ISDEV PLAYED HOST TO EDEXGLA 9 PARTCIPANTS

A pamphlet on EDEXGLA 9.

On 19th December 2016, the Centre for Islamic Development Management Studies (ISDEV), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) with the cooperation of the International Mobility & Career Centre (IMCC) of USM played host to 16 undergraduate students from Thailand. These students had successfully undergone the tight selective criteria set by the the Foundation of Islamic Culture for Education and Development, Thailand (FICED) to participate in the Education & Social Expedition for Global Actions (EDEXGLA) trip to neighbouring countries. This time around EDEXGLA 9 routes took them to three neighbouring countries, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapura involving seven regions.For the Thailand Chapter, they went to Bangkok and Hat Yai while for the Malaysian chapter, EDEXGLA 9 brought them to Pulau Pinang, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. Besides Singapura, EDEXGLA 9 also took them to visit the Batam Island in Indonesia.

ISDEV delegates with the participants of EDEXGLA#9 in front of the International Office, USM.

ISDEV took the opportunity to brief the students about the programmes offered for their postgraduate endeavours at ISDEV. ISDEV Deputy Director, Dr Fadzila Azni Ahmad, presented to these students ISDEV background - history, the academic programme offered, its research focus and a glimpse of how it is like to be a postgraduate student at ISDEV. Dr Fadzila Azni showed these students through pictorials presentation of classes conducted and the various activities organised by ISDEV including ISDEV's two annual academic meetings INGRAW (The ISDEV International Graduate Worskhop) and IDMAC (The International Islamic Development Management Conference).

Participants listening to ISDEV Deputy Director, Dr Fadzila Azni on what ISDEV is all about.

Besides having a question and answer session, there was also an interview by Puan Azreen Hamiza Abdul Aziz, who is under the ISDEV Academic Staff Training Scheme (ASTS), with one of the EDEXGLA#9 participants. It is learnt that there particpants were required to ensure five main purposes were fulfilled.These five purposes are:-

1. To raise and develop fund for education of Thai Muslim youths;

2. To promote and implement educational projects for upgrading life-quality of Muslim in Thailand;

3. To promote and conduct research and educational activity;

4. To coordinate with governmental development agencies; and

5. To conduct charitable activities and collaborate with other charitable organizations.

Azreen Hamiza interviewing one of the participates of FICED, Muhammad Amin Musa
from Chulalongkorn University.

FICED is formed from a group of universities in Thailand such as Kasetsart University, Prince of Songkla University, Fatoni University and others. For students to be part of this group, they are required to undergo two stages of interview in order to be selected into this Islamic Society Team. 16 students were selected and majority are in their 4th year. FICED, was set up with mainly the following three objectives - first, to provide the students with Islamic knowledge related to society, economy, politics, tradition, culture and etc; second, to provide the students with new overseas experience and third, to practice planning, decision-making and problem solving skills.