Life Beyond Graduation Conference

On 5 June 2024, the informative and insightful Life Beyond Graduation conference took place at our very own Kuala Lumpur Teaching Centre (KLTC) located at Menara Chulan. 

This conference was hosted by the university’s Student Association, and it was mainly organised by Hana Alabiad, the Postgraduate Officer. With the help of the Alumni and Donor Relations Office (ADRO), we were able to bring together a group of esteemed and reputable alumni to become panellists for the conference! 

The Life Beyond Graduation conference spanned throughout the whole day, with three separate sections that catered to different aspects of what awaits our students beyond their life as a student. These sections included Academia, Corporate, and Wellness. 

Charting Your Path: Navigating the Journey to an Academic Career 

1. TS. Dr Jaya Kumar Karunagharan – Assistant Professor, UNM 

Ts. Dr Jaya Kumar Karunagharan is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM). He has been teaching in higher education for almost 20 years and is currently the Head of Foundation in Science at UNM. Jaya graduated with a BSc in Biotechnology and an MSc in Genetics. He eventually switched to a PhD in Psychology, through which he studied the effects of stereotype threat on underrepresented students within a classroom setting, due to his passion for education. Jaya’s research work currently revolves around teaching and learning, especially intergroup processes that affect underrepresented groups in STEM and development of tools, such as augmented reality and lab simulations, to better educational outcomes. 

2. Dr Lee Ai-Suan – Lecturer, Sunway University 

Dr Lee Ai-Suan is currently a Lecturer and Programme Leader (Master of Science in Psychology) at the Department of Psychology, School of Medical and Life Sciences at Sunway University, Malaysia. After completing her PhD at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, she was an Assistant Professor at University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Kampar campus. Ever since graduation, Dr Lee has been a passionate educator, awarded with a Student Appreciation of Teaching Award. 

3. Sarabjit Kaur – Lecturer, Monash University 

Sarabjit is an experienced lecturer and researcher with a PhD in Business & Management from the University of Nottingham Malaysia. She specialises in consumer behaviour, AI in marketing, and marketing analytics, and is currently a full-time lecturer at Monash University Malaysia, with prior roles at both Taylor’s University and Sunway University. Not only is she published in marketing journals, involved in research supervision, and dedicated to mentoring students, but Sarabjit is also passionate about integrating technology and innovative practices in marketing education and research. 

From Lecture Halls to Boardrooms: Adapting to the Corporate World 

1. Chin Wai Hong – Founder & HR Solutionist, Scrum HR Group 

Chin Wai Hong is an accomplished HR executive with a comprehensive 15-year career span, dedicated to enhancing human capital and organisational culture in diverse industries across Southeast Asia. He currently serves as the Head of People & Culture for EUPE Corporation Berhad, where he drives strategic HR initiatives to align with the company's expansive real estate and development goals since October 2022. He is also the Founder and Principal Consultant for his own start-up, Scrum HR Group Sdn Bhd, since 2019, championing the building the competencies of the HR community in Malaysia. 

2. Charles Chong – Founder & CEO, Crave Mobile App / Executive Director Business Development, ATHQ 

Charles Chong is the Founder and CEO of Crave, a mobile app that allows people to post and search for trending dishes near them for free. He graduated with First Class from UNM where he studied MEng Electrical and Electronics Engineering. His career began with BookDoc, a personalised health and wellness app for enhanced well-being, where he was the Business Development Manager and Head of Partnerships. Currently, Charles is an Executive Director Business Development at ATHQ Sdn. Bhd. Charles also owns a podcast called StudioSembang, and is in the process of making a gameshow with his business partners (Amelia Henderson and her brother, Alex Henderson) called Back to Sekolah. These projects currently consist of clients like ZUS Coffee and Spritzer. 

3. Sarah Wong – Chief of Staff, Bintang Capital Partners 

Sarah holds a degree in Economics and Finance from UNM. She found her passion in people instead of numbers while serving in AIESEC (Non-Profit Organisation). Prior to joining Bintang, Sarah spent time at a government agency, TalentCorp, where she ran regional flagship programmes such as MyASEAN Internship and helped to co-create the Malaysian national talent development agenda. Following her stint there, Sarah joined WeWork Malaysia’s pioneer team to launch two co-working spaces, welcoming more than 2,000 new members in Kuala Lumpur during that time. Apart from a full-time job, Sarah is a Recruitment Lead in Girls4girls Malaysia and is an alumnus of Axiata's Young CEO Development Programme. 

4. Cedric Lezer – General Manager, Hilti Malaysia (non-alumni) 

Cedric is currently the General Manager/ Managing Director of Hilti Malaysia since July 2021. Though he has reigned in this position for the past three years, Cedric has spent 17 years with Hilti altogether. His career progression began from Global Account Executive to Sales Director, and currently the General Manager at various countries. Cedric completed his studies at CY Cergy Paris Université and ISC Paris. 

5. Amir Farid – Senior Manager People Strategy & Planning, PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (non-alumni) 

Amir is a PETRONAS scholar who graduated with First Class honours in Chemical Engineering, with an 8-month stint at BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany as a Research Intern. He also holds a Master of Science in Process Plant Management and is currently pursuing a DBA as part of personal growth. At the end of 2023, Amir was given the opportunity to be exposed to a HRM role, specialising in People Strategy & Planning at PETRONAS Dagangan Sdn. Bhd. (PDB). This current role also provides the platform to be part of HR Sustainability Project, orchestrating and shaping HR efforts in the overall PETRONAS Sustainability Journey. 

Mind Over Matter: Mental Wellness Strategies for Recent Graduates 

1. Dr Christine Leong – Assistant Professor, UNM 

Dr Christine Leong graduated from the University of Nottingham with a Bsc (Hons) in Psychology, and a PhD in Psycholinguistic. She is a chartered member and a registered ability educational test user of the British Psychological Society. She currently holds the Director of Teaching and Learning role in the School of Psychology and leads the MiND and Neurodevelopment Research Cluster in the university. She had won several teaching excellences and a Lord Dearing award, and her primary research interest lies in developmental trajectory of multilingual, typical and atypical children. 

2. Carmen Lee – Clinical Psychologist, WeCare Allied Health Center 

Carmen is a passionate clinical psychologist dedicated to empowering individuals through psychological challenges. Carmen’s clinical training includes experience in university counselling centres, private psychology centres, and NGOs, where she worked with a diverse range of clients. Her roles have encompassed individual therapy for adults, psychological assessments, and interventions for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Currently, Carmen is the manager and clinical psychologist at WeCare Allied Health Center, where she continues to deliver care and support for her clients. 

3. Shazeema Mashood Shah – Senior Clinical Psychologist, Director of WeCare Allied Health Center (non-alumni) 

Shazeema is a Certified Senior Clinical Psychologist experienced in mental and developmental disorders in children and adults. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and a master's in clinical psychology from Kyushu University, Japan, where she was awarded the Japanese Government Scholarship (MEXT). Shazeema integrates her knowledge of psychology and Islamic studies in her practice. She worked as a full-time Clinical Psychologist at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Health Psychology Clinic until 2017 before transitioning to the private sector. She is the Director of WeCare Allied Health Center, Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, and is the current Treasurer of the Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology (MSCP). 

Looking forward to attending more conferences in the future and learn from our very own esteemed alumni? 

Stay connected and up to date by registering yourself for the UNM Alumni Network today!