“Many a time, prejudices and hate frequently arise from the lack of understanding of another person’s culture or difference. This fair exposes participants to the rich culture and heritage of more than 10 countries, so that understanding and respect of other cultures can be fostered in the student community,” said Dr. Lisa Tan, principal of SEGi College, Subang Jaya.

“I am heartened that our students, from more than 100 countries worldwide, can come together to organize a large-scale charity event. Credit must be given to Dr. Steven Baptist, Dean of the American Degree Program.”

“We are also grateful to our partners who came and supported this event,” added Dr. Tan. Present to launch the event was the High Commissioner of Kenya, His Excellency David Gachoki Njoka, Director of Information Division from Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia, Ms Peggy Chou and P.A. to Y. Bhg. Comendador Tan Sri Datuk Eugenio Campos, Consulate of Portugal, Ms. Carla Tavares Belo.

Aside from food and cultural shows, the fair also showcased a photo-editing workshop, attended by nearby secondary schools.

There were talks on early childcare, financial planning and studying in Australia. Many took the opportunity to sit in for the special talk on career-readiness given by En. Wan Abu Bakar, former Director of Labour from the Ministry of Human Resources.

The project illustrates the dynamic nature of the American Degree Program offered in partnership with Upper Iowa University.

“The ADP programme is different from other undergraduate programmes in the sense that this programme focuses more on student to lecturer interactions and the student is trained to be independent and creative,” said Dr. Lisa Tan.

Focusing on America’s way of learning, the syllabus is structured to build the self-esteem and confidence of students, to make them more verbal and encourages two-way communication during classes. Being confident in voicing out your opinions is imperative, as it builds social skills.

According to Dr. Tan, graduates of ADP programme differ from other graduates.

“Based on my observation, I noticed ADP graduates are preferred as they have been trained to be independent, to take the initiative in solving problems as well as voicing opinions openly. This will actually benefit the students in the real world.”

The programme structure itself demands discipline as daily classroom attendance and assignments bears a huge part of the overall assessment of students.

SEGi College collaborates with Upper Iowa University to offer the ADP programme. It is a 4+0 programme which allows students to complete their degree locally without having to go overseas. This translates into huge amount of savings in terms of cost.

The award of the Upper Iowa University (UIU) is the Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Psychology, Business Management, Communication, Marketing and Information Technology. Students have an option to take on double majors for the programme.

SEGi College’s programmes are accredited and approved by MQA (Malaysian Qualifications Agency) and the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).

SEGi Group of College has been established for the past 30 years, and is today one of the largest private higher education providers in the country. With 16,000 students, the Group has 5 campuses located in Kota Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, Subang USJ, Penang and Kuching, Sarawak.

Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is the largest private university in Iowa and has its main campus in Fayette, Northeast Iowa. For 150 years, UIU has had a tradition of providing quality education and has a long list of accomplished alumni.

UIU ranks in the top 10 percent of colleges in the States for the enhancement of student learning — CLA Learning Report (2007). The University offers relevant, quality degree programs to almost 6,000 students at its residential campus, at learning centres in the US and foreign countries.