University acknowledges industry partners that offer practical training, workplace exposure
STAR Media Group (SMG) has been recognised by UCSI University for its role in supporting student internships and talent development.
The group received the Industry Impact Recognition and Top Internship Provider awards at the Praxis Gala, held in conjunction with the university’s 40th anniversary celebrations.
The Industry Impact Recognition award recognises companies that has made an impact on society and shown commitment to talent development.
The Top Internship Provider award is given to companies that take in the highest number of UCSI University students.
SMG was among 111 companies represented at the dinner, held in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
SMG Group People senior manager Rishen Sevarajah, who accepted both awards, said the recognition reflected the group’s continued support for students undergoing industrial training.
“This is validation that we are doing something right,” he said.
“Even when times were tough and things got busy, we made sure we did not close our doors to students who needed their industrial training to graduate.
“We also made it a point to check in on them regularly, just to see how they were actually doing and progressing with us.”
Rishen said the awards would encourage the Group People Department to continue improving how it supported interns and young talent.
“It also inspires us to keep innovating, making sure we stay a top choice for young talent and keep improving the way we support them.
“To the group, it feeds into our bigger goal of building a strong talent pipeline.
“By bringing in and nurturing bright young minds early on, we are helping future-proof the media group with fresh ideas and high energy,” he said.
The Praxis Gala is an annual event that honours the university’s industry partners for supporting efforts to develop future talent.
In ancient Greek, “praxis” means “putting theory into practice”, a concept championed by the university.
UCSI Group founder and executive chairman Datuk Peter Ng said the university started strengthening industry-based education 22 years ago.
“We wanted to be a university of practitioners, for practitioners,” he said.
“We wanted to bring the industry into our lecture halls and we wanted our students to impact the industry, long before graduation day.
“So we took a bold move and sought to partner with companies that would provide internships for our students.”
Ng said UCSI became the first university in Asia to make internship a formal component of its syllabus after signing up 21 industry partners in 2004.
“It wasn’t easy; internship was quite an alien concept in 2004. Companies, and even parents, were sceptical about the move, but we pressed ahead.
“Today, UCSI has links with over 4,800 companies, many of which stand out as market leaders in their respective fields.
“And we continue expanding this network so students can expand theirs,” said Ng.
University vice-chancellor Emerita Prof Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir thanked industry partners for opening their doors to students.
“Our industry partners have worked with us to change thousands of lives.
“You have honoured our students with opportunities, with internships, placements and jobs that many of them never imagined they would receive.
“Because of you, doors have opened for them, in Malaysia and around the world,” she said.
The dinner was also attended by UCSI University alumni and featured performances by contemporary music students Samuel Bello and Rumalki Raveesha, as well as Malaysian violinist Dennis Lau, who is an alumnus of the university.
