Annual Review 2017 | Page 26

ALUMNI Alumni have much to offer to help us build a stronger university, and we took great strides in 2017 to engage their expertise, perspectives and networks. We organised and facilitated a record number of alumni engagement initiatives with various alumni networks, as well as hosted several inaugural events which saw strong support from our alumni. There was also deeper engagement with the Malaysia Australia Alumni Council as we played a more active participatory role, in partnership with other Monash campuses. FORUMS AND WORKSHOPS Media in a Post-Truth Era: From Trump to Malaysia Empowering Women to Thrive The Monash School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS) Alumni Association convened their inaugural event with a forum to discuss the phenomena of post-truth. Donald Trump’s rise to power and his rhetoric calls attention to a familiar communication strategy widely used in Malaysian politics. Academics, members of the media and SASS alumni unpacked the meaning of post-truth, identified its impact on society and the media, and highlighted best practices for the industry. Thirty of our female alumni were mentored by 15 of Malaysia’s most influential figures under the Women Who Thrive workshop, organised by the Monash Malaysia Business Alumni Chapter. The two-month program gave these young professionals a chance to accelerate their career and personal growth under the mentorship of local industry leaders. Mentors included the following: Azran Osman Rani, then CEO of iflix; Shareen Shariza, CEO of TalentCorp; Chen Chow Yeoh, Co-Founder and COO of Fave; Colin Choo, Consultant at Boston Consulting Group; Joshua Liew, COO of expressolab; and Stephanie Looi, Co-Founder and COO of PurelyB. Be The Boss – Top the Business Ladder to Success Organised in collaboration with the Malaysia Australia Alumni Council, Curtin University Alumni and Ansara (MRSM Alumni Association), the forum featured featured the following guest speakers: Nik Mohd Hasyudeen Yusoff, Independent Non-Executive Director of Bank Islam; Jonas Anthony, Manufacturing Director at Panasonic; and alumnus Pun Tian Pouw, Principal at KornFerry. Managing Workplace Stress Monash-CPA Forum: The Fintech Revolution The world of global finance, banking and financial services is changing rapidly with the emergence of start-up financial technologies, commonly referred to as FinTech. These technologies are changing the way we do business and disrupting conventional business models in the financial services industry. This forum, a collaboration between CPA Australia and Monash University, provided insights on the FinTech revolution and how it has affected the financial landscape. This forum focused on the relationship between workplace stress and mental health, how to identify early indicators of stress, and ways to overcome them. Panelists included the following: Dr Paul Jambunathan, Senior Lecturer at the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences; alumnus Mr Pun Tian Pouw, Principal at Korn Ferry Malaysia; and alumnus Dr Liew Kah Leong, Director and Corporate Trainer at The Mind. This was the first event organised with the Science Alumni Network. Securing Intelligence This session on business intelligence and cyber security awareness was organised in collaboration with the Malaysian Australian Alumni Council, Curtin University Alumni, Columbia University Alumni, and University of South Australia Alumni. Participants learnt about the power of having information and how to protect themselves and their businesses from online vulnerabilities. 25 Tech Things Seriously! Monash Malaysia Business Alumni Chapter brought together alumni for a forum to discuss pertinent challenges and ideate solutions in light of the digital transformation that is rapidly changing the way we work.