Students and teachers were then brought back to the centre of Rimba Ilmu where volunteers helped distribute the food and beverages. Students, mentors and volunteers continued their conversation during this session.
The event ended with a closing ceremony where the Director of the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, Professor Dr Shakila Yacob delivered a short speech and some gifts to the lucky draw winners. The Deputy Director, Dr Rosilawati Zainol also delivered a prize to the lucky winner.
Overall, this programme gave participating national secondary school students to have a glimpse of life as a university student from walking within the university campus and interacting with an actual university student in real time. By exposing these young students to the university environment, it encourages them to study hard and smart, so they would be motivated to further their education to tertiary level. In the long run, the act of these young Malaysians walking together on a Saturday morning is a symbolic move as we are encouraging these budding Malaysians from various background to put their differences aside and enjoy the walk together, towards a united and successful Malaysia. All in all, Walk for Unity is an initiative taken by the University of Malaya UNESCO Club (UMUC) and Centre for Civilisational Dialogue (CCD) to ensure that these students are aware that they do have access to quality education regardless of their background.
Rimba Ilmu, a Malay word, which means “The Forest of Knowledge” was established in 1974 and occupies an area of 80 hectares. Rimba Ilmu is a tropical botanical garden, modelled after a rain forest garden concept which emphasizes the flora of the Malaysian and Indonesian region. At Rimba Ilmu, the students and teachers were brought into a site visit within the Rimba Ilmu where they had the opportunity to witness a “mini jungle” in University of Malaya.
Students, and teachers were then brought back to the centre of Rimba Ilmu where volunteers helped distributed the food and beverages. Students, mentors and volunteers continued their conversation during this session.
The event ended with closing ceremony where the Director of the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, Professor Dr Shakila Yacob delivered a short speech and some gifts to the lucky draw winners. The Deputy Director, Dr Rosilawati Zainol also delivered a prize to the lucky winner.
Overall, this programme gave participating national secondary school students to have a glimpse of life as a university student from walking within the university campus and interacting with an actual university student in real time. By exposing these young students to the university environment, it encourages them to study hard and smart so they would be motivated to further their education to tertiary level. In the long run, the act of these young Malaysians walking together on a Saturday morning is a symbolic move as we are encouraging these budding Malaysians from various background to put
Students walking into Rimba Ilmu
UNESCO CLUB
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17 | UMCCD Bulletin Dec 2016 - Jun 2017
"It is very enjoyable, because I get to know more about the University of Malaya"
-Student
Volunteers distributing coloured rubber band to the students