4 . THE SOCIAL IMPACT PROJECT
In 2021 , the Social Impact Project ( SIP ) was designed to build socially responsible and highly employable students by empowering students to solve real world problems linked to the UN SDGs . This is achieved through an immersive and engaging project-based learning experience . The SIP was created as a collaboration between the School of Business , Monash University Malaysia and Impact Catalyst .
Impact Catalyst is a social initiative , with a focus on driving social impact and employability skills among youths through curating impact-driven programmes . Impact Catalyst was co-founded by Charis Wong and Radhika Divya ; proud Monash University Malaysia alumnae . Their vision is to develop a generation of socially-conscious and highly employable youth and businesses in Southeast Asia to advance sustainable development for a more inclusive future ; with a mission is to empower the next generation of leaders and businesses by catalysing impact through partnerships with key stakeholders in the ecosystem . The SIP was integrated into the unit through authentic learning assessments . The nature of assessment comprised of : -
- A Group Written Report ; - Pitching Solutions through Group Presentations ; and - Sharing Perspectives and Reflections via LinkedIn Posts
The SIP includes 5 key elements : Gamification , Design Thinking , Workshops , Mentorship and Problem Solving . Students were equipped with useful tools and concepts throughout the 12 week journey through workshops by industry experts , guest lectures and consultations . Throughout the project , students were evaluated against 4 areas : Critical Thinking , Creativity , Emotional Intelligence and Adaptability . Through the 4 areas , we curated the programme to help students build these competencies , and measured students ’ progress based on these 4 areas . There were 8 industry partners involved in the SIP which ranged from start-ups and social enterprises to NGOs and large corporations , namely :
- Project Liber8 - Lean In Youth - Connect . ED - Revofa Collective
- Nyonya Kain - Alliance Bank - The Empowerment Group - Women & Democracy
Each industry partner provided a problem statement based on current issues that their organisation faced , which covered multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals such as Health and Wellbeing , Quality Education , Gender Equality , Decent Work & Economic Growth , Reduced Inequalities , Responsible Consumption & Production , and Partnership for the Goals . There were a total of 90 students from five countries that participated in this programme .
Mentorship - Each group had a mentor from Impact Catalyst assigned to them . Mentors had over 6 years of industry experience and were committed to guiding students through the 12 weeks , with virtual consultation sessions made available to students .
Host Company Introduction - A one hour session , “ Meet The Hosts ” was held at the beginning of the program for the industry partner to meet their groups for an interactive discussion about the project .
Workshops - Eight workshops were curated , with 2 objectives : To equip students with requisite skills and frameworks required to embark on the project , and to connect students with industry leaders to help them bridge the gap between academia and industry .
Social Impact Project Report 2021 6