GEORGE TOWN: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will receive a Special Chancellor Sustainability Award at Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) commemorative convocation ceremony tomorrow.
USM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Asma Ismail said the event was being held in conjunction with USM’s 50th anniversary celebration.
“The convocation ceremony will be opened by USM Chancellor Raja of PerlisTuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail on Sept 23 at 10am.
“Dr Mahathir’s deeds and contribution to the country and the global community is the reason for the university to confer him with the Special Chancellor Sustainability Award,” she said, here, today.
However, Asma said Dr Mahathir would not be able to attend the ceremony and would receive the award in a special ceremony at Istana Arau later.
“We will also be conferring an honourary Sport Science doctorate to Datuk Nicole Ann David on her contribution to sports, honourary Science doctorate to 2014 Nobel Price winner in the Physics field Prof Dr Shuji Nakamura and honorary doctorate in Public Administration to USM’s first female registry Datuk Siti Mazenah Saad,” she added.
The first session on Sept 24 will see 554 graduates receiving their certificates from Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin.
“The convocation will end on Sept 29, after 6,338 graduates receive their degrees, including three honourary degrees, four professor emeritus, 508 philosophical doctorates, 1,564 masters, 4,266 degree and 45 nursing diplomas,” she said.
Asma said Bachelor of Applied Sciences graduate Loh Shean Min would be receiving the Chancellor’s Gold Medal Award and Bachelor of English Literaturegraduate Felicia Pui Jia Yin would be receiving the USM Gold Medal Prize.
Pui, 24, who was born with a visual impairment, said she was very proud and happy to be the recipient of the award this year.
She said she had always strived for excellence and her “never give up” attitude finally paid off with a 3.76 CGPA (Culmulative Grade Point Average).
“I was born with limited vision and can only perceive colour and light.
“I also did not attend primary school and only began formal education when I enrolled in Form 1 at the age of 14. However, I never let these factors deter me,” she said, adding she had a keen interest in music, which she started to learn to play by ear since she was 8 years old.
“I also love languages and started studying the French language.
“I plan to further my studies by taking up a masters programmes and land a job in translation,” she said.
On her struggles at school, Pui said she had supportive friends and teachers who helped her a lot.