KDU HATCH UP EMPOWERMENT PLAN INCULCATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG THE STUDENTS

During a workshop on pitching skills, students were asked to pitch themselves as one of the activities. The founder of pitchIN, Sam Shafie, explaining the funding structure for new start-ups.
Jayden Lee Juan Wyn of HostAStay sharing about his experiences establishing himself as a young entrepreneur and managing new start-ups. A few lucky students walked away with Wunderbath products during the sharing session with Evelyn Marietta (centre), the founder.
As part of KDU’s efforts to inculcate and encourage entrepreneurship among students, the KDU Hatch Up Empowerment Plan has provided students with some exposure by inviting several start-up founders and industry experts to share their wealth of experience. It was also intended to encourage students to develop greater initiative, creative problem-solving and passion towards their entrepreneurial work which could improve the quality of life of others.

In line with these objectives, the KDU Hatch Up Toolkit series was organised in order to create opportunities for students to come into contact with players from the start-up industries and hear their war stories. The Toolkit was organised in conjunction with the KDU Hatch Up BizPlan Competition, which was intended to be a platform for students to submit and table their own start-up ideas.

The Toolkit series consisted of 5 talks centred around the experience and process of beginning a start-up business. Across two semesters (March to April, and June to July), a total of 10 talks had been held under the Toolkit. Each speaker came from varied backgrounds such as training and development, up to law and social enterprises, with all bringing their own unique brand of experience and stories.

Among the organizations and start-ups invited were Mountain Malaysia, who brought in GrubCycle as one of their partners, pitchIN, Wunderbath, HostAStay, AVANA and even the representatives from School of Business. Some of the invited speakers carried out various activities during their sessions to engage with the students directly, while others shared their own personal struggles in taking their first steps as entrepreneurs or start-up owners.

The students were not only able to gain insight of the internal works of establishing start-ups but also had the opportunity to ask questions up close and personal with the speakers. Several students even approached the speakers to enquire about internship opportunities. Overall, participants gained additional knowledge and understanding of the efforts as well as the success stories of the start-up industry players which are instrumental in helping them understand the process of being successful in this attractive industry.

Author: KDU University College

Established in 1983, and a pioneer in Malaysian private education, KDU was one of the first private colleges in Malaysia to have its own purpose-built campus. The institution, as KDU College then, was awarded the university college status in 2010 – a reflection of its quality programmes, and the growth of its international student population.