Motivated by the resounding success of former Public Relations (PR) Volunteerism Campaigns held since 2011, 251 UTAR PR undergraduates are reliving their forerunners’ volunteerism spirit and legacy with the Grand Opening Ceremony of the PR Campaign 2015/2016: Volunteerism V at UTAR Kampar Campus on 1 February 2016.
Invited to grace the opening ceremony was Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, Senator Dato’ Lee Chee Leong. On hand to receive him were UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, Kampar District Council (Majlis Daerah Kampar, MDKpr) Secretary Nor Akmal Yang Ghazali representing Council President Khairul Amir Mohamad Zubir, Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FAS) Dr Alia Azalea, and PR Campaign Volunteerism V Main Director Alex Leong Kar Yin.
This year’s campaign constituted of five groups with each championing a sub-theme namely, ‘Depression (D)’, ‘Recycle (R)’, ‘Technology Escapism (E)’, ‘Animal Protection (A)’, and ‘Malaysian Culture (M)’, which are collectively known as ‘D.R.E.A.M’.
The ceremony commenced with an uplifting choir performance of former Irish boyband Westlife’s rendition of “I Have A Dream”, echoing the campaign’s vision and aspirations. This was followed by the unveiling of the group mascots which included the “Guardian of Hope” representing Group Five’s ‘Depression’, “Guardian of Earth” representing Group Three’s ‘Recycle’, “Guardian of Society” representing Group Four’s ‘Technology Escapism’, “Guardian of Love” representing Group One’s ‘Animal Protection’, and “Guardian of Convention” representing Group Two’s ‘Malaysian Culture’.
In Leong’s opening speech, he clarified that the multi-faceted sub-themes are primarily aimed at helping and giving back to the Kampar community through a series of on-campus and outreach activities held throughout February and March this year. “In short, ‘Depression’ is to create awareness about the adverse effects of depression; ‘Recycle’ is to encourage the love and care for the environment; ‘Technology Escapism’ is to create awareness about smartphone addiction; ‘Animal Protection’ to encourage people to have empathy for animal welfare, while ‘Malaysian Culture’ is to preserve Malaysian cultures which are on the brink of disappearing,” explained the Second Year PR student, who also pledged to fill in his predecessors’ shoes by investing effort and passion into the campaign.
Prof Chuah remarked that the sub-themes were timely, relevant, and aptly chosen. He said, “I’m always proud of the past and present PR Campaigns for their effort in benefitting the community in different ways.” Citing the exemplary achievement by the previous year’s PR Campaign in bagging the much coveted Bronze Award in the Malaysia PR Awards (MPRA) 2014/2015 for the first time, Prof Chuah encouraged the current campaign’s organising committee to take that as an encouragement for continuous improvement. “Bear in mind that your degree will earn you a bronze medal; your experience will earn you a silver medal; your human network will earn you a gold medal; and your right mindset and attitude will earn you a royal medal,” Prof Chuah concluded.
Nor Akmal looked forward to collaborating with the PR students for the fifth time and also engaging with the Kampar community on a wider scale. “The campaign is a catalyst in the formation of human networks, thus allowing MDKpr and the PR Campaign students to work closely and engage with the community better,” he mentioned, adding that the campaign serves as a platform for the students to learn beyond the classroom and develop themselves in networking and management skills.
Buoyed by UTAR’s commitment to educational excellence over the years, Dato’ Lee said, “I believe UTAR is doing an excellent job in educating its students on the importance of volunteerism, social responsibility, and not to forget event management through the execution of this campaign.” He was also impressed by the Organising Committee’s innovation in choosing diverse yet relatable sub-themes and taking hands-on measures to benefit people from all walks of life.
The Grand Opening Ceremony reached its highlight when the VIPs were invited on stage to officially launch the campaign and also to present the souvenirs. The event reached an end following a short guided tour for the VIPs at the campaign’s exhibition site.
Sponsors of PR Campaign 2015/2016: Volunteerism V Grand Opening Ceremony included Yeo Hiap Seng (Malaysia) Berhad, Face To Face Noodle House, and Lam Fong Biscuit.
PR Campaign 2015/2016: Volunteerism V is part of the UAMP2023 Event Planning and UAMP2033 Event Management subjects’ coursework. It is organised by current Second and Third Year Public Relations students. Initiated in 2011, the PR Campaign has since gained momentum in becoming a significant annual event at UTAR Kampar Campus. This is the fifth consecutive year PR Campaign is being held.
From left: Leong, Prof Chuah, Dato’ Lee, Nor Akmal, and Dr Alia launching the Grand Opening Ceremony.
Prof Chuah presenting tokens of appreciation to Dato’ Lee (left) and Nor Akmal (right).
The committee members explaining to the VIPs about their groups’ upcoming activities.
拉曼大学 Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
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拉曼大学学院 Tunku Abdul Rahman University
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