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PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Hotel Management student Lim Yun Li preparing coffee for a customer at The Quad ¨C an in-house restaurant at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ that provides FHTM students with the platform to put their theoretical knowledge to practice.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Hotel Management student Lim Yun Li (middle) taking a break with a lecturer and fellow coursemate at The Quad ¨C an in-house restaurant at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ that provides FHTM students with the platform to put their theoretical knowledge t

Jackelyn Ng Shuk Chuen enjoys reading, watching movies and surfing the Internet in her free time. But underneath that easygoing nature is a bright teenager who is committed to bowling and her studies. 

A bowler who represents Sarawak in both national and international bowling tournaments including the ¡®Malaysian Olympics¡¯ (SUKMA), Ng is currently a student reading the Diploma in Hotel Management at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ University¡¯s Sarawak campus. 

The mix ¨C of bowling and hotel management ¨C is uncommon and Ng points out, with a laugh, that ¡°it¡¯s mostly because I enjoy meeting new people¡±. 

¡°I decided to take this programme because I would have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and learn about different cultures,¡± says the outgoing teenager. 

Having gained important skills ¨C from communication skills to customer service ¨C since taking the programme, Ng is pleased that she is also ¡°learning what hospitality management is really like in the real world.¡± 

At Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­¡¯s Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management (FHTM), students enjoy avenues to apply theoretical knowledge to practice.

One fine example is a University event themed, ¡®Korean Night 2013¡¯, which was organised by Ng and other students ¨C from both the Hotel Management and Culinary Arts programmes ¨C from scratch. 

In line with the Korean government¡¯s efforts to promote its cuisine and culture, the event was part of an assignment for the students¡¯ Banquet and Event Management course. 

Learning to run an event ¨C from the planning stage to actual event execution ¨C with her team members has helped Ng become who she is today: A critical thinker who can confidently manage an event. 

¡°Before, I found it challenging to speak in front of a classroom. It¡¯s amazing that I can now do so with more confidence, thanks to our frequent class presentations!¡± 

While the Faculty places emphasis on developing soft skills among its students, it also places equal emphasis on another: Practical experience. 

Putting theory to practice 

With more than 1,200 industry partners, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­¡¯s Co-op programme is undoubtedly the largest in Malaysia. The programme places students at related companies for two months each year, ensuring they are exposed to not just a real-life working environment but also the intricacies of the industry. 

Hotel Management student Lim Yun Li, who was placed at the Majestic Hotel ¨C a luxurious five-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur ¨C heaps praise on her experience there. 

¡°It was superb. I have never worked in a real-life hotel before so it was an eye opener for me,¡± says the intelligent 23-year-old. ¡°I learned so much and there is still so much more to learn!¡± 

The first part of her training at the hotel saw her as a Guest Service Assistant at the Front Desk before she took on the role as a Customer Relation Officer in the second part of her training. 

At the hotel, Lim has learned to anticipate the ¡®wants and needs¡¯ of customers as one who ¡®creates and crafts experiences for guests¡¯. 

But the most important thing she has taken away from her internship is passion for her work and a commitment to excellence ¨C something Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ has always advocated. 

The work-based learning (WBL) approach ¨C a unique, non-traditional academic plus industry experience delivery method ¨C at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ exemplifies this. 

With the WBL model, FHTM students will no longer be intimidated by the working world after graduation and the Co-Op nicely complements this approach. 

The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Group has established praxis? centres ¨C in-house business entities ¨C for this purpose: To equip students with the right skills and practical experience even prior to graduation. These include a boutique hotel (Le Quadri Hotel), a restaurant (The Quad) and a consultancy firm, to name a few. 

According to Lim, such exposure has ¡®made her stronger and more prepared¡¯ for her internship at Majestic Hotel and this is due to working at The Quad and Le Quadri Hotel. 

From tackling real-life customer concerns to cooking dishes for guests at the restaurant, Lim believes this is what university should be: Giving students a sneak peek into the real world. 

Steadfast in its commitment to produce industry-ready students like Lim and Ng, the Faculty is keen to see its students succeed in the multi-billion dollar tourism and hospitality industry, and continues to take the right steps to ensure its vision is achieved. 

To find out more about Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­¡¯s Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, contact us at 03-91018882 or email www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my/onlineenquiry. You can also drop by our Info Day on 5 and 6 April 2014 (9am ¨C 6pm).