PENANG, 24 July 2018 – Being able to communicate in English is becoming an ever-increasing necessity, in view of the current challenges and as a language that is used in many countries throughout the world.

With that realisation, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has been selected for the third time as the venue for the English and Leadership Intensive Camp 5 (ELIC 5), to be held from 23 until 30 July 2018.

“USM as a higher education institution will always welcome and fully support such a programme, especially at the international level. It is our obligation to provide the best environment to learn English and other languages with our courses and classes for the students,” said Professor Dr. Tengku Sepora Tengku Mahadi, Dean of USM School of Languages, Literacies and Translation in representing the USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Datuk Dr. Asma Ismail.

“This time we have more participants compared to the previous programme, and I would like to congratulate the organising team for managing such a big number of participants,” she added.

She also thanked the lecturers involved in the English for Fun activities for their commitment towards the success of this project.

The Acting Consul-General of the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Penang, Sukoom Somprasonk, prior to declaring ELIC 5 opened hoped that the Thai participants would enhance their English language skills and use it in their daily life, in addition to strengthening their leadership skills during the course.

He added that, with the hard work from the organising team, this course has continued to be a highly successful programme since it was initiated, and hoped that it would continue to be held every year in the future.

“This English and Leadership Camp aims to encourage and support the Thai students in learning English for daily communication, for future career enhancement as well as in cultivating the interest to live amongst others within a harmonious community, and to instil leadership skills and expose the participants to a new learning environment,” said Kawin Pattaranukul, the Project Manager of ELIC 5.

The President of Thai Student Group in Northern Malaysia, Ameen Abdulsalam then added that English is a foreign language that has become a second language spoken by many Thais and this programme provides English-related activities in the form of lessons, sports, creative thinking and education excursion. It has been actively organised for four years, alternating between USM and UUM as venues, which has helped the students to have better communication skills.

For this 5^th edition of the programme, 80 students were selected from 53 secondary schools (grades 10 and 11) in the southern provinces of Thailand, with 43 Thai and 9 non-Thai student representatives from the UNESCO-UUM Club and from other universities in northern Malaysia assisting them.

Apart from student representatives from USM, other universities in northern Malaysia with students involved in the programme included Kolej Universiti Islam Perlis (KUIP), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniIMAP), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Sultan Abdul Halim Mua’dzam Shah (UniSHAMS).

The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Penang and the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre of Thailand are providing full financial support for the programme.

Also present at the ceremony were Teeruth Suphawiboonpol, Director of Bureau of Justice Administration and Acting Director of Foreign Affairs, Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre of Thailand; Mohamad Abdullah, Senior Deputy Registrar representing Professor Dato’ Dr. Adnan Hussein, USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor Student Development Affairs and Alumni, along with other Thai and USM officials.

This programme is the result of the collaboration between the USM Student Development Affairs and Alumni Division (BHEPA), Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC) Thailand, Thai Student Group in Northern Malaysia (TN), Thai Student Association in Malaysia (TSAM), USM School of Languages, Literacies and Translation, UUM and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Text: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin & Puteri Najwa Othman (MPRC intern)/Photo: Ebrahim Abdul Manan