KUCHING – Students in a postgraduate program had a rare treat when a senior officer from a well-known local property development and construction company turned up in person to deliver a real-world perspective on human resource practices.
Andrew Chan, head of group human resources of Naim Group of Companies, was invited by Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus to share 25 years of his experience and knowledge on human resources practices with students pursuing the MBA (International) program.
First introduced in 2012, the program is a general management postgraduate qualification that prepares graduates for strategic leadership roles.
“The session was to help bridge the skills gap between the classroom and the real workplace by blending theory and practice, offering the students insights into the role, contributions, processes and practices of HRM in the workplace from contemporary practitioners,” said subject lecturer Haji Jeli Bohari Biha.
“We go beyond traditional approaches to nurture and produce graduates who will be ready for the real world. We believe that our students not only need to be educated but also well prepared for the real workplace.”
The session by Chan, a human resource professional who has held senior positions with leading global organisations across a span of industries, was well received by the class of local and international students.
“I would love for Swinburne Sarawak to organize more of these sessions because they help us to actually make sense of the theories we learn in the classroom. I believe this would also motivate students to be more serious in their studies and engage more in class, too,” said Gabriel Wee Wei En from Kuching.
German student Dennis Maas also gave the session the thumbs up.
“It is beneficial for our studies because they are based on practical examples. By gaining different perspectives it will be clear that whilst theory offers guidelines, in practice it mostly depends on situations. There should be more of such talks,” he said.
Lin Wei Geng from China believes that it will motivate students to be better employees.
“It demonstrates the importance of going beyond our comfort zone, and thinking long-term in the workplace, to facilitate the company’s survival in the challenging business environment. This helps to build a positive work attitude in the student prior to going into the workplace,” he said.
Haji Jeli said Chan’s contribution and the support by Naim for his participation were much appreciated by Swinburne Sarawak.
“It demonstrates the company’s commitment in facilitating talent development in our community. We look forward to seeing similar support by other corporations.”
Early this year, Kuching-based Naim Holdings Bhd was adjudged a winner of the Malaysia Best Employer Brand Awards, joining the ranks of the nation’s top 50 employer brands. The awards were hosted by the World HRD Congress and Stars of the Industry Group, and endorsed by the Asian Confederation of Businesses.
