Interaction via alumni
The Borneo Post - Sunday, 14 July 2002 (Front page)
Adenan says SAUA will be a reference point for young professionals to set them on their respective journey
KUCHING: Sarawak Alumni of the University of Adelaide
(SAUA) members should act as mentors to undergraduates and fresh graduands as they embark on their careers.
Its deputy president Dato Sri Adenan Satem said the newly launched SAUA will act as a reference point for these young professionals to give them "that initial contact" to set them on their respective journeys.
"I am confident that our association will achieve great success in promoting interaction, goodwill and knowledge among graduates," Adenan, who is Agriculture and Food Industries Minister said last night. Adenan was representing Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud at the launching of SAUA at Holiday Inn Damai Lagoon Resort in Santubong near here.
Through this network, he said members should have access to the support of the association and its members. Networking, he said, will be a crucial factor for members to maximise their potential in all spheres of the broader society, both social and entrepreneurial. He also pointed out that there were many Sarawak politicians who were Australian graduates and Australia would always have a warm place in many a politician's heart.
However, as with any relationship, it needed to be continually nurtured, he said, adding that SAUA was a bridge to ensure this objective. "It is to cement further the relationship with the people of Australia, especially with the people of Adelaide," he said. Meanwhile, Adenan called for more University of Adelaide graduates to join SAUA as the membership drive was still low.
"So far there are only 50 members and half of those are committee members," he quipped. "So it is a case of too many chiefs and not enough Indians." Adenan believed that there were more graduates from the university than the number of members in the association suggested. Pointing out that there must be several hundreds in the State, he challenged the SAUA members to go on a membership drive and spread the word around that they we are looking for more "Indians".
Considering the number of Australian graduates in Sarawak, there were more who had yet to join the association, he said. On the funding, he assured that SAUA would have the support of the Sarawak Foundation, which had already pledged a RM20,000 grant to the association.