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In the Know
A c o nve r s a t i o n w i t h M r s . M o r g a n N e w ! Br o w n Ba g Se m i na r Se r i e s a t J CU S Ca r e e r M a na g e m e nt W o r k i ng i n Si ng a p o r e : a c u l t u r a l p e r s p ectiv e R i s e o f S o c i a l N e t w o r k i ng S i t e s
Inspiring Leaders
I ns p i r a t i o na l E f f o r t 2 0 10 i n J CU S
Collage
Philosophical Soul
I g no r e d Be g i nni ng Am b i t i o n Sp e a k s
Student Voice
St u d e nt D i a r i e s : M e e t & G r e e t E nt r e p r e ne u r ’ s Fo r m u l a : Al l P r o f i t , N o L o s s I nt r o d u c t o r y Cl a s s : i s i t ne e d e d ? Ap r i l 2 0 11
Calendar
Connoisseur Corner
Anna l a k s h m i : A S o u l f u l Fe a s t o f Ve g e t a r ian F o o d Vi e t na m e s e Cu i s i ne i n S i ng a p o r e I nd o ne s i a n f o o d a s w e k no w i t I c e Cr e a m Ch e f + P r o m o !
Tech and Travel
St u d e nt T r a ve l : U ni ve r s a l S t u d i o s S i ng a po re Tab it !!!
Sports Section
Vi r t u a l Ca s i no o f Cr i c k e t : I nd i a n P r e m i ere L eagu e J CU S u p e r 8 Ch a l l e ng e : L a t e s t Cr i c k e t Fa te
Read on as we feature JCUS’ administration, management team and lecturers, know their points of view as we put them on the hot seat.
A Conversation with Mrs. Becky Morgan The library is a council which practices a “Democratic Approach” - it is by the student, for the student and to the student. No wonder it has restructured itself to provide ease of use and emphasis on student benefits as well as help out the management for related concerns. We went to Mrs. Becky Morgan, school librarian, to get information about the recent changes that have taken place in the library and how things are changing to make it better and convenient for everyone. Earlier in its operation, there were a couple of problems that the library management faced which led to the recent changes. One problem is that the earlier system was time consuming for students and management staff, wherein they had to come to the library to check the availability of books. Prior to this semester, students gave feedback on issuing multiple books where it becomes challenging for them to keep track when the respective book has to be returned to the library. Mrs. Morgan and other management staff realized and understood these concerns and discussed them with Campus Dean Dr. Joachim Diederich and agreed to bring the necessary changes to the library for the betterment of the students. At the start of the second semester, they adapted JCU Australia’s Library system called “One search”. W i t h “One search”, students can easily check the availability of journals and e-books and access the related information online through the JCU Website, thus eliminating the need to come to library to do it. Students who are looking for books or journals on any specific topic can search them with this tool and get the list of relevant materials with all the other necessary information. Thus, “One search” broadens the search of books for students and highlights any related top-
ics including the abstract. Since the “One search” system is relatively new and many students are not aware of it, Mrs. Morgan is planning to organize a workshop very soon which not only highlights the usage of this system, but will also emphasize on other library topics as well. Mrs. Morgan and the management with Mr. Diwa Del Mundo’s (Head of the JCUS IT Club and project leader for OpenBiblio) team, with collaboration and opinions from the university’s MIS Head Mr. Vijay, are coming up with “OpenBiblio”. It is the new search system which has been scheduled to launch in January 2011. The features of “OpenBiblio” are quite fascinating and it has the potential to be one of the greatest achievements in the pages of JCU Singapore’s history. Under this new system, issuing books will become even more convenient for students. They can check the availability of books online and come to the library to issue the book which will then be scanned by the Library staff. All the information will get stored and the system will provide the date of issue and the date of book return to staff. This system automatically reminds the student via a message a day before the date of book return which makes it easy for the student to remember when the book has to be returned to the library. The new system is beneficial for both management and students as it will be less time consuming, flexible, more systematic and also very helpful for students in terms of getting the information about the availability of books online. Another area of concern as discussed by Mrs. Morgan was the sitting capacity in the library as more than 500 students have come in for the October 2010 intake and a few students gave feedback during the last semester that the sitting
Mrs. Becky Morgan area was inadequate. Thus, as a result of this, the management decided to renovate the library and increase the sitting capacity for the students, which they have done already to quite an extent. It’s taking time to make changes because the management wants to ensure that everything they initiated should add convenience for students, whether its chairs and tables in library, books, or other related things. The management is also taking initiative to add more books in library whether it’s fictional or non-fictional, apart from the course study which can be used by all the students. The “Bookbite” club is also helping in contributing books to the library. These are the recent changes that have taken place and will be taking place in the future specifically to the JCU library. We sincerely thank Mrs. Morgan for her contribution to this article which can really help students to understand the new structure and clear their doubts if there are any. JCU Singapore is at a stage of further growth by taking such steps. It always aim at increasing student benefits whether its the library, student services, cafeteria, mode of study, or extra-curricular activities. All these ultimately lead to the student’s growth in all areas of their knowledge and skills which, in turn, excels student satisfaction.
New! Brown Bag Seminar Series at JCU Singapore Introducing Dr Yvonne McNulty, a leading authority on global staffing and expatriation
JCU Singapore recently launched a Brown Bag Seminar Series. This is a forum in which academic staff and students come together to learn about: (i) new research projects in design, about to be launched, or underway; (ii) research which have been completed but not yet published; and (iii) research which have been recently presented at conferences or published in journals and books. For academic staff, the Brown Bag Seminar Series is a unique opportunity to give and receive feedback about research design, publication, and how to overcome certain research problems. For students, the series is a wonderful opportunity to hear about research at all stages of progression and to learn about how research is conducted from start (research design) to finish (publication). The first Brown Bag Seminar was held on Monday, 6 December 2010 and I was invited to give the inaugural presentation. My topic was: “Advancing the research agenda on expatriate return on investment: The case for attracting and retaining Australian expatriates in Singapore”. The presentation outlined for the audience two aspects of my research activity. The first part provided a summary of my doctoral research which I conducted at Monash University (Australia), which is focused on expatriate return on investment in global firms. The second part of my presentation then gave an overview of a new research project I am launching in 2011 which will extend and build on my doctoral research to focus on expatriate return on investment in the Asia-Pacific region. There are many reasons why my research focuses on expatriate return on investment. First, recent research has suggested that measuring expatriate return on investment is an important indicator of the value to be
agement su-pport and changes to expatriate compensation are found to gained from explain turnover intentions. international Continue to page 8 assignments (e.g. McNulty, De Cieri & Hutchings, Singapore is accompanied with 2009; Welch, pouring rain drops most of the time, but Steen, & Mr. Edsel Martinez (Career Guidance Tahvanain- Counselor) threw some light by contrien, 2009). buting and sharing in some important Dr. Yvonne Mcnulty Second, there information a student needs to look into is the cost – expatriates are an expen- Career Management matters. sive global staffing option when com- Pranav: Highlighting the most important pared to employing locals (Briscoe & question first, can you tell our readers, how Schuler, 2004). Third, despite the costs, should a student start up his Career Manthe difficulties in attracting people to agement Journey? undertake international assignments Mr. Martinez: Career Management is a (Hippler, 2009), and the 2008/9 global four step process and the first step is Selffinancial crisis and its negative im- awareness. Knowing your interests and pact on international mobility (ORC your transferrable skills play a big role in Worldwide, 2008), and the use of deciding what you want to do after comlong-term assignments is nonetheless pleting your course. This is followed by increasing (Brookfield, 2009). Hence, learning about the industries and roles how to get an acceptable return on that you feel you may be a good fit. It is investment from these expensive em- important to define your job targets so it becomes easy to identify companies / orployees is important. Based on the above, I examined ganizations to approach. The third step is four research questions in my doctoral all about your personal packaging. This research: (1) How is expatriate ROI includes having defined? (2) How is expatriate ROI a presentable resume, a good self measured in global firms? (3) What image and excelare the barriers to measuring expatrilent communicaate ROI? (4) What are the factors likely tion skills. Once to influence changes in expatriate ROI? you have everyTo conduct this research, I undertook thing set, then a large study in which I interviewed you are ready for 127 mobility managers and expatriates the last step which Mr. Edsel Martinez drawn from 51 global firms. Data co- is to apply for jobs. llection for the study progressed over Pranav: How do you create the first imnearly 3 years duration and resulted portant impression, which would help the in more than 1,000 pages of interview student in getting an edge over other comtranscripts! peting candidates? Key findings from my doc- Mr. Martinez: Preparation is the key to toral research suggest that firms do making a good first and lasting imprenot have formal procedures in place ssion. Whether you are meeting potential to measure expatriate ROI and instead recruiters in an event or applying for a job rely heavily on informal procedures online, always make sure that you are putand processes that are seldom aligned ting your best foot forward. By following to a global strategy. Considerable bar- the 4 step strategy, one should be able to riers to measuring expatriate ROI are come up with a good resume for job applifound to exist. Evidence is also found cations or the right attitude to make good that up to one-third of expatriates are connections. seeking or considering external job Pranav: Do the political conditions of a opportunities during an international place really influence the career prospects? assignment, where poor career manContinue to page 7
Career Management
than an ethnic melting pot, with each defined Singapore, a country that should be viewed as a multi-ethnic society rather g equal rights to education, healthcare and housing. There ethnic group retaining their individuality, while at the same time enjoyin campaigns which resulted in a certain meritocratic indiare also national identities driven by government policies, directives and in Singapore society. vidualism that sits, sometimes quite uncomfortably, with the ethnic values approach to work. This approach to work, in These seemingly contradicting values can help explain the Singaporean’s izes on hard work and group dynamics. Any foreigner most organizations, can be generally transcribed along the lines that emphas to succeed in Singapore’s working environment. The aspiring to work in Singapore must be mindful of these, should he/she wish to upgrade oneself through education and training. He hard work ethic is continuously reinforced by a tendency for a Singaporean organization, but expecting the organization in return to likes to be perceived as being competent, contributes to the success of the reward him/her in accordance to his/her qualifications and ability. in Singapore, but unfortunately, it has translated These rewards should lead to respect and prestige, which is highly valued is recognized and accepted by the Singaporean’s peers and itself into a material view of success. On the other hand, this ‘materialism’ Singapore has rewarded its citizens with high standards team members, as indicative of one’s individual meritocracy. Over the years, unwillingness to take risks in business. In companies and of living but has contributed to a rising trend amongst Singaporeans, in an all matters and detailed contents of plans that will be firms, this is reflected in a step by step approach to decision making, to consult above the rest should have a tight grip on the performance developed. Individuals who aspire working in Singapore and desire to cut ibilities. Because business and working relationships of the team, through proper reporting structures, and clearly defined respons and they tend to be hierarchical and formal. Should a take a long time to build, the reporting structures are generally respected, on may be delegated to the team. conflict arise, it is normal for blame to be assessed but the problem resoluti onding peer-group recognition aid in the This is but a simple example as to how individual meritocracy and its corresp are relevant and applicable to being a sucsystems value these understanding of Singapore culture. But it should be emphasized that cessful manager in Singapore.
tor, can you mention any other sector which are booming in the Singaporean Market that could hold a good job prospect for students? Mr. Martinez: Well that is an answer you can get from the Government (laughs). But on a serious note, it is observed that the trend in the Hospitality industry keeps on changing and the Health Care industry is a growing market, so stua job? dents can emphasize on these. But it is recommended that Mr. Martinez: Depending on which industry, there will be they do continuous research on other industries as well. peak hiring periods all throughout the year. Some major is more important, Interest or Knowledge? banks usually hire good candidates 1 year before they gradu- Pranav : What of motiate. Some will hire only after the Chinese New Year. The Mr. Martinez: Interests are a very important source to study what on point is you should be ready when a company decides to take vation. We also use our interests to decide then you in but make sure that they know your availability date or what job to apply for. Once that decision is made, that is the time to apply your knowledge. which is after graduation. Pranav : What should a student emphasize on; the construc- Pranav : For students, do you have any word of advice? tion of his Resume, or personality development or his transfer- Mr. Martinez: Attend the workshops (laughs out loud), beable skills? cause these workshops really do teach and throw light on of managing careers. But more importantly, I believe that sysMr. Martinez: Well there is no exact percentage as all A stuthem are important. Some companies will be considering the tematic planning is the key to a successful job hunt. they don’t grades and some will be looking at transferable skills. It really dent will find it hard to achieve his or her success if be well they’ll set, are goals c realisti have a plan. Once their depends on what the company needs. Pranav : Do you think that students should stop approaching on their way. It was a wonderful opportunity to cover up this in companies who mention Singaporean’s or PR required? lly those students who have major concerns Mr. Martinez: Although companies are specific in their re- terview especia of job hunting in Singapore. Students should quirements, this should not be a reason to avoid these com- on the matters sessions which is available throughout the panies. It is always good to meet with them and learn participate in their semester. about the business and industry. p Sharma: Editor in Chief, JCUS VOICE Pranav : Other than the IT sector and the Hospitality Sec- - Pranav Pradee
Continued from page 5 really. At the end of the day, it is still the Not Mr. Martinez: company’s decision to hire good and qualified candidates. If they see that a candidate is someone they really need, they will make sure that he/she comes on board. Pranav: When would be a good time for students to apply for
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Continued from page 5 A deeper understanding of the psychological factors relating to expatriate retention and turnover, including the motivation to go abroad, therefore emerges. Drawing on the conceptual framework of expatriate ROI which emerged from the doctoral research, my next project will examine ROI from an Asia-Pacific perspective. Specifically I am interested in Australian expatriates’ motivation to undertake international assignments to Singapore, taking into account career development and family factors which have emerged in the literature as the predominant reasons to go. These reasons debunk the long-held view that financial gain is
an expatriates’ primary motivation. Additionally, given that my doctoral research showed that the retention of expatriate’s during an international assignment is a key concern for global firms, I am interested to know whether visa-friendly programs such as Personal Employment Pass, along with trends towards local-plus compensation (amongst other factors), may be key drivers affecting the attraction and retention of Australian expatriates in Singapore. Hence, there are likely to be important implications arising from my new research project for Australian companies in Singapore from an expatriate return on investment perspective. Based on the above, it is clear there is more research to be done on expatriate ROI, whether from a global,
regional, or national perspective. Indeed, global staffing, global careers, and global mobility represent some of the most exciting trends for the future of global work at all levels – for organisations, for individuals, as well as for entire industries. As you can see, building a research agenda over many years and across many projects is all part of the daily work of academic staff such as myself! So next time you see a poster advertising a Brown Bag Seminar, why don’t you come along and be dazzled by what the academic staff at JCU Singapore have to offer. If you would like to read more about my research on expatriate ROI in global firms, please email me to obtain a copy: Email: yvonne.mcnulty@jcu.edu.sg
No one has ever imagined that a social networking site like Facebook will change the way of life of millions. Started in 2004, Facebook now have a whopping 500 million active users (200 million of them are accessing it through their mobile) and they spend an average of 700 billion minutes per month just to check out their friends’ profiles or even just to play games. All these thanks to Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg who’s been crowned “Person of the Year” by TIME magazine on December, 2010. He’s valued at $6.9 billion, defeating Steve Jobs and Rupert Murdoch in the Forbes rich list in the same year, just with a creative thought for staying connected.
work. Users share photos, announce break-ups, and all that jazz by a single click. It’s a complete recipe for a new level of developing a social circle with a touch of addiction.
Some other social networking sites that have different features like Twitter (referred to as microblogging) also created a buzz by having more than 105 million users worldwide in 2010 and the number is growing. The main purpose of these sites is now dissolved into lifestyle and online businesses. A growing number of online businesses now are looking at Facebook, MySpace and even Twitter to promote and advertise their products (or even music for MySpace’s case) as an alternative way to posting advertisements on TV and newspapers (of course the options depend on the segment they want to target).
On top of all these, there was a recent observation showing a trend of declined employment due to Facebook and similar sites. Social networking sites are continually being tapped for analyzing candidates and see if the candidates reflect their true selves. It might be good for the employers but a downside for the candidates, because every update counts.
Connectivity is the mantra. People can now easily find their old friends, ex boy/girlfriend, favorite primary school teacher, or even celebrities in the net-
With all the hype for social networking sites, there’s a downside to it. Users are faced with looming security issues and it’s difficult to tackle. Crimes like accounts being hacked, virus threats and fraud/hoax apps to name a few, repeatedly occur. So, Facebook, Twitter and other sites tightened their security level by enhancing the privacy settings among other things, in order to minimize the incidents of online security breach that happens every day.
It is a known fact that the shape of communication has transformed itself to a larger extent over the last decade. As they say, the sky is the limit as more people are now connected to the internet with the rapid development of technology.
- Yuna Tanu
Last 2nd of December, the students from Bachelors of Information Technology (BIT) shared their journey as they are on the verge of fulfilling their dream, “Open Biblio”, a software developed with the vision of automating the library system for greater convenience and efficiency for the staff and students. The mission behind starting this project was also to give more exposure to Information Technology students. A group of students got the idea of the project from an entrepreneurship class where they had do develop a software of their own as their assignment. Students examined and noted that the library system can be enhanced and substituted as the current system of the library is characterized by entries which were made of excel sheets and small pieces of paper that were issued to students along with book for them to remember the due date. They decided to bring more automation in the current system by developing a software which could guide students on the number of copies of the book they need that are available in the library and they would also receive an SMS and an email from the college regarding the due date to return the book. The work of the library staff would also be reduced as they would not have to enter the details in excel sheets, and instead just feed in the information in the software. Dave “diwa” Del Mundo, the project head who had professional experience in web development, took the initiative and got approval of the project from the administration. There were also meetings held with library staff to discuss their current problems. The new software was tailor made for library keeping in mind and the team started with working on various platforms like PHP and Ruby-On Rails for Programming and MYSQL for the database. They also started making the use of free-wares available on internet to save on the cost of initial investment. There was a time in between where students got warnings from their professor that they were diverting themselves from assignment requirements, but these students had already promised the library that they will come up with better software for them so they didn’t lose their focus. Mr. Del Mundo who is not only the project leader but also the president of the IT Club and his team of four more students which comprises of Muhammad Danial Abdul Bari, System Administrator and Treasurer of the IT Club; Hoang Pham, who works on the Frontend and Learn JCU API; William Wijaya, Lead Programmer; and Kimberly Pelayo, documentation and trainer who started devoting her time to project and designed its blueprint. Dave played mentoring role in making the project a success and used his professional expertise to train the team. Initially the team started working once a week striking proper balance between their studies and project. As the time passed there was need to more members in the group who can maintain this software once it is developed and carry on with the project as many members were about to finish their graduation. So Information Technology (IT) club was formed and five more members were selected based on their skills and devotion towards the project. Dave and his team got good support from college authorities to continue with the project. They got access to the servers, student and library data, and some critical information so that they can make the necessary updates in their software. They also got support in terms of the hardware as the college provided them with scanners and some computers to work on. Quite often, students have misconceptions that working on these voluntary projects could lead them to devoting less time for their studies and affecting their results. But that was not the case here, as working for this project gave the students more insight about the subjects and various topics. They were actually working on a live project which made them work on technology that they have learnt or they were going to learn in the future semesters. This served to be a good firsthand experience for them. After their sincere efforts for about three semesters, what these students have achieved now is highly appreciable. Other students can learn from these individuals on how to manage their time effectively and gain practical knowledge along with the course. Today, these students are the role model for others to motivate them to work hard and maintain the success that they have created. Hats Off to Dave and his team!
- Mitul Nanavati
The author is an MBA student in Human Resource Management whose ambition in life is simply to be a happy soul and have everything that makes her happy. Life teaches us something at every step. As we walk through it, life unfolds as a novel and each step adds up to a number of chapters. We live. move on, and at the end of every event, tiny or major, have a lesson learnt. ‘Learning never ends’ is what we often hear but to think of it, its funny how some of the most important and inherent lessons of life were taught in kindergarten itself. If we all rewind our lives and go back to those days we took tiny footsteps into those bright, sunny classrooms and try remembering the first few teachings we will see the importance of it all in the greater scheme of things. And now as I look back and start from the very start, I’ve come to realize that all I needed to know about life, how to live, what to do and how to be, I learnt in Kindergarten. Wisdom did not rest atop the graduate school ladder but it lay somewhere there in the sand pile in nursery. The colourful building blocks built our personalities and characters and not just colourful little buildings we made with our tiny hands. The ‘golden rules’: Smile. Love. Care. Say thank you. Apologize when you should and mean it. Promise and keep it. Do unto others as you would like them to do to you. Follow the rules. If you take any of the words or teachings and extrapolate those terms into sophisticated adult terms and then apply it to your life, work, as well as family, and give it a deep thought, you will see that all that we learnt back then still holds good and true. The life that we lived and the events that shaped our days then held much meaning. We made sand castles and then watched it with pride till they got washed away, after which we got on to working on yet another one. Then why is it that we tend to give up so easily when things don’t go our way now? We expressed ourselves without thinking twice; cried when we wanted to; laughed, played, enjoyed and took each day as it came. Then why is it that moving on becomes difficult now? We never let bygones be bygones, instead carry the ghosts of yesterday? We fought with friends and soon, the fights were forgotten and we were friends again. ‘Ego’ ruined nothing; the word did not even have a meaning. Then why is it now, our inflated egos often let us go of the people who really did make a difference to our existence? The beginning of each story started with ‘once upon a time’ and ended with ‘happily ever after’. If we didn’t get to the last words, we knew the story was not over yet. We had faith, belief, hope. Then why do we get so skeptical now and lose hope? Little things made us happy. Happiness came without a price tag and to think of it now, it still does. We just believe the definition has changed but even now, true happiness lies in maybe the smallest things life offers. We all feel that our goals in life are different but its funny how we never realize that we all strive towards
I had this feeling taking control on me, I didn’t know how to get away. Maybe it was my ambition that spoke and, It made me want to go on a difficult path that very day. I wondered if I could give out my best, However my gut had a feeling of glory, overwhelming in my chest. Throughout my journey that feeling lingered, Everywhere it stayed with me, I sailed along with it in a faultless tranquility, over a worried sea. I learned a lot from many a troubled way, It made me grow faster in the passing days. Glory seemed to be around the corner, And was ready to shadow my passed hectic days. Slowly the feeling seemed to diminish, As I could see my goal on the bay. Rejoice revoked as I achieved my goal, Finally I had my feelings banished away. However when I caught an eye on something else, There was a feeling that again stole me away. It was this feeling taking control on me, I didn’t know how to get away. Maybe it was my ambition that spoke again, It made me want to go on a difficult path on another day.
being ‘happy’ in some way or another. Think what a better world it would be if promises were kept and rules not broken. If governments followed the basic policy of putting things where they found it and cleaning up their own mess; if people got what they deserved without taking something that belongs to someone else; if we did a little bit of everything everyday, took a little quiet walk after a long day at work, spent time with ourselves thinking , apologized and meant it, did something that just made someone smile. We need to know nothing lasts forever. Today will be yesterday, tomorrow and day by day, though we feel nothing changes, we’ll look back to see it’s all changed. There is an end to every beginning and yet another beginning to an end. Sometimes we see the bad to value the good, things go wrong to finally go the right way telling us that ‘every cloud does have a silver lining’. So as we walk through life, we must remember the smaller things that make it up - the tiny lessons learnt when we were tiny because its all these small things that matter the most in our journey called ‘life’. And yes, as we walk through it, into the big world, it still holds true that no matter how old you are, it’s best to hold hands and stick together because we always do need someone to hold our hand and tell us, ‘we are cared for’ no matter what and vice versa.
How to answer case study questions? 4 - 5 pm Asia Trader and Investor Convention 2011
Start of exam preparation week
Career talk by Synergy Wealth Group
Start of examination proper
How do I put it all together? (Grammar)
4 - 5 pm
Oral Presentations 4 - 5 pm
4 - 5 pm
Studying for Exams
Referencing
How to answer case study questions? 4 - 5 pm Career talk by Dr. Wilson Chew of StrategiCom
Vesak Day Public Holiday
4 - 5 pm
*Colored tiles indicate the highlights of the month. *Boxes with a light orange shade = exam preparation week. *Box with a grey shade = examination proper.
Asia Trader and Investor Convention 2011
*Feel free to use this calendar for personal use (e.g. as an organizer).
stories opinions and other literary pieces
Mixed emotions swept me off my feet, just days before I would be a part of this university. I wondered about the various college functions, viewed many videos and pictures, and little did I know that the day had come for me to travel to the Asia’s capital tourism - Singapore; but not as a tourist, but as a student to my college James Cook University. I enrolled to their meet and greet program. Initially I couldn’t understand what this was, because being away from home was something that clouded my head at that very moment. An amicable person was assigned to give me a warm welcome in my new journey. All my emotions at that very moment minimized as I was astonished with their service as they guided me and my friends to prevent us from being lost. I appreciate the department for their well organized efforts to act as a much needed supporting agent for all the newcomers. This is a good first impression the college creates to keep us away from possible troubled times during the new arrival. I still maintain good relations with one of the marketing executives, Mr. Francis. He had so much enthusiasm. I wasn’t able to realise the services he provided entirely until I had the time wherein I had an opportunity to work with him, as well as with Ms. Laiza, a highly communicative person. I recollect a difficulty I had come across as there was some confusion over my accommodation. But with the presence of their team, they were able to tackle some of my problems and I was finally accommodated in 94 Student Hostel through their assistance. As months passed with assignments, reports, examinations and social gatherings, a circle was over and the new intakes were enrolled, due to which I enrolled myself as a student volunteer for the Meet and Greet Department. In my first pick up, I was accompanied by Mr. Francis. I truly appreciate the hard work he puts in person and also how he tags along with communicative skills which makes him the best man for the job. Later pickup’s I had are with Private Driver’s as JCU has a good pool of service drivers. They had conversed with the student volunteers extensively. We were always with them during picking-up of students and then placing the students into their respective accommodations. In case the student does not find an accommodation, Mr. Francis converses with the hostels around Singapore that the university recognizes and helps the students to have an accommodation. It was a good experience. Having contacts with many people is useful as there are a few instances of bitter experiences due to delays in the flights and the students arrival out of the airport, as well as conversing with the Private Drivers as they weren’t fluent in English and had their own commitments. Every pick up was different and exciting in its own way. We had a good group of student volunteers who are helping each other. Personally, I would like this to be a final note for all the students who are currently pursuing their course. In case you are staying back, please help out the university in various volunteering works either with the Campus activities, Meet and Greet, or with the Student Council. You’ll have good and different sets of experiences in meeting different people and characters, as well as broaden your network. Being a part of a good first impression is the base for future impressions and is a respected thing to be a part off, so help the university to grow its name and at the end of the day, you would also benefit out of it.
Last 18th of October, 2010, at the Singapore Tourism Board, the well appreciated and encouraged WITovation Entrepreneurship Boot Camp was organized by the members of Web In Travel (WIT), an internet portal which highlights travel related news, analysis, opinions, commentary and a lot more. James Cook University Singapore’s very own team which comprised of Pranav Pradeep Sharma and Giri Konda Varadaraj were one of the participating teams competing in the 2010 Entrepreneurship boot camp competition. The competition’s main focus was on innovative ideas from inspiring young entrepreneurs. The boot camp was fast paced and lasted all day long and it was not at all tiring. It kicked off with the archangel investor and CEO of Everbread, Morten Lund who mentioned his ups and downs as an entrepreneur. It was a good session which geared up all the participants and maintained a competitive environment since the start. The following session was about shared lessons from a panel of experts all coming from different parts of the world and from various well reputed companies. There were people from Abacus International, Lute Technologies, Brand Karma, Orbitz Worldwide, Tnooz, Yatra, Wego and the list continues. Finally, the start-ups were called upon to present in their ideas on the Digital Travel Space. The presentation delivered by Pranav was on Tourz Singapore, an application that aids tourists in selecting a travel destination which is enhanced in such a way that the person sitting at home can virtually visit parts of the tourist destination.
All the participants just had a three minute time frame to cover all matters, along with the marketing strategies, financials and other important entrepreneurial highlighted materials. The students were then assigned a set of mentors who helped them in brain storming their ideas and concepts. After this section, the students headed to the presentation podium and presented their revised ideas again. All the contestants were then called in for final questioning from the large audience. The JCU team didn’t make it to the top three teams. However, they certainly earned a great learning experience and had a massive exposure which opened their mindset and broadened their thought process. The Entrepreneurship boot camp will return in 2011 and it expects to be bigger and better. Pranav and Giri do hope that the new intakes in JCUS will not only participate in the 2011 boot camp event, but many other ongoing events of these sort as they’ll always reap benefits, because in competitions like these there is no losing. For more information on the Entrepreneurship boot camp, please contact Campus Activities.
I’m pretty sure most of you ask your selves the same question I do when the end of the term is approaching, which is, “What subject should I take for the next term?”
foremost, what does an introductory class mean? In this context, we’re speaking about a preview of a subject that will be taught in the next term. For example, you need to choose an elective and you can’t decide between Business Information System or Marketing Fundamentals. You know you need to take either one, but you know absolutely nothing about both subjects. What if there’s a 30 minute to an hour-long class on each subject, held two to three weeks before our finals? That way, we can find out about the course in advance and see if we’d like it, and save us all the troubles of dropping out due to enrolling to the wrong subject.
There are a lot of subjects that could be taken for the next term and you just can’t decide which subject to take first. And even worse, you don’t know anything about the subject. Oh, imagine the horror if you choose the wrong class! You’ll need to drop the subject and enroll yourself in another one during the next term, which, frankly saying, is a major waste of time. Even worse, you’ll need to catch up with all those stuff you miss because you are hopping from one subject to another. So let me ask this of you JCU students: Ever wish there was an introductory do you think an introductory class is needed? class? That would probably solve our problem in Drop your opinions at the Campus Activities. choosing subjects for the next term. But first and - Yuna Tanu
All you need is an open mind and an empty stomach. Go ahead and indulge in our food section...
God” is the fundamental factor. They say this is a tribute to the Goddess of Plenty or Abundance, Annalakshmi. The rationale There is no such thing as a free lunch! This of the organisation is commendable. I feel that this restaurant Saurabh is one of the ten principles of economics which stands out for another reason - the assortment of delectable Nirantar we have learned from Prof. Abhishek. But the dishes is served in an ambience that reflects four thousand principle may not apply in the case of Annalakshmi restaurant. years of Indian Visual Arts. In every way then - food, ambiThis is an international chain of vegetarian restaurants operat- ence and service - it is a restaurant where vegetarian dining is a ing in a one-of-a-kind concept of “Eat to your heart’s content, cultural experience. We can find many Indian eating places in Pay what your heart feels.” Annalakshmi has been serving Little India and Ferrer Park which dish up delicious food, but palatable vegetarian dishes since 1986. It is run as a Non-profit many people including JCU students prefer Annalakshmi. Inorganization. This artistic and cultural organization is patron- ternational students bear the heavy cost of living in Singapore. ized by many JCU students because of its worthiness. Thus the concept of Annalakshmi is highly supported The restaurant first started in Malaysia in 1984. Nowa- by students especially by Indian students in Singapore as a cusdays, Annalakshmi has branches in Australia, Singapore and tomer and volunteer. The food of the restaurant resembles the India. We experienced that the dining is a large buffet and actaste of homemade food. People experience immense contentcentuated with Indian art and handicrafts. Its ment after dining in Annalakshmi. I appreciate their genuine maxim “athithi devo bhava” means “the Guest is effort and unconditional devotion towards the customer.
Tired of having the same taste everyday in Singapore? Are you looking for a different taste? How about...Vietnamese Cuisine? This would ba a great choice and you will never regret it once you taste it. Vietnamese food is quite unlike any other food in Southeast Asia. Vietnamese recipes use many fresh herbs, vegetables, and a minimal amount of oil while cooking. This cuisine is well known worldwide and considered to be among the healthiest food in the planet. A typical Vietnamese meal includes steamed rice, a soup dish to eat with the rice, a meat or fish dish, and then a vegetarian dish. It sounds like Chinese cuisine right? But wait, they don’t have Pho and Spring Rolls. Yum! Pho noodle soup is widely regarded by Vietnamese as their national food, and it has been around for more than 100 years. Pho also has the added advantage of being convenient to prepare and healthy to eat. Pho is commonly eaten for breakfast, although many people will have it during lunch or dinner. It is very well known in many countries in the world such as Australia, America, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Vietnamese food is really scarce in Singapore. However, there are some places that I believe will not make you disappointed. First stop, I’d like to introduce one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in Singapore, The Orange Lantern restaurant in 73 Killiney Rd, and1 Maritime Sq #01-98 HarbourFront Centre. Why PHO is so famous and tasty here? In this restaurant, Pho is sold from S$6 – 9 and there are different kinds of Pho, be it with beef, chicken, meat, or a rare fillet of beef. Preparations may vary, but when the dish is served, its smell and taste is amazing. The grated rice noodle is made of the
best variety of fragrant rice called Gao Te. The broth for Pho Bo (Pho with beef ) is made by stewing the bones of cows and pigs in a large pot in a few hours. Pieces of beef fillet together with several slices of ginger are reserved for Pho Bo Tai (rare fillet). The soup for Pho Ga (pho with chicken meat) is made by stewing chicken and pig bones together. The white chicken meat that is usually served with Pho Ga is boneless and is cut into thin slices. You could consider Pho Bo and Pho Ga as Vietnam’s special soups. Spring Rolls? Vietnamese spring rolls in this restaurant cost S$2.50 for 2. These are wrapped using dried rice paper wrappers (slightly wetted to make it soft and chewy) with raw herbs, some rice, bee hoon, pork, and prawns. These spring rolls have a great flavor even by itself, and if you dip it into the chili sauce, it can be even more delicious. Anyone feeling hungry now? Why don’t you enjoy a bowl of hot and spicy Pho to fill your empty stomachs. Where are others places to find Vietnamese cuisine in Singapore? Here are some places where you can find delicious Vietnamese food: 1. 18 Lorong Mambong, Holland Village Singapore 277678 2. “Little Vietnam”, GrandLink Square located between the junction of Geylang & Guillemard Road 3. “Long Phung” 159 Joo Chiat Road, East Coast ¡Buen apetito! =)
Indonesia consists of more than 17,000 islands including 5 big islands; Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi (or Celebes), and Papua. Spread from Sabang in Sumatra to Merauke in Papua with 33 provinces, Indonesia is the pool of cultural diversity. Every province and area has its own culture, language, and speciality. Eating for Indonesians is not just an activity to stay alive. It becomes a part of one’s lifestyle. People compete to come up with new types of food that later might be considered as the speciality of a place. Even so, most of the provinces and areas already have their own speciality food. For example, Gado-gado (Indonesian version of salad with peanut sauce for the topping) from Jakarta, Karedok (uncooked vegetables with peanut sauce) from West Java, Babi Guling (Roasted Pig) from Bali. Different areas also offer various snacks and food souvenirs to be brought home when one visits another area. Bandung in West Java is famous for its brownies, baked or steamed, and Pisang Molen (banana molen). Semarang in Central Java is famous for its Bakpia. Medan in North Sumatra is famous for its Bika Ambon. These snacks and food souvenirs are usually sweets or cakes. Indonesian food is mostly based on Chinese, Middle Eastern, India and European precedent and is similar to Malay and Peranakan food. Some of the cuisine even looks the same, for instance, Roti Cane from Aceh is similar to Prata from India and Perkedel (potato frites) is actu-
ally a Dutch cuisine. Most of Indonesian food is famous for its spiciness. Sambal (grounded chilli) is a compulsory thing on the table. A lot of spices are used in the food, from turmeric, ginger, pepper, lots of chilli, clove, bay leaves, coriander, hazelnut, and marijuana oil, even though nowadays it is very rare that people use marijuana oil to cook. These spices create the unique taste of Indonesian food, which sometimes can be a shocking experience for non-Indonesians who are trying the food and are not ready with the rich taste in it. Finding Indonesian food in Singapore is not difficult. There are a lot of Indonesian restaurants and stalls spread all over the island. However, people sometimes get mixed up between authentic Indonesian cuisine and Malay or Peranakan cuisine, especially for Nasi Padang, which is actually very similar. But if you go to Lucky Plaza in Orchard Road, you will find several Indonesian restaurants over there which serve authentic Indonesian cuisine with the all-time-famous spicy and tasty sambal. So are you ready to try the uniqueness of Indonesian cuisines? (Marsaulina is a Bachelor of Business in Tourism Management student. Her ambition is to become someone worthy of being proud of. She believes that we should be thankful for what we’ve got, without being lazy in trying to get something better”.)
Ice cream chef prides itself with their homemade premium ice cream that ranges from local flavors like Kaya Lotee (Kaya Bread), Soursop, Mily Azuki, Honey Green Tea and other popular flavors such as Nutty Peanut Butter, Tiramisu, Mrs. Smith (cinnamon & apple), Crème Brule or Nutella Delight and the best seller Chocolate & Hershey which is bragged about. We come up with new flavors on a regular basis and our latest edition - Sea Salt Caramel and Milky Moo! Customize your order by mixing in our wide selection of mix ins – Mal- 12 Jalan Kuras (Upp Thomson Rd) Tel: 64584849 tesers, Caramelized biscuits, Kinder Bueno, Gronola, Nacho Cheese, Popping the on created being order your see to able – Thur 12-11pm be Sun You’d more! many candy and de homema cone, a & public holiday 12Sat either on Friday served rocks and enjoy your very own creation 12am waffle/brownie or try our signature thick milkshakes! Other branch:
JCU Student’s Promotion: 520 East Coast Road - Free mix in with any cup purchased (worth S$0.90 each!) *excluding pint* Tel: 64466355 - 10% off total bill on your birthday month! *unlimited visits in the month* Mon – Thur 1-10pm - 10% OFF any party packages with a min order of S$300 Fri – Sun & Eve of public holidays ;) page back the to refer 1-11pm please s, coupon and *For more info
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Many people say that Singapore is a paradise to visit, and yes it is. It is a country in which we easily explore a variety of diverse experiences and attractions. One of the best places that I recommend you go to is Universal Studios - amazing fun, exciting adventures, and even the feeling of being in a small New York. Take photos and have fun with the old movie star walk in Hollywood Boulevard. If you are an adventurer, there is the tropical jungle mock-up of Madagascar where you can enjoy most. Travel to an era when an entire Pharaoh’s tomb was discovered and their terrible curses unleashed - a chance for you come face to face with warrior mummies and scarab beetles. Universal Studios Singapore just opened last 18th of March, 2011, which comprises seven themed zones including Hollywood, New York, Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World, Far Far Away and Madagascar. There are a total of 24 attractions, of which 18 are original or particularly tailored to the Universal Studios Singapore theme park. Once you set foot in the various zones, you will experience a different feeling. Madagascar is an area with thick tropical forest shades, filled with unique animals such as lemurs. As you explore deeper into this tropical forest, you will hear birds singing and see a lot of screaming monkeys. The Lost World is divided into two areas: Jurassic Park and Water World. For people who are fans of these two blockbuster movies, you will have the experience to be in the atmosphere of a tropical forest where dinosaurs are hiding and Pteranodons are floating in the air. Afterwards, you can watch an exciting performance in Water World which is really sensational. Now let’s go to Ancient Egypt. It is a massive 21 meter tall structure built from scratch in the Ancient Egypt themed zone with imposing Egyptian statues. You will feel like being in the year of 1930, the golden era of Egypt. You will have a long walk through the mazes and labyrinths within the insides of the tomb before the rider is whisked onto the roller coaster. During the trip, there will be many graves where Pharaohs spread death which is really suspenseful and amazing. Welcome to New York, the city that never sleeps. There were many shops on the right and left that were designed similar to the streets of New York. A lot of legendary artists and actors such as Marilyn Monroe, Sherlock Holmes and Charlie Chaplin walk around the streets and interact with visitors and take photos with them. After leaving New York city, you emerge into Sci-Fi City which is the perfect zone for fans of science fiction and the hit show Battlestar Galactica. In Sci-Fi City, you can choose to side either with Humans or Cylons and ride one of two unique roller coasters that twine together, creating several “near misses” that are not only terrifying but also very symbolic of the battle between Humans and Cylons in the show. The Hollywood Zone is another exciting part of Universal Studios. There are famous architectural forms and you can walk on the famous Walk of Fame in the area between the palm trees, typical of hollywood and Beverly Hills. In this zone, there are a lot of merchandise stores and of course, the fun doesn’t end with live performances at the Universal Studio monsters musical event. Based on the whimsical and hilarious movie Shrek, Far Far Away features exciting 4-D Shrek films and live concerts with everyone’s favorite equine, Donkey. In case, you need some refreshments, you can stop by at the Fairy Godmother’s potion shop in order to mix up a quick magical potion at the juice bar. The price of the place can be pretty steep especially for students, rang ing from S$66 for a one day weekday adult pass to S$118 for a two day adult pass. But in my opinion, it is definitely worth it. You won’t regret it. ;)
Within months to come, 15 new tablets, 5 new operating systems, dual core smart phones and many more innovative gadgets are inline to boom the tech world. This article brings a quick preview of what consumers could look for, specifically from the heated “Tablet War”. On the basis of the information provided by the International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) and Mobile World Congress (MWC) for the year 2011, we can expect that tablets will be changing our daily computi ng. The year of the tablets was marked by the introduction of Apple’s first iPad. This innovative product arguably marked the change in the consumer electronics industry . In 2010 the Apple iPad accounted for about 80% of the sale of tablets. The sale reached new grounds due to the increased importance of social networking in daily life. With tablets entering the commun ication saga, replacement of laptops is just around the corner. Tablets are designed in such a way that they can provide convenience, comfort and technology, enabling the users to read e-books, browse the web, watch movies, play games and communicate. Today, consumers are on the move and they like to carry the world along in various forms. Bulky laptops to inefficient net books have created a void, which can be filled by a classy, stylish and fashionable product, “the tablet”. This all-in-one device officially sets the standard, from which not only laptops, but also, all mobile computing products would be measured against. Looking forward at the latest installments offered at the International Consum er Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, iPad has 2 major credible contenders: Blackberry Playbook: For all the blackberry lovers, Research In Motion (RIM) is coming up with their own multitasking tablet, the “Blackberry Playbook”. The 7-inch multitasking tablet allows running of multiple applications simultaneously. This product runs on the new Blackberry tablet Operatin g System (OS) based on the QNX RIM platform, unlike the Android and Apple iphone OS .The hardwar e is backed up by a 1GHz processor and full gigabyte RAM, making it one of the snappiest tablets in the market. Gamers would also like to get their hands on the playbook, as RIM has taken flash support into account for games such as Quake III Arena. With 4G support and a storage capacity of 64GB, the Playboo k also includes basic features such as WI-Fi, a 3MP front facing camera and a 5MP rear camera with HD video support. Special syncing support with the RIM Smartphone is something you would exclusiv ely be benefited with if you own a blackberry smart phone. The Blackberry Playbook would be one of the products to look forward to in the next quarter. Android-based tablets: After the breakthrough success in the smartphone operating system, Android is all set to take on other competitors through Android based tablets. Manufactures such as Motorola, HTC, Samsung and LG are all set to roll out their latest tablet offerings using the Google based operating system. Thus, the growth of the tablet industry should also be attributed to the Google Android O.S, as the platform has provided many manufac turers to capture lost ground in the tablet market. Google’s Android Honeyco mb software is something to look forward to, as it’s the first operating system specially optimized for tablets, which allows better multi-tasking impleme ntation than Android 2.0. “Xoom” a Motorola device is expected to be the first one to roll out on the Honeycomb OS with high expectations. The 10.1-inch HD multi-touch tablet has 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core processor, which is considered as a powerhouse in process ing speed. The 32 GB internal storage backed with 5MP Camera withstands 4G connectivity with true multitasking applications .The gaming experience is truly enhanced with the use of the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core CPU. The basic features, including the Wi-Fi, GPS HDMI output makes this Android based tablet the top contender against the iPad. It’s likely that the dominance of iPad will be unseated by one of the Android –based challengers. There are more efficient tablets from HP (Touch Pad with usage of Web based OS), HTC, Toshiba and Lenovo also hitting the market soon. One can say, with on going incremental innovations, the battle for ultra portabili ty would be far more encroaching in the coming months. If a consumer today considers multimedia and portability over a laptop’s productivity and performance, then tablets would undoubtedly get their acceptance from the tech world. So, even with many options already in the pool and many more to come, tablets are here to stay. Apple’s iPad growth as the market leader would be seriously challeng ed by the growing Android based tablets. So, in this tablet war, only consumers are in the win-win situation . So what are you waiting for? Just go ahead and Tab It!
- The author is currently pursuing his MBA, majoring in Marketing, and his ambition in life is to make himself useful to the society at large in one way or another.
Cricket, also known as the ‘Gentleman’s game’ originated from England. A game that was once played by the ‘Elites’, is now a game of the ‘Masses’. India won the cricket World cup in 1983 under the leadership of Kapil Dev. Cricket was an obsession during those times, and the Indians who were the small fries for the contest turned out to be the dark horses of the hour at Lords. These thrilling days of cricket were the times when the West Indians ruled the rest.
are among them. These wealthy people recognized the IPL business model as a better proposition and decided to spend on cricket players rather than horses. The players will be bid on by the franchise possessors in auctions with massive sums involved to get the preferred players in their squad.
The global Economic depression had no impact on the IPL in terms of auction sales to bid the players and the foreign investments in the franchises. A lot of money is generated among the franchises, media companies, apparel companies The eminent pace battery of the Cariband food beverage companies in this IPL concept. bean’s was fear even to the best of the batsmen. The players are extremely interested to participate Even test cricket was played with pride and passion. in these leagues instead of International Cricket Nowadays, it is debatable if test cricket is needed at since the international tournament’s pay package is all, at this time of twenty-twenty era of hit out or comparatively lesser with this format of the game. get out attitude. The main criticism for cricket is it The IPL tournament is a favourite amusebeing a time-consuming game, but twenty-twenty ment in cricket especially in India. It is similar to a cricket has managed to expel that part. huge carnival. The stadium is crammed with The Indian Premier League, frequently bollywood (indian film industry) glamour, condensed as IPL, is a professional league for businessmen and celebrities. Money, politics twenty-twenty cricket competition in India. It and glamour is a powerful fusion and cricket was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket is now in the command of this toxic mixture. in India (BCCI). The IPL is a cricket championThe lay man has invested pleasure and enthuship among ten franchisee teams of India, which siasm in this fancy package but inaudibly, a lot have numerous players from all over the world of businessmen are raking in the huge profits. playing for them in tandem with the local Indian So how far this will benefit the economy of players. Presently, these franchises are owned by the state remains to be seen. Cricket must stay Business conglomerates and Indian film stars. alive whether it is the IPL or not but we must Some of these business tycoons used to invest make sure that the IPL does not swallow the their funds in horse races and car races. true cricketing spirit and sportsmanship. Vijay Mallya and Venkatarami Reddy - Saurabh Nirantar
It was sometime back in October 2010 when the concept of initiating the “JCU Super8 Challenge” had entered my mind. As I was entering my last semester, I thought it was time to give something back to the university. Being a cricket enthusiast and the president of the cricketing team in JCUS, I felt there was no better medium of doing so than cricket. I reflected on the idea and quickly identified the team members to help me proceed with my plan. My proposal to the management was simple. I had come up with the concept of organizing ‘The JCU Super8 Challenge’ to create an awareness about our university in the corporate world. I foresaw the event as a means to bridge the gap between the corporate companies and JCUS as the event would bring together the vibrant and multicultural facets of the university’s students and would also help in fostering a strong relationship with these companies. This would in turn assist the current as well as the future students of JCUS in seeking job opportunities in these companies and would also help grow the university’s name in the long run. The concept of “JCU Super8 Challenge” was therefore an 8-a-side cricketing event which involved participants from 4 corporations and 4 universities in Singapore to participate in a limited 8 over’s tournament scheduled last 27th of February, 2011 at the Ceylon Sports Club, Baliester Road. Once the proposal was accepted, my leadership skills were put to the test. We as a team faced the mammoth task of getting sponsors to fund 40% of the event while the University funded the remaining 60%. To add to the challenge, there was an ‘SCA Corporate League’ which clashed with our event. This limited our pool of corporate invitees to participate in the event. Getting sponsorship proved to be a bit of a disappointment. While we put in more than 100% of our efforts in attracting sponsors for our event by visiting various banks, restaurants, and other firms, the timing seemed a little wrong as most sponsors turned us down on the pretext of lack of funds as they had exhausted their marketing budgets for the year. JCUS was the title sponsor for the event and therefore took over the “Platinum” sponsorship and the Silver sponsorship as supported by “Great Hunt International”. We found it a bit difficult to rope in the “Gold” and “Bronze” sponsorship in time. However, the belief and hopes of the university’s management kept our spirits high as they decided to fund the remaining amount as well for the event. In spite of the ‘SCA Corporate League’, we managed to capture the interest of 4 corporations (Spice Mobiles, L&T, Mariners CC and Barclays Technologies) and 4 universities (NTU, JCUS, MDIS and SP Jain). Each team received t-shirts and caps with their resepective company or school logo, complementary lunch, dinner and drinks, as well as exciting gifts and cash prizes for the winners. The knock out tournament on the 27th of February, 2011, proved to be quite an action-packed event. Dr. Dale Anderson, CEO of JCU Singapore opened the event with a speech and by conducting the first toss. He then handed out caps to the players of the first match. The first match began with the hosts – JCUS challenging SP Jain to win a place in the quarter final. To all the spectators’ delight, JCU won the first match and entered the semi-finals. NTU, Mariners CC & Spice Mobiles were the other teams to make it there. Eventually, Spice Mobiles emerged as the winner with Mariners CC finishing off as 2nd and NTU and JCU taking the 3rd and 4th places respectively. The DJ as well as the commentator did a great job throughout the event in keeping the event lively and engaging. The closing ceremony was again graced by our CEO as well as the Associate Dean, Mr. Abhishek Bhati, and Sr. Manager, Ms. Jade Hsia without whom this event would not have been possible alog with the help of Mr. Iftekhar Ahmad – owner of Great Hunt International. The closing ceremony was followed by dinner and drinks. The feedback from all the teams that participated in the event proved to be very encouraging. In spite of a few initial hiccups (as is the case with most events), our event proved to be a great success with many teams recommending that such events be hosted more often. My vision during the concept initiation was to set standards for producing events that would keep inspiring our future students to participate in various campus activities which would help them and the university to establish a name for itself. I would therefore like to suggest that this event be made an annual activity wherein the students would take the onus upon themselves to foster relationships between JCU and various corporates in Singapore. (Sagar has completed his MBA on Human Resources Management, and he aspires to ba an asset for any organization that he will work for.)