness of mental health, including #EduCityIskandar as part of the promotion of the two-day counselling conference.
EduCity is a fully integrated education city expected to be a feeder of talents to support Iskandar Malaysia’s various economic activities whilst grooming future generations of leaders. Partnering with luminaries in education from around the globe, EduCity, with its higher education institutions (HEIs), research and development centres, student accommodations and recreational and sports facilities, is the first of its kind in Asia.
EduCity is a catalyst development driven by EduCity Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB). IIB is a catalyst of change and a key player in Iskandar Malaysia’s transformation into a regional metropolis of international standing.
