FRIENDS Teahouse at BUC, Malaysia
Intercultural Passport Exploitation – Endorsement Letter on Institutional Level
BUC FRIENDS Team Welcomes the New Students for September 2022 Intake
On 15 September 2022 BUC FRIENDS team welcomed the new student for September 2022 intake. During the new student orientation the Erasmus+ FRIENDS project was introduced information was given how this now becomes the pre-requisite module for every exchange student initiative in the university. This effort ensures that the Erasmus+ FRIENDS project can be sustained in the next five years as per the project goals and in line with the expansion of the university.
FRIENDS Reunion at BUC, July 2022
On 27 July 2022, BUC conducted a FRIENDS Reunion event. The face-to-face event was attended by 102 project internal stakeholders and BUC academic community members. Evidence from the event: FRIENDS Reunion Agenda, Event Promotional Poster; Press Release; FRIENDS Reunion Presentation
Ramadan and Aidilfitri Booth at BUC
To celebrate the opening of the Malaysian borders on the 1 April 2022, the Erasmus+ FRIENDS team at BUC conducted a face-to-face briefing to the lecturers from the Faculty of Business and School of Tourism and Events on the IACD MOOC and how to guide their respective students to register for this.
On top of that, the team also assisted the staff from the School of Tourism and Events to set up the ‘Ramadan and Aidilfitri booth’ to showcase the Malay culture in celebrating this Holy Month. This booth is also to welcome all students back to campus, especially the International students and to introduce to them the uniqueness of multicultural Malaysia through the celebration of festivities.
FRIENDS International and Intercultural Festival at BUC, June 2021
BUC Erasmus+ FRIENDS team organized successfully its 1st Virtual Intercultural Festival on the 28 July 2021. With the theme ‘Road Trips Across Malaysia’, this activity was organized virtual due to the extended lockdown in Malaysia. The agenda of the FRIENDS International and Intercultural Festival at BUC is available here.
The FRIENDS Virtual International and Intercultural Festival activity started with an opening address by Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof Ahmad bin Othman. The event continued with a webinar on Malaysia’s Heritage Cuisine and a short video presentation of students, colleagues, and friends to share their experiences living and studying in Malaysia and how these experiences have helped them in their daily life as professionals in the hospitality industry. A video showcasing an Indian dance performed by the students in Diploma in Patisserie and a live performing through zoom by a bachelor student, Aurelia Theola, currently in Indonesia, performing 2 Indonesian folk songs was also held.
There was also a session with the EU – opening remarks by HE Michalis Rokas, Ambassador and EU Head of Delegation to Malaysia and Presentation by Mr Adrian Veale of EU Commission Brussels on ‘Key EU Internationalisation Initiatives and Educational Exchanges as Affirmative Actions’. This session was one of the most anticipated sessions in this first edition of the virtual intercultural festival. One of the reasons is the presence of 2 prominent guest in the form of HE Michalis Rokas, the Ambassador and Head of EU delegation to Malaysia and also the presentation by Mr Adrian Veal of EU Commission in Brussels. This event was also attended by FRIENDS project partner from the Philippines, University of Cebu, colleagues from Bhutan, Ms Christina Armutlieva of VUM also the FRIENDS Project Main Coordinator, and the EU delegation as invited guests as well.
The event closed with a cooking demonstration by Dr Molly KP Anandan. She showed participants on how to cook Mutton Varuval, a popular Indian dish. A total of 231 attendees participated in the event (International and Intercultural Festival Poster)
Event Calendar (version as of July 2022)
Event Calendar (version as of June 2021)
Official Opening Event at BUC, August 2020
On 19 August 2020, BUC held a FRIENDS Open House to present the Intercultural Passport certificates to students who had successfully obtained them during the virtual module’s piloting stage as well as introduce the FRIENDS Teahouse to BUC academic community. The newly established unit is a multi-cultural hub and social space where students from different cultural backgrounds will meet, co-create and learn from one another. The FRIENDS Teahouse’ opening event at BUC was graced by Ms. Ellen Flanagan, the Political Attache at the EU Delegation to Malaysia who presented a keynote address on the topic of Internationalisation Initiative in Higher Education.
