Camp of Leaders is a mentorship programme in which mentors engage with students who are innovating businesses that have competitive potential in the market and social projects to address the communities’ needs and their quality of life. In line with Malaysia’s vision to advance from a production-based economy to a knowledge-intensive one, Camp of Leaders acts as a springboard that empowers youths today to be game changers for the future, contributing to the nation’s progress through education.
The kick-off session was done with the programme mentors consisting of leaders with vast experiences in their respective industries such as Surina Shukri, Independent Non-Executive Director of Capital A, Shin Tseng, Co-founder of REXKL, Nik Suzila, Co-founder of Kloth Circularity, Yap Sue Yii, founder of Komuniti Tukang Jahit and Lim Yuet Kim, co-founder of PichaEats.
These high-calibre experts will be paired with the innovative teams of students striving to break new ground in various spaces such as medical technology, renewable and efficient energy, and food and beverages. The pairing of mentor and mentee will be done based on the similarity of industry experience or passion, and student’s project.
McDonald’s Asia Chief Marketing Officer, Eugene Lee, who is one of the mentors, highlighted the importance and responsibility of mentoring the next generation of young innovators, “It is a great opportunity to be able to mentor the next generation of trailblazers who will bring change to their specific industries. Over my years in marketing, I learnt that soft skills are equally, if not more important than technical skills. What I want to achieve through this mentorship is to enhance the technical skills that the students have learnt in class, with the soft skills they will need to bring their ideas to life in the real world. I am personally passionate about passing on the knowledge and experience we have gathered to the next generation, so that they may continue building on what we have learnt and achieve greater things in their own lifetime.”
Another mentor, VJ Anand, former APAC Head of Creative and Managing Partner and now based in London for his latest venture with VaynerMedia, shared his views on mentoring, “Having led different teams ranging between 5-170 people in the creative industry, I have learnt to never underestimate the potential one talented individual can have, their power to alter the world with their perspectives and abilities. It has been a privilege to share my experiences with various talented people I came across throughout my career and I am both
eager and excited to kick start this journey with Jizen who founded Nexmve known for its ‘no-tie shoelaces’ product.”
Jizen Loh Iskandar, a Bachelor of Mass Communications alumnus from Taylor’s has won several startup challenges including the MaGIC University Startup Challenge organised by the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC).
“It is an honour to be selected for the Camp of Leaders programme, despite having graduated from the University this year. Taylor’s has been playing an active role in supporting the needs of its students with the skills and resources they need to take their projects to the next step. It is exciting to be connected with such a wide range of industry leaders, as young entrepreneurs like us lack real-world experience. Having these mentors guide us along the way can give us a clearer direction on what to do, helping us save time and resources, ultimately giving us a better chance at seeing our ambitions come true,” said Jizen.
Camp of Leaders is part of Taylor’sphere, a well-balanced ecosystem at Taylor’s that nurtures the intellect, creativity, and practical wisdom of students.