Month: March 2019

UCSI University is ranked as Malaysia’s best private university in the QS World University Rankings 2019, placing it in the top 2% of all universities in the world.

Ranked 481, UCSI is the only Malaysian private university in the top 500. This is the first time UCSI is featured in the QS World University Rankings – an annual exercise that ranks the world’s best universities.

Apart from UCSI and the nation’s five research universities, no other Malaysian institution made it to the top 500.

The latest milestone caps a memorable year for UCSI – one that also distinguished it as Asia’s fastest rising university (QS University Rankings: Asia 2018) and a global top 100 university for performing arts (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018).

UCSI Vice-Chancellor and President Senior Professor Dato’ Dr Khalid Yusoff said that the University’s continued rise in global stature was a culmination of university-wide push for excellence and performance with specific strategies to reach-out and to reach-in, a commitment to synergise with the future for its students and staff, and the dedication and hard work of its staff and students in pursuing these ideals and aspirations.

“We welcome this development as it shows we are moving in the right direction,” he said. “All of us at UCSI have been working consistently to improve ourselves and I’d like to thank all UCSI staff and students for their efforts. Alhamdulillah.

“Our focus is to push UCSI further and higher. We are building the strengths of the University. Quality education is our priority and we want to be a standard bearer of thought leadership.”

Senior Professor Khalid also mused that UCSI’s position in the rankings showed that Malaysian universities could achieve marked improvement.

“The rankings prove that we can do it if we want to,” he added. “We can’t do it if we’ve already decided not to.

“UCSI shares the aspiration and takes up the challenge and responsibility of making Malaysia the regional hub of higher education.”

Over the years, UCSI has focused extensively on improving its research output, curriculum development and delivery, as well as industry partnerships. UCSI also works closely with the great universities around the world while working together with newer universities in the region.

It has elevated its engagement with the world’s best universities. UCSI students are annually selected by Harvard, Imperial College London, Chicago and Tsinghua and the University of Queensland for involvement in various research programmes in those universities.

Additionally, the University of Melbourne has arrangements for UCSI’s third year medical students to work for the Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Melb.) after one year of studies in Melbourne, indicating that Melbourne University recognises the three years of UCSI’s MD programme.

The students will then return to UCSI to complete their MD programme, graduating with two degrees from two universities.   

Soft Skills: What?

There are hundreds of people in a crowd. 3+ GPAs, excellent technical qualifications, good schools, top universities, highly experienced: how do some people still stand out? The term is soft skills. The qualities excluded from the list of ‘qualifications’ in a job dejsion; it’s the difference between the good and excellent. Simply put, these are the characteristics that enable someone to co-operate and interact easily with others.

Soft Skills: Why?

It’s the soft skill sutra: Success. Progress. More Success.

Having soft skills isn’t an attribute or importance anymore; it’s a necessity. Contrary to hard skills, these are more or less intrinsic in nature and require progressive learning. This makes it an absolute charm and is very much sought after by all industries. Once you begin your work journey, your credentials are of almost no value unless you have the right qualities to apply them effectively! Not just a company or an organization, soft skills are of uttermost importance for your personal growth too.

So, what soft skills do you need? Here is a list of some traits you simply cannot (and shouldn’t) miss.

1. Communication: A company is its people, and what binds people is communication. No matter how great your ideas are, they’re almost as good as none if you don’t have the skills to communicate them effectively. This skill begins at a root level. Communicating through your resume, then with interviewers, colleagues, clients – it doesn’t stop. And if you don’t want your success to stop, your skills shouldn’t too.
   
   
   
2. Flexibility:  It’s very rare that your role in a company ends where it’s supposed to. Once in the industry, you’ll have to learn, grow, do new things, and go out of your comfort zone. If you’re not open to exploring and adapting, you’ll hinder the growth of yourself as well as everyone around you.
   
   
3. Leadership: The world can never be not in need of leaders. You need to be able to take action on your own, as well as lead a team to success. People who step up are always admired, and they make running and organization look super easy. This skills stands out immediately, giving the kick you need for your career.
   
   
   
4. Creativity: You might ask, “Why do I need creativity if my role is completely technical?”. The answer is simple: Without creativity, it’s boring. Whether it is coding, managing building, cooking, or absolutely anything, creativity makes things intriguing. You’ll always be needed to do things differently in every field. So, get thinking outside the box!
   
   
5. Decision-making: There’ll be a lot of work to be done, no time to waste, and no one to always look after the things you do. You need to make quick, rational and strong decisions. This is a skill that’ll make you dependable and take you to great glory in the long run.
   
   
   
6. Self-motivation: You are your biggest strength. But you are also your biggest weakness. If you’re passionate, focused, and self-driven, you become unstoppable.  This is a highly cherished trait in the corporate world, and for one simple reason: there’s no time for anyone else! You need to have your own back and push forward to make every work pay off.

Whether it’s IT, Business, or HM; Whether it’s Nepal, America or Australia; there are no places where soft skills don’t matter.  There are no certificates that prove them or exams that would grade you on this basis. However, when a person has good soft skills, it shows.

There are some people who possess these characteristics naturally, but it can be easily acquired with practice and patience.  The best time to learn these is in your college/University days because it’s like a trailer to the big world that lies ahead of you.

Now that you know what you need, don’t wait. Bag as many of these as you can, and give your career an amazing boost.

We wish you all the best!

Is MBA all about being dapper in suits and polished shoes, an elite gathering of entrepreneurs and investors street-smarting their way out of it? IS MBA the sure-fire way to correct all your academic choices and excel in a career of your interest? Is MBA in Nepal really a good option? Are there good MBA colleges in Nepal?  Is an MBA really worth the hype?

No matter what stream you’re from, doing an MBA must have struck your mind at one point in time. Whether your goal is to pursue MBA from Nepal or abroad, the myths that revolve around this highly coveted course stay pretty much a constant throughout the globe. Before you invest hours in preparing for MBA entrance tests and applying to esteemed colleges, let’s discuss these myths and bust them- one important revelation at a time!

1. The ultimate door to a new career!

Are you considering an MBA to change your career?

You’re not alone. However, there are things you should know before. Firstly, there are two kinds of career changes: Functional and Industrial.  For Example, If you choose to stay an Engineer but change from a communications industry to a Digital Marketing firm, you would be switching industries. If you, however, choose to change your role from an engineer to a social media manager, you are changing the function! Top-ranked B-schools and firms generally advise against doing both at once.

A transition is needed before you take the huge leap. And yes, as much as an MBA gives you that step of safety, it’s not enough! Once you go for MBA, from the internships that you do to the courses you take, everything determines your future. You need to be ready to compete with the existing experts in that field, put in all those extra hours of unwavering commitment, and also to accept the questioning eyebrows raised at you when you talk about a career change.

The verdict: Can you change your career through MBA? Yes. Is it as easy as a stroll in the park, the way it’s portrayed? No. But if you’re getting a chance (the best one) at doing what you love the most, it sure is worth everything!

2. You can talk / Network your way out of an MBA

During our Bachelors, we all had at least one management course that was mandatory. And let’s be honest, that was the subject we considered ‘chill’. From filling our pages with the same lines written five different ways to probably not even owning a textbook, we’ve all been there, done that. And if you’re going to MBA with the same notion, you’re in for a huge shock. You cannot by-heart your way out of an MBA. It needs thinking outside of the box, and a lot of hard work. 

Same applies for a job after MBA, if you think you’re going to use your words without any knowledge, and end up with a huge paycheck, you’re wrong.  MBA is one of the most sought-after courses, and with good reason. Leadership skills, research, efforts, critical thinking makes the manager a good one. MBA is a lot more than a shiny degree you can get away with by lazying around.

The Verdict: MBA does teach you how to put your best point forward. Networking and communications skills are essential too. However, the ‘point’ is of vital importance and you need to have a profound knowledge to make it the best one!

3. If it’s not an Ivy League or a B-School with great ranking, MBA is useless
There is an abundance of Business schools today, each promising a better future than the rest. But are the top-ranked schools the only way to make your degree valuable? This myth, unlike others, comes with a bittersweet reality. Yes, a good college does matter! From the job you end up with, to the overall impact it makes on your networking, a good B-School can become the star of your portfolio. 

The good news, although, is that fame of the institute doesn’t beat talent. Work hard and re-define the degree! Even the growing industries have come to acknowledge the increasing potential of students from all over the globe in different schools. There are many college offering MBA courses in Nepal itself that have delivered excellent results and groomed leaders!

The Verdict: Choosing a good college is crucial for your personal development and shaping your future. However, good colleges are not only the IVY league ones. There are many colleges that provide quality education all over the world. And in the end, it does boil down to your dedication more than anything else.  

4. MBA- Masters Of Barely Anything?

With increased competition in all fields and a few unfortunate rotten apples to blame, the term ‘meaningless’ has quite surprisingly tagged itself along with MBA in the lay-men crowd. But there’s history to prove this wrong. In fact, MBA could help you excel in any discipline! No matter what stream your undergrad course was in, MBA helps you look at it with a fresh perspective and come up with creative, more organized ideas.  MBA programs focus more on the application even more than the theory, producing skilled personnel who are the best at what they do. The MBA degree ensures that the student has enough learning and knowledge to be able to work in any area of his choice, opening a door for tremendous career growth.

The Verdict: There are MBA graduates who’ve changed the world with their ideas. And if “barely anything” would suffice to excel so far, MBA helps you master that as well!

The demand for specialized degree programs at the post-graduate level has been growing, and the MBA programs have witnessed a radical shift with it. The essence and value of an MBA degree have only escalated over the years. If any myth was holding you back from applying, we hope that’s all cleared out. So go ahead and ace that Masters degree, we’re rooting for you!