Ballroom, KLCC, 27 November: It was an evening to remember as delegates of the PCF8 were feted to singing and cultural performances during the welcoming dinner that was graced by Deputy Higher Education Minister of Malaysia Datuk Dr Mary Yap Kain Ching. Also present were Education Ministers from Swaziland, Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana and Seychelles.
The evening started with an upbeat folklore dance by the Swatari Dance Group, a local dance company that is renowned for its colourful performances in major festivals, both locally and abroad.
OUM President/Vice-Chancellor Prof Dato’ Dr Mansor Fadzil delivered a heart-warming speech to welcome the delegates where he also thanked the organising committee for their tireless efforts in planning for the Forum. He also congratulated Datuk Mary for obtaining her doctorate recently.
In her speech, Datuk Mary commended OUM for its efforts in promoting open and distance learning (ODL) particularly for adult learners who were keen to seek social equity and a better way of life through education.
She acknowledged that ODL adds value to the existing skills and knowledge of working adults besides encouraging them to engage in collaborative learning.
Dr Soo Wincci, an OUM alumnus and former beauty queen who graduated with a PhD recently, added glamour to the evening with her powerful rendition of Chinese and English songs.
The evening ended with much merriment when delegates joined the dancers to perform the traditional joget lambak, much to the delight of everyone. It was indeed an evening to remember.