PENANG, 14 January 2026 – Students from the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) School of Communication (PPK) have uplifted the word ‘ECHO’ in the closing ceremony as a symbol to the various social awareness campaigns with social-based themes that were carried out throughout last semester.

The event, which was organised by final-year students from the School of Communication, combined the efforts of four groups of students which had focused on various social issues as part of their campaign for their YKT311 Final-Year Project.

Utilising the word ECHO to symbolise continued awareness, the closing ceremony was meant to be reflective, to share a social message and to highlight the impact of the initiatives which had been done collectively.

The campaigns have detailed four distinct but interconnected social dimensions in creating an understanding of society, which are:

SYNQ – raising the dimension of Empathy through the campaign ‘Sprout Up’, that focused on creating awareness about children with cerebral palsy;
U.N.M.U.T.E. – bringing the dimension of Bravery through the caption #BeraniSayNo, to counter bullying issues and to empower individuals to voice out;
Hikarya – focusing on Heritage via ‘Mai Cerita’, that celebrated traditional performing arts;
Bloom – bringing forward the idea of being Original through ‘YOUnique’, a campaign that highlighted self-acceptance and various physical body shapes.

The programme was filled with excitement, from the brief presentation of each group to a montage showing the progress of the campaign, a session to show appreciation to fellow group members and sponsors, and a special gimmick to symbolise the end of all the initiatives done.

ECHO had had the support of a number of strategic partners, namely Penang Youth Department, Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM), Befrienders, Penang Cerebral Palsy Association, Wak Long Music & Art Centre, Mind Navi Consultation, Ling In Art Therapy along with a few educational institutions in the state.

The programme highlighted the efforts by the USM School of Communication (PPK) students in bridging academics with real-life impact, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – especially SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

PPK said in a statement that it would continue its commitment in organising programmes with a social impact, to raise the awareness of the community and to continue bringing benefits to society.

Text & Photo: Unit Perhubungan Awam, Majlis Penutup ECHO/Editing: Marziana Mohamed Alias