UTP Technology, Education & Career 2016 (TEC16)

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

Assalamualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,

Salam Sejahtera dan Salam 1Malaysia,

In recent weeks, we have seen some unimaginable news in the sports arena. Leicester City, a team that was very much in the relegation battle to survive the English Premier League last season, is now the EPL champions beating the obvious big names such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City. Leicester City, known as the Foxes, has only one famous name known to football fans that is their club manager, Claudio Ranieri. Most of their players were unknown. Well perhaps, now you’d know them! They won the title with pure hard work and sheer passion, which they showed, consistently, week-in-week-out! Truly, a world class performance.

2. Then, last Sunday, Denmark won the Thomas Cup, the first European team to win it. Their hard fought wins with gripping scores of 3 – 2 over Malaysia in the semi-final and Indonesia in the final, have smashed the dominant world of badminton which since 1949 have always been won by Asian countries – Indonesia, China, Malaysia and one-time-champion-Japan. Specifically in the semi-finals, Denmark crawled back with conviction and ‘don’t give up’ attitude from 0 – 2 score line and won all 3 remaining matches to beat our Malaysian team! Their fighting spirit is really remarkable.

3. There are certainly a lot of valuable lessons that we can take from these. The same lessons can be applied for both our future UTP graduates as well as participating employers – that nothing is impossible to be achieved as demonstrated by Leicester City when we are willing to work hard. Particularly in tough times to rekindle the fighting spirit, to soldier on towards our goal as displayed by Denmark’s team.

YBhg Datuk Ir. (Dr.) Abdul Rahim Hj. Hashim, Vice Chancellor, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS,

Saudara Megat Ahmad ‘Izzudin Putera Azhari, CEO, Technology, Education & Career (TEC) 2016,

Deputy Vice Chancellors,

Members of UTP Management Committee & Senate,

Respected Sponsors and Representatives of Participating Companies,

Students, Ladies and Gentlemen

4. Alhamdulillah, let me express our utmost gratitude to Allah, The Almighty, for it is with His Grace, that all of us are gathered here today for this opening ceremony of Technology, Education and Career 2016 (TEC16). My deepest appreciation to Datuk Rahim Hashim, the Vice Chancellor of UTP and colleagues for me to be associated with this auspicious event. It certainly gives me great pleasure to be with all of you this afternoon.

5. Technology, Education and Career 2016 or TEC 16 – an event organised by our students themselves, stand as a concrete proof to the immense potential of our students. I would like to congratulate the Organising Committee for undertaking such an endeavour to make this event a successful one. It is very fulfilling to know that UTP has continuously for the past 16 years cultivated a commitment to nurture and invest in students’ self-enrichment and career development. Big kudos to both UTP Management and the pro-active students. A round of applause to the University and the Organising Committee.

6. ‘Bridging Talents to Triumphs’ – the theme for this year’s TEC is apt as it intends to be a catalyst in bridging the relationship between students and various multinational companies towards mutual benefit and success. It is my hope that today’s event will sow the seeds in each of our students to start charting their own future prior to their graduation. It is also a golden opportunity for prospective employers to interact and mingle with future employees who will one day spearhead your respective companies towards greater heights, at the same time contributing to the growth of our nation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

7. Most of you today are still a student but trust me, it won’t be long before you walk out through the University’s gates with a graduation scroll in your hands. So plan and do from now what you want to achieve in years to come. Ask yourselves, where do you want to be and what you want to achieve in 5, 10 or 20 years to come? There is no doubt that plans can change and it will, from time to time, as we learn through our own experiences. But what is important for you is to start charting your own course now. Set your own ‘Big-Hairy-Audacious-Goals’ or BHAGs! Timid goals will only get negligible results. A popular quote serves a good reminder – “if people are not laughing at your dreams, your dreams are not big enough”. The success demonstrated by both Leicester City and Denmark are not just pure luck! Learn from them. Model how they have worked.

8. Whatever dreams you may have, learn to think and act way above your current position. You will be more impactful, as you are thinking beyond your own immediate remit. Thinking about the outcome of your role, your actions onto others. You don’t have to be a CEO before you can have the mindset of a good CEO. So, dare to be different and push the boundaries whilst remaining humble at all times.

9. Another important value that all of us must have is Integrity. It goes beyond just about avoiding corrupt behaviours. Integrity is about delivering what is expected of us and more, to the best of our capability. It must govern every aspect of our life – whether at University, at home, with friends and colleagues, with family. Integrity must be consistent, every time! All the time!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

10. On the part of the University, one of the culture change journeys that we are embarking is moving towards Technopreneurship. It simply means entrepreneurship in a technology intensive context. It is a process of merging technology prowess and entrepreneurial talents and skills. A Technopreneur is a person who introduces new products and services, by creating new forms of organizations and add further value to new raw materials. It is someone who perceives an opportunity and creates an organization to pursue it as well as undertaking risks that has the possibility of profit.

11. Gone were the days where regular entrepreneur skills would suffice for us to live another day. In this era of innovation economy, we need to create uncontested market space and break away from the competition by reconstructing the boundaries we are in. Technopreneurship would be able to cater simultaneously for differentiation and low cost. This would create a society that promotes high end thinking to push us forward and create a win-win outcome for customers, the company, and for employees as well as stakeholders.

12. With the numerous big accomplishments of UTP to date and growing global reputation among academic partners and employers, event such as today is undoubtedly a proactive effort by the University in creating the right and conducive environment for our students to demonstrate their leadership qualities. This is important in preparing fresh graduates to meet or better, to exceed the expectations of today’s industries and in the years to come. To date, UTP graduates achieved 95% employability within 6 months of graduation.

13. It is my sincere hope that the sponsors and representatives of companies at TEC today will have a successful engagements with our students that will potentially lead to positive outcomes. Sourcing for the right talent for the right position is always crucial and critical activities.

14. Thank you, once again for giving all your time and efforts in order to ensure this year’s TEC 16 a success.

15. With ‘Bismillahirahmanirahim’, I officiate UTP’s Technology Education & Career 2016.

16. Thank you. Wabillahi Taufik Walhidayah, Wassamualaikum Warahmatullahhi Wabarakatuh.