Minister spoke of the importance of higher education at Nilai UC's Graduation ceremony.
"Even though I hail from a rural background, my parents knew the importance of education. They recognised that higher education is more powerful than the parang they used for farming," said Datuk Seri Maximus Johnity Ongkili, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation during his keynote address at Nilai University College's Convocation 2011. Maximus proudly shared the fact that among ten siblings, his parents managed to put six into university and two went on to gain PhDs.
"It is a celebration of the conviction that education matters, that better education matters more," Dr Maximus emphasised when he congratulating the assembled parents for their efforts in supporting their children through higher education. The Minister also presented the prizes to high achievers in this year's batch of graduates. First was Yeoh Wei Shez who received the Graham Upton Award for being the outstanding graduate in a 3+0 Oxford Brookes University degree programme. (The prize is named after Professor Graham Upton who served as Vice Chancellor of Oxford Brookes from 1997 to 2007.)
Dr Maximus also presented the mock cheques to Low Ken Hou and Lim Suh Min as joint winners of the BDO prize. (The BDO prize is awarded to the top student in the Financial Accounting Theory paper in the Oxford Brookes' BA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance.)
his year is the largest convocation yet for Nilai UC with 715 students receiving their scrolls. Nilai UC academics can be especially proud of the showing with 14% of the degree graduates scoring first class honours while 11% of diploma recipients obtaining distinctions. The Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering graduates also put on a good showing with more than half scoring distinctions. All these bode well for the students' futures and for Nilai UC's status as a premier higher education institution.
Nilai UC administrators have always made it their mission to produce well-rounded graduates. Professionally competent and socially confident, this year's Valedictorian is a fine example of that vision. Sherine Tan Sui Ha obtained a first class honours in the Accounting and Finance degree programme whilst representing her alma mater in tennis, netball and swimming. In her speech, she expressed her thanks to the academic staff for pushing them in the classrooms and for also being surrogate parents providing emotional support and moral guidance.
Her immediate family were also present and her beaming father, Denis Tan, said, "I was very impressed with the facilities on campus the first time I visited. My daughter is a very active person and I was convinced Nilai UC was the ideal place for her to blossom." Sherine's mother, Janice said her daughter had always been good at numbers and based on her own background in finance she prompted Sherine to pursue accounting and finance as it is "a solid profession".
Nilai UC was established in 1997 and is located in the picturesque suburb of Putra Nilai, a mere 15 minutes from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and another 30 from Kuala Lumpur City Centre. It has been consistently produced graduates who go on to successfully pursue postgraduate studies as well as joining prestigious firms in the related fields. For more information on Nilai UC and the programmes available, please go to www.nilai.edu.my or call 06-8502338 / 03-79603089 / 07-2262336.
