Annual Review 2018 | Page 14

Simulating the UN Global Compact on Migration Around 120 students participated in a half-day Model United Nations (UN) conference simulating the UN Global Compact on Migration. This debate was held as part of the second-year School of Arts and Social Sciences unit ‘Borders, People, Identity: Migration in the 21st Century’. Thirty-four countries participated in the debate, with each country represented by three to four student delegates. The challenge faced by students in the debate was the same as those faced by governments in the ‘real world’ – how to cooperate to ensure that migration proceeds in a safe, orderly manner and contributes to sustainable development and human dignity, while respecting national sovereignty and the uneven roles that migration plays in different societies. Exploring the latest best practices in HR The essentials of food management More than 100 participants attended the Human Resources (HR) Forum held by the School of Business with Fish Camp to provide insights into bridging current HR management research and practices in sustainability. The forum brought together CEOs of international companies based in Malaysia and Singapore, HR experts and leaders, and scholars from the School of Business to provide a platform for participants to explore, learn and engage. Over 50 students from the School of Science had the opportunity to interact and network with industry professionals. The event also featured a presentation from representatives of Sushi Kin Sdn Bhd, the company behind the successful sushi chain Sushi King. Students learnt about food safety and quality, as well as clean and good manufacturing practices that are required in compliance with Malaysia's Halal Assurance system. Solutions for the ageing population Following the success of the first Gerontechnology Symposium in 2017, Monash's Gerontechnology Laboratory teamed up once again with Petrosains and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers' Technology and Engineering Management Society for a second symposium. Researchers from Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan spoke about the latest developments in the field and led interactive workshops designed to stimulate conversation and ideas for future technologies. The symposium also launched the Gerontechnology Challenge, open to the public, where participants were asked to propose a product idea that could improve quality of life for older persons. IT students Wong Zhi Wei, Ho Kong Zheng, Chan Chuan Seng and Chong Jia Qin were awarded the grand prize for their invention of an adaptive predictive walking stick. The improved walking stick incorporates a combination of sensors, motors and brakes, and learns the way the user walks, anticipates their movement and brakes at a perfect angle to allow maximum balance for the user. Fellow coursemates Alvin Tan, Siddhant Bhatia, Steven Tan and Lau Zhe Yu came in third with their Gold Buddy app which functions as an integrated database to assist older persons in managing food supplies, diet and transport for medical checkups. 13