The real voyage of discovery consists not in
seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes
I was presented with the rare opportunity to
mingle and interact with Communications Guru David
Bernstein
I am now blessed with new eyes when I look at
the world around me
I am now blessed with new eyes when I look at
the world around me
By Jonathan Mah
Using UCSI University’s extensive
network on Facebook, the e-News team have been able to track
down many alumni members who are eager to tell their story
to us. Whether far flung in India, England, Australia, or
in the urban city of Penang, one by one, they come forward
to tell their story, and how their experience at UCSI University
has benefitted them. Look out for the more stories
to come!
In the pursuit of education, French novelist Marcel
Proust once said that “the real voyage of discovery consists
not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes”.
Having studied in Malaysia for my undergraduate studies,
I now needed to view life from a different perspective.
Upon completion of my Mass Communications degree at UCSI
University, pursuing my masters was the next logical step
in my academic pursuit of knowledge. The three years spent
for my undergraduate degree opened up a wealth of opportunities
for me to further expand my knowledge in this field. The
realization that I need to view this field in a different
perspective motivated me to specialize in a field I have
always had deep interest in, that is, brand management.
Currently I am pursuing my M. Sc. in Corporate Brand Management
under the tutelage of Professor John M.T. Balmer; a renown
Corporate Marketing Professor at Brunel University, West
London. The course provides me with a detailed understanding
of the interaction, interrelationship and interdependence
between corporate strategy and the disparate elements of
the corporate communications mix (brand management, corporate
reputation management, corporate identity management and
marketing communications).
Though I have just completed one out of the two academic
terms here in the UK, the opportunity and knowledge obtained
outside the classroom was priceless. I was presented with
the rare opportunity to mingle and interact with Communications
Guru David Bernstein and Graham Hales, Interbrand’s
London Managing Director, during their visit to my University
as part of the advisory board agendas. Hearing insights
from influential individuals like them during their guest
lecture series was truly inspirational.
The modules offered at UCSI University for my undergraduate
degree provided me with the fundamental basics of marketing
communications that is essential in my postgraduate degree.
The lecturers, who delivered these modules, were knowledgeable
in their fields and provided me with a comprehensive understanding
of the topics covered.
Since the majority of my course mates in this M. Sc. programme
are mature students; there was a vast pool of knowledge
and working experience I could wean from them. This is when
the Co-Operative Placement Programme I underwent at UCSI
University became helpful. Though lasting only 6 months,
my placement at Ogilvy & Mather Advertising provided me
with the fundamental experiences of this dynamic and ever
evolving industry.
Participation in various extra co-curricular activities
at UCSI University also allowed for a more holistic educational
experience that nurtured my social and team working skills
with other individuals. The multi-cultural and multi-national
composition of the students at UCSI University also facilitated
my adjustments into the local culture and environment in
the UK as the diverse environment here was not too far different
from that of back home.
Certainly my pursuit of knowledge was not confined within
the four walls of the classroom. The total sum of my knowledge
is the sum total of all my life’s experiences. And its these
experiences which make a lasting impression on a person.
And so, I would cherish for life all those experiences I
had gained back home at UCSI University, as well as these
that I have gained here in the UK. I am now blessed with
new eyes when I look at the world around me.
