‘As a child, I would always pester my mom to buy me pets and not toys,” recalled Dinend Sivalingam, a final year student in Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) in International Business. Dinend and his siblings, two sisters, all enrolled at Nilai University after his eldest sister advised him to enrol for the Foundation in Science at Nilai University. His two other sisters, Revathi Sivalingam and Vengdeshvary Sivalingam are also varsity students at Nilai University. Vengdeshvary, the youngest in the family, is a sophomore student, undertaking the Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) (Internet Engineering and Cloud Computing). On the other hand, Revathi is also a final year student in the Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) in International Business.
At a tender age, Dinend reared a rare breed of chickens, known as “Ayam Serama” the world’s smallest chicken and competed throughout Malaysia. He will train these chickens to perform tricks and demonstrate so during competitions. Soon, with his family’s encouragement, he started a website advising people on how to breed, care, and train these chickens for competitions.
When he was pursuing the Foundation in Science, he discovered that he also aspired to be an entrepreneur. So with his conviction, his mother gave her blessings. Eventually, the whole family became part of his core team. In just three years, he established R&D Logistic, providing logistic services in transporting pets.
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Gaining momentum in Entrepreneurship
His entrepreneurship journey was none the less exciting and rewarding. As he grew and gained more knowledge from the programme, Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) in International Business, he expanded his business further, recently venturing to Singapore.
“I adore animals, and it has always been my passion to care and provide the best environment for animals. At home, we have five dogs, ten birds, a civet cat and reptiles. So, our family members will rotate to feed and care for these animals. Attending to the needs of the animals, require not only patience and passion but also knowledge. I learn to run this business as I go along,” declared Dinend.
Over the course of his studies, as Dinend gained more in-depth knowledge through lectures and assignments, he would ponder on the practicality and impact of his business operations. His tenacity to grow continuously pushes his boundaries to the next level. “The course in international business broaden my horizon as I learn to look at all angles in running and expanding my start-up business, R&D Logistics,” stressed Dinend.
“He is constantly thinking ahead. It is a 24-7 job for him,” chuckled and said, Revathi and Vengdeshvary.
“Having exposure from the courses such as International Business Law, Finance and Logistic gave me a competitive advantage. I could grasp the concept and see how to apply the theoretical- knowledge in helping Dinend to run the day-to-day operations. But I still have a lot to learn from Dinend. He is the backbone of R& D Logistic,” confessed Revathi.
Mr Vigneswararao Appalanaidu, Head of School of Marketing and Management, mentioned that the teaching methodology at Nilai University focuses on training students to be analytical and yet versatile. “We encourage students to participate actively in class and the university. Students will deliver solo and team presentations as part of their assignments. Teamwork is a key focus here. To thrive in a business, working with people from all walks of life will be fundamental. Hence, this will lead to developing a proper structure, systems and support,” highlighted Mr Rao.
Business programmes in different specialised fields
There are 5 Honours Business Degree programmes offered by the Faculty of Business, Hospitality and Humanities in the various specialised fields:
- International Business
- Marketing
- Human Resource Management
- Management
- General Business Administration
Students who have just completed their SPM/ SPMV/ UEC or equivalent could directly enrol into the Foundation in Business or Diploma in Business Administration before opting for a specialised degree programme.
The versatile programme of Diploma in Business Administration gives students a head start in the business world. It incorporates, nine core courses, naming a few, Marketing, Law, Economics, Information Technology and other vital courses covering the inter-related aspects of businesses. The exposure to these different areas of business would allow students the exposure and time to decide on their field of specialisation. After completing the Diploma in Business Administration in 2.5 years, students could then decide on their specialised business degree.
“We craft these courses to expose students in the different areas of running a business. So if other students are budding entrepreneurs like Dinend, they will grasp the knowledge, apply and keep gaining the momentum to expand their horizons. It is enriching when we see our students living their true potential. This is the most significant role of any educator,” explained Mr Rao.
Nurturing potential
Dinend mentioned he is ever grateful to his lecturers. “I could ask my lecturers for advice anytime and bounce off ideas with them. It is very encouraging. It kept me motivated to propel my business to another level,” shared Dinend.
Determined to expand R & D Logistics, Dinend is collaborating with his customers and close friends to set-up another branch and a farm in East Malaysia. “It is not impossible to achieve our dreams. I am constantly looking for the next challenge, and I am also grateful to my family. Their support and trust assured me to fulfil my dreams,” Dinend humbly admits. Although Dinend will only be graduating next year, he has set fort more ambitious plans to explore and expand other related businesses.
“In this era, the business landscape is constantly changing, so having the passion and knowledge is one aspect, personal desire and drive to succeed is equally important too. We train students in risk management as well as in the business programmes,” mentioned Mr Rao.
Also, Nilai University offers many scholarships to students who have just completed their SPM, SPMV, UEC, O-Levels, STPM and A-Levels. Eligible students will enjoy tuition fees waiver up to 100% if they excel academically or in sports or societies. For further enquiries, please contact the education counsellors at 06-850 2308 for an appointment or send an e-mail message to [email protected] or visit Nilai University’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NilaiUniversity/ or website at www. nilai. edu. my. The next intake will be in January 2020.
The Star Newspaper, 19 Dec 2019
