Mr. Ting motivating students to boost their confidence

“You will be the best that you can be!” Students tell one another in an exercise during the module

Kuala Lumpur, 22 January 2010 - UCSI University’s Centre for Learning Excellence, together with the UCSI Blue Ocean Regional Centre (UCSI-BOSRC) are collaborating to conduct a Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) Workshop for Peer-Assisted Study Session (PASS) Leaders and Writing Mentors. The 12 training modules that have been developed will be delivered over the next ten months. The first module kicked off today.

The workshop, conducted by Mr. Peter Ting, Director of Marketing and Operations for the UCSI-BOSRC, is designed to develop specific skills for PASS students, who lead the study sessions. The first module opened their eyes to what they want to be, and built their motivation to attain excellence, and to assume their position as a leader among peers. Future modules will also look into developing their people skills, management skills and ways to become effective mentors.

According to the Manager for UCSI University’s Centre for Learning Excellence, Christine Wong Siew Kuan, the BOS course is a huge benefit to the students in the long run. “The PASS programme runs on a strictly volunteer basis. Although the students are not paid, we want to reward all of our PASS Leaders and Writing Mentors by helping them build their existing skills, and develop new ones. This gives them that extra edge when they enter the job market.” At the end of the training session, they will receive a certificate from both the UCSI- BOSRC and the Centre for Learning Excellence.

Blue Ocean Strategy, developed by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne is based on a study of 150 strategic moves spanning more than a hundred and thirty industries, to create “blue oceans” of uncontested market space. The workshop conducted for the students will feature Blue Ocean Strategy tools, giving them an insight into tools that can be applied to the PASS programme.

Most of the students who joined the workshop are excited at the prospect of improving themselves. “I hope to be a more assertive leader, and gain the confidence of my peers when I guide  them, ” says Leo Jinyi, a 2nd year Foundation in Arts student, who has been guiding students for algebra and trigonometry subjects for the past semester. Mbe Fokam Pierre Antione, a 2nd Year Mechatronic Engineering student, who has been leading his peers in physics for the past semester, adds that he wants to improve his management skills. “I want to be able to manage my time and resources more effectively, and the skills I will learn will help me, not only in the PASS programme, but in other societies that I am involved in as well, so that I can be an effective leader,” he says.