UCSI University’s Hospitality and Tourism Students Learn
Through Training
11 March 2010
Museum
Roger
Kuching, 11 March 2010 - Students
of UCSI University, Sarawak Campus, which houses the
Faculty of Hospitality and Management, are seeing much
of the outside world in the first two months of their
semester so far.
A mixture of fresh school-leavers and more mature students,
they are involved in many outside events and activities
which include setting up and serving food at fine dining
functions, training at ballroom dinner functions, attending
a youth dialogue, listening to a talk on ‘The Paradigm
Shift’, being graded on their food and beverage service
skills, and going on field trips for their assignments.
To date, their biggest involvement in the world of hospitality
was the Masonic Installation Banquet in January, where
they learnt fine dining service skills. In this project,
they were involved from the planning stage right through
the post-event, giving them the opportunity to display
to dinner guests their hospitality and excellent service
skills , as well as to interact and socialise with members
of the elite society.
In early February, a select group of students participated
in a Youth Dialogue Session organised by the Sarawak
Development Institute on ‘Continuing the Legacy of Freedom
and Harmony Under the 1Malaysia Concept’. They listened
to key figures speak on the implementation of the 1Malaysia
Concept in Sarawak.
Event and Tourism Management student Fifi Lea felt that
the 1Malaysia Concept has long been ingrained in the
hearts of all Sarawakians. “I have grown up being surrounded
by many friends from different religious and cultural
backgrounds, and we’ve never had a problem with our
differences,” she stated, adding that neither has she
seen nor experienced bullying due to racial or cultural
differences.
Alana Christie Jeffry, a Hospitality Management student
feels that “The 1Malaysia Concept can be strengthened,
just by refining the mindset of today’s youths to realize
the possibility of harmonious living with one another
despite our differences since it is already happening
at UCSI University, where people from all over Sarawak
are mixing around easily with one another.”
Just before Chinese New Year, the Hospitality Management
students were brought to the Borneo Convention Centre
Kuching (BCCK) for food and beverage (F&B) training
to familiarise them with service for large-scale functions.
According to Programme Leader, Ms. Sim Pei Lin, “This
training programme was also the first step in preparing
new students for events to be held at BCCK in the next
few months. Our students must always be prepared and
continue to sharpen their skills in terms of service
quality, friendliness, approachability, and competitiveness,
to name a few. ” UCSI University, Sarawak Campus’ students
were involved in many of the dinner events held at BCCK
in 2009.
Another UCSI University group, consisting of Event &
Tourism Management students, visited the Sarawak Museum
to learn more about the history of the state, as well
as its people and culture. Thus, Clare Puyang
Ngau and Patricia Unyang Richard, who are originally
from the resort city, Miri, learnt quite a bit about
their ethnic grouping, the Kayans, their ancestral origins
and how they lived before the world underwent modernisation.
Recently, UCSI University, Sarawak Campus Hospitality
Management students sat for their midterm examinations.
To spice up the examination contents, their lecturers
and programme leaders incorporated the trainees’ practical
food and beverage service module into their final grades.
Divided into three groups, students had to serve actual
customers at the University’s Coffee Bar and Bistro.
Hospitality programme coordinator Imelda Yap said, “They
were graded on their set-up and service skills, and
also on how well they communicated with their customers
and putting them at ease. Another criterion was their
deftness at de-boning fish served as the main course
dish.”
She added, “This midterm practical training was also
in preparation for their upcoming assignment in food
and beverage management in March. This is a project
which requires the same groups of students to organise
and make profit from an event inviting customers to
the Campus Coffee Bar. They will be graded on their
creativity, teamwork, efficiency, and service quality.”
Besides this, several field trips and excursions to
places of interest in Kuching, around Sarawak and even
outside of Malaysia have been planned to ensure students
get a feel of the real world of hospitality and tourism
- challenging, yet a pleasure to be part of.
Students who are interested in hands-on experiential
learning are welcomed to call UCSI University, Sarawak
Campus at +6082 455 255 or view the website at
www.ucsi.edu.my/sarawak.
"Without
prejudice to the rights of UCSI the information herein
is correct at the time of printing and UCSI reserves
the right to make amendments without prior notice."
Last Updated:
12 March 2010
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Press Contact Details
Aland Tay
Business Development Manager
Email:
aland@ucsi.edu.my
Telephone:
+6082 - 455 255
