Students decked in graduation robes and mortarboards, and smartphones lifted high above heads to get that perfect group shot. That would perfectly describe INTI and University of Wollongong’s graduation ceremonies that was recently held in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
The graduating class of 2017 from INTI Penang.
The graduation ceremony will always be considered as one of the most important highlights of a students’ experience in university, and the recent ceremonies were not any different. Gleaming parents, clearly feeling very proud of their children’s achievements and friends greeting each other added to the buzz of excitement in the hall. These students successfully completed their studies in various fields of study at a degree and postgraduate level.
The ceremony at Kuala Lumpur also saw the attendance of a very special guest, Dr. Angela MacDonald, the Australian Deputy High Commissioner in Malaysia who addressed the students with her keynote speech and shared some interesting insights on her relationship with the University of Wollongong.
“Today is not only a significant day for you, but it is also for me as my father was once a University of Wollongong graduate, and I remember watching his graduation ceremony as a child sitting on my mother’s lap,” she said.
As part of INTI’s continuing collaboration with its industry partners, the graduation ceremonies also saw the participation of representatives from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) Malaysia, General Electric (GE) Malaysia, JobStreet, CPA Australia, Intel Technology, Wilmar Malaysia and ACCA Malaysia who presented their industry awards to high achieving graduates.
“At INTI, we are very proud of our students’ employability success. We have nurtured them to the best of our abilities using teachings that are truly world class and today, each graduate stand as a testimony of our efforts. I have no doubts that all of them will go and make an impact in their chosen field of work,” said Timothy Bulow, Chief Executive Officer of INTI International University and Colleges.
Staying true to INTI’s employability credentials, Veanu Thanabalan, 27, the valedictorian from INTI Penang’s graduation ceremony was offered a job at Ernst & Young Malaysia as a Transaction Tax Associate even before his graduation.
“My biggest reason for choosing INTI was definitely due to their quality of teaching and I am glad I took that decision. It helped to give me a strong foundation and when Ernst & Young Malaysia, one of the biggest auditing firms in the country came calling, I was thrilled,” he shared.
The same sentiment was also shared by Tharani Venkidalasalam, 24 and Choong Seong Choon, 25, both graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics) degree at INTI’s Subang campus and walked the graduation stage, having secured jobs with Shell Malaysia and IBM Malaysia respectively. ?
The INTI industry partners with Dr. Angela MacDonald, the Australian Deputy High Commissioner in Malaysia (fifth from left).
“It was great that I was able to secure a job this soon and I could not be much more excited. I even had the luxury of being able to choose out of two really big companies and Shell Malaysia was my number one choice,” said Tharani.
“It still feels surreal that only today I am graduating and I am going to work on Monday,” she ended on a lighter note.
As for Choong Seong Choon, who’s currently working as an Accounts Receivable Specialist at IBM Malaysia, he said, “IBM Malaysia is a technology giant in Malaysia and I did not expect to land a job here at the start of my career. It is also very helpful that IBM and INTI has had a strong relationship over the years.”
On top of hiring INTI graduates, IBM’s collaboration with INTI is also further enhanced by introduction of the IBM Innovation Center for Education (ICE) program with the undergraduate programs and academic courses for the Computing & IT and Business verticals in INTI.
With six campuses across Malaysia, INTI has over 30 years produced quality graduates who possess not only a home-grown or international academic qualification, but also effective communication, analytical and leadership skills that will enable them to take on career challenges. The INTI experience gives them an edge when they go on to pursue successful careers and contribute significantly to the economy and society.
INTI’s strong industry linkage have also laid the foundation for its positive student outcomes in employability which has been validated by BDO Governance Advisory in 2015. This includes the fact that 98% of INTI graduates are employed within 6 months of graduation, while 25% receive job offers even before they graduate. 82% of INTI graduates are also paid higher than the market average – a reflection of the skills and capabilities they are able to demonstrate.