KUCHING: Twenty students from Toyo University, Japan and 12 from International College of Advanced Technology Sarawak (i-CATS) participated in the Diversity Voyage in Malaysia programme, which began on Sept 7 and ended
yesterday.
Organised by Global Incubation, Fostering Talents (GiFT) Japan in collaboration with Midin Sarawak, the programme was designed for the promotion of Global Citizenship awareness.
The programme aimed to encourage students to challenge themselves in an overseas country to open up their eyes to the world, apart from raising awareness of being global citizens through interaction and dialogue with local students, and mobilising students towards social participation and contribution.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng emphasised that choosing Sarawak to host the programme was the right decision.
“The state has over 20 ethnic groups with different cultures all living in harmony thus symbolising diversity and hospitality at its best.”
He was speaking at the closing ceremony at i-CATS West Campus in Stampin here, yesterday.
Wee added that such a programme had been a remarkable bridge between Japan and Malaysia, especially Kuching, Sarawak, as many local students had met wonderful friends from Japan and built long-lasting friendship through it.
The programme is a short-term (nine to 10 days) intensive programme, operated in eight different countries in Asia namely Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos, Thailand and Bhutan.
In the programme, students are encouraged to explore the theme for the respective project where they are to co-create new ideas and values. With this, participants realise the connection between themselves and society.
Also present were i-CATS international marketing manager Jong Tien Kiong, Midin Sarawak founder and CEO Chew Kim Soon, and GiFT facilitators Kentaro Kubo and Kaori Nohara.
