VISIT BY STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA SABAH (UMS)

A group of 24 students including lecturers from the University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) visited the Consulate on 13 August 2007.  The delegation, led by the Dean of the School of Business and Economics, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kassim Hj. Mansor, was on their study tour of the U.S. which took them to visit several cities including Los Angeles, Denver, Milwaukee, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C. and New York.

According to Dr. Kassim, the study tour was significant in that the entire planning and preparations of the visit were primarily undertaken by the students themselves. These include seeking financial supports, logistical arrangements and securing visits to the several universities in the U.S. 

In his welcoming speech, Mr. Sadik Gany, the Consul General congratulated the UMS for its efforts in taking students abroad.  The exposure undoubtedly helped to enrich and further improve the soft skills of the students.  As cultural Ambassador, establishing people-to-people relationship through visits abroad also helped in enhancing Malaysia’s soft power.  Mr. Sadik later briefed the delegation on the role and functions of the Consulate which was later followed by a Q & A session.  At the end of the briefing session, Mr. Sadik presented a book ‘The World is Flat’ to the students representative.  In his closing remarks, Mr. Sadik advised the students, who are mostly in the final year undergraduate studies to continue to remain in touch with their foster parents and friends in the U.S. when they are back in Malaysia. 

The students were later treated to a luncheon which was hosted by the Consulate.