PENANG, 21 January 2016 – The ASEAN Student Entrepreneurship Network (ASENet) 2016, organised by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) through the USM Students’ Representatives Council (MPPUSM) was well-received by participants from the ASEAN countries.

ASENet 2016 which has the participation of 200 students from 15 universities in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei was aimed to promote and strengthen the spirit of entrepreneurship among the students from the universities in the ASEAN region.

A participant from the University Of Philippines, John Paulo G. Delas Nieves, 21, truly welcomed the organisation of ASENet 2016 as to him, it is a good platform for the students from all the ASEAN countries to meet and exchange ideas on entrepreneurship.

“Entrepreneurship is a field that needs to be studied by every university student as the students would be the future leaders, and could assist in the economic earnings of their home countries,” he added.

He further said, in the Philippines, the economic inequality among the social segments has spurred the students in universities to become entrepreneurs, and has also enabled them to provide job opportunities to the low-income groups.

“I hope that with the organisation of such a convention, it would offer a wealth of knowledge from experienced individuals to assist in them in becoming successful entrepreneurs,” said John Paulo who is also the President of the Students’ Representatives Council of his university.

A similar opinion was also shared by a participant from Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia, Muhammad Taufik Siagian, 20, who has now successfully established his own business empire selling food in Sumatera, Indonesia although he is still studying in the university.

“I am using the opportunity at this convention to share ideas on how to be a successful entrepreneur in the future, while at the same hoping to seek knowledge to be shared later with other students back home in Indonesia,” said the young man who owns a business premise selling catfish called Abon Lele.

It is the opposite though for the participant from Universiti Islam Sultan Syarif Ali (UNISSA), Brunei Mohd Aisamuddin, 21, who felt that entrepreneurship is a new field for university students. For him, the mindset of the community and the university students has always been that when the students have completed their studies, they would be going into jobs without the need to think of owning businesses.

“In Brunei, every university student would be supported by the government, but by involving in businesses, it has somewhat provided the students with their own income while looking for ideas to start businesses which would be profitable in the future,” he said.

According to him further, ASENet 2016 would be the place for students from ASEAN universities to share ideas in a critical manner as well as to gain experiences from those who have succeeded and to become their idols.

ASENet 2016 which is to be held from 20 to 23 January 2016 at Kompleks Cahaya Siswa, USM Main Campus was officiated by the USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Dr. Omar Osman recently.

The officiating ceremony was also attended by USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Development Affairs and Alumni /HEPA) Professor Dato’ Dr. Adnan Hussein; USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Network) Professor Dato’ Dr. See Ching Mey; Deputy Vice-Chancellor University Of Philippines Dr Neil Martial R. Santillan; Deputy Vice-Chancellor Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) Drs. Raja Bongsu Hutagalung; Deputy Vice-Chancellor Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) Professor Abdul Aziz Ab Latif and ASENet Project Director Arivanandhan Gunaseelan.

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin

Text: Syuhada Abd. Aziz / Photos: Mohd Fairus Md. Isa