KOTA SAMARAHAN: On January 11, 2024, 31 Final Year Strategic Communication Programme students from the Faculty of Education, Language, and Communication (FELC), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), hosted a seminar titled “Communicating Financial Literacy Among Future Graduates”. It was held physically at Seminar Room, Level 1, Pusat Islam Tun Abang Salahuddin (PITAS), UNIMAS, and virtually via Zoom platform.

The seminar was guided by Dr. Dayang Aizza Maisha binti Abang Ahmad, Deputy Dean of Industry and Community Engagement (ICE), FELC, and the course coordinator for this seminar. 82 participants attended the seminar physically, while 11 attended online. The seminar aimed to foster effective communication with future graduates about financial information, provide a comprehensive understanding of financial literacy, and empower them with practical tools and insights.

The panellists for the seminar are Madam Marlene Margaret Nichol, Head of Branch Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency at Bank Negara Malaysia, Kuching; Mr. Bakri bin Abdul Karim, Senior Lecturer from the Faculty of Economics and Business, UNIMAS; and Mr. Cheong Kwang Siang, a Certified Financial Planner from Genexus Advisory Sdn. Bhd., Kuching.  The seminar was officiated by Professor Dr. Ambigapathy A/L Pandian, Dean, Faculty of Education, Language, and Communication (FELC), with the presence of Professor Dr. Mohd Hasnain bin Mohd Hussain, Director of University Industry Center (UnIC), Dr. Mohd Najib bin Abdullah, Deputy Director of UnIC, and lecturers from the Strategic Communication Programme.

Goh Yi Lin, the program director, encouraged the audience in her speech by stating, “Let us seize this opportunity to gain the valuable insights that our esteemed panels are here to impart. Together, we will explore effective ways to communicate complex financial information, making it more understandable for everyone. This seminar aims to provide our future graduates with the resources they need to lead a financially secure life.”

Several important issues were discussed and unravelled in this seminar, covering topics including the importance of being financially literate, how academic institutions cultivate students with a culture of financial responsibility, and current trends and issues in the finance industry.

This seminar was part of the Seminar on Issues in Strategic Communication, a course under the Strategic Communication Programme, providing final-year students with hands-on experience and the skill set to organise intellectual discourse on strategic communication issues.

Photography session with the VIPs, invited panellists, lecturers, organising committees and the students to commemorate this seminar.