1) I promised more details on what has kept me busy these past couple of days. So here goes: I've recently been convinced to apply for a position in UKEC. For the uninitiated, UKEC (United Kingdom and Eire Council) is the national coalition of Malaysian student societies across Britain and Ireland. To be honest, prior to coming here, I had absolutely no idea what UKEC was or what it stood for. Then I found out that some of my friends (in both RCSI and UCD) had joined and I was interested in finding out more.
2) The UKEC, simply put, has many overarching goals. They provide a platform for intellectual discourse, while tackling various issues such as employability, brain drain, promoting our nation, and promoting unity. In UKEConversations, students have the opportunity to present their opinions online, in a professional and supportive environment. CEKU, the editorial arm of UKEC, runs a student magazine chronicling exciting student articles for Malaysians everywhere to read. We also have many internship and volunteer opportunities for those who are interested.
3) UKEC is divided into four equal and distinct offices: UKECareers, UKECatalyst, UKECares, and UKEConnect. After doing some background research, I was interested in joining UKECatalyst, the intellectual arm of UKEC. We are the proud organisers of the Projek Amanat Negara (PAN) Conference, which gathers together young, talented student leaders and prominent figures to engage in non-partisan dialogue. We also have smaller, more regional-orientated conversations regarding our country's socioeconomic stance on various issues. To put it succinctly, the core thrust of UKEC is it aims to empower and inspire the next generation of Malaysian youth leaders, as well as giving a voice to the various Malaysian student bodies both local and abroad.
4) After submitting my application form, I was required to go for a Skype interview with the other committee members. It was a short interview with the usual suspect questions - what can you contribute; why should we choose you; how would you balance your studies and commitments here? I answered as best I could, and was pleasantly surprised to find out (a few days later) that I had been offered the position. I personally feel that assuming my duties here would equip me with more knowledge and insight into the way our nation is run, and to at least understand the reasons why it is run the way it is.
5) All in all, I have more responsibilities to juggle than before, with further implications as well. I shall endeavour to do the best I can with what I have, but no compromises to the quality and content of this blog. Thanks very much for reading, and have a great day. Cheers!
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