KATHMANDU, NEPAL, August 2015 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has widened its involvement in the university-community engagement programme at the global level by providing assistance to victims of the earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, which devastated Nepal on 25 April through the ‘Coaching4Fun Against the Quakes’ (C4F) pioneer project.  

This C4F Project, which was officiated and launched at the Godavari Alumni Association Futsal Hall, Thamel here recently, was the result of a collaboration between USM via Asia-Pacific University-Community Network (APUCEN) and Kyoto University of Foreign Studies Japan, together with the non-governmental organisation (NGO) MMICARE Association Malaysia and ENGAGE Nepal.

According to the Executive-Director of APUCEN, Associate Professor Dr. Aileen Tan Shau-Hwai, this project gave an opportunity to victims of the Nepal earthquake who had lost the ability to walk to continue their lives and re-establish themselves in society with their involvement in the sports of basketball on wheelchairs.

“This university-community engagement programme encourages the development of volunteerism and leadership among the youth who had lost their ability to walk, other than to instil motivation, inspiration and hope for them to reach for new objectives in their lives.

“The Division of Industry and Community (BJIM) USM also have the opportunity to be involved directly via APUCEN in assisting and changing the lives of those who are less fortunate, going beyond target groups in foreign countries, hence fulfilling the aspiration of USM and realising its community engagement agenda,” said the lecturer from the School of Biological Sciences USM, who also attended the launch of the C4F Project.  

Also in the ceremony, representatives from the four institutions were introduced to the basketball players in wheelchairs, who then shared their experiences and life stories after the Nepal earthquake, besides being treated to a display of a 3-on-3 basketball game between two local teams of basketball players in wheelchairs formed by ENGAGE in the Kathmandu province.

Others who attended were the Vice-President of Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan, Professor Toshiki Kumagai; the founder of MMICARE Association Pushparani Thilaganathan; and local volunteers who were involved in this programme.

Added Aileen Tan, APUCEN was really thankful to MMICARE Association, which had provided plenty of assistance in sourcing for volunteers from among the local residents there to participate together in ensuring the success of this programme.

Other than the abovementioned institutions and organisations, among the members of APUCEN which also contributed to the programme were Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), AIMST University, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) dan Kolej Universiti Perguruan Ugama Sri Bengawan Brunei (KUPUSB).

APUCEN, which was established in 2010, aims to promote the culture of university-community engagement in a proactive way and currently has 76 members from 18 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The President is the USM Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato’ Dr. Omar Osman.