The University of Queensland will hold a convocation event on Sunday March 15 at the Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur at 3pm to acknowledge achievements of new graduates in the presence of alumni, family and friends.
A total of 50 graduates will be presented to University Chancellor Sir Llewellyn Edwards at the convocation ceremony.
They range from brothers Chan Sen Hwei and Chan Yiau Hwei, who will be awarded bachelors degrees in laws and engineering, with honours, respectively at the ceremony, to Colonel Dr Yeo Tin Kheng, first awarded a bachelor of dental science in 1959.
UQ Alumni Association (Malaysia) representative Dato' Dr Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman will speak at the ceremony.
In 1996 alumni associations were formed in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong to represent the interests of about 1000 graduates and help them maintain contact with the University. About 460 graduates are listed on the University's convocation roll for Malaysia.
In 1997, the second-highest number of overseas students at the University were from Malaysia, with most studying business, commerce, engineering and information technology.
Sir Llewellyn said the University was proud of the achievements of its international students, and the outstanding contributions they made to society.
Sir Llewellyn said the University had witnessed a remarkable growth in the diversity of its student body and currently enrolled students from 80 nations including scholars from the great centres of Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
'Knowledge and scholarship are not restricted by national boundaries and we see ourselves as an international institution, very much enhanced by the interaction of staff and students of different cultures,' he said.
'This ceremony also signifies the University's willingness to participate positively within the Asian region.'
He said for a student to travel to a university in another country demonstrated a true commitment to education. The University was working closely with educational groups to enable students to undertake some University of Queensland studies in their home countries.
The University has developed a number of twinning programs with Malaysian institutions. The Kuala Lumpur convocation ceremony will include graduates of the second University group participating in University studies through a twinning arrangement organised with ACHEM, a consortium of 11 universities.
In a separate agreement, the University has joined La Trobe University, University of Western Australia, Macquarie University, University of Tasmania and Kuala Lumpur's Nilai College to establish a new campus in Kuala Lumpur.
The University's links with Malaysia also include a joint venture company, Global Technology and Information Management, launched last year with the University of Technology Malaysia.
Recently the Malaysian government made a 1.7 million ringitt grant to GTIM to mass-produce a new prototype antenna developed by University of Queensland researchers for European and Asian markets.
For further information contact: Ms Karen Welsh, University Protocol Officer, care of the Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur - tel 241 9988 (Saturday March 14 and Sunday, March 15)
jkuala lumpurA
.jpg)
