KUCHING: Three Malaysians were honoured by the British Council in a ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 6.
The British Council recognised high achieving Malaysian-United Kingdom (UK) alumni for their professional contributions and outstanding achievements as business leaders, entrepreneurs and community leaders at its annual Study UK Alumni Awards 2020.
The prestigious international award ceremony, held for the third year in Malaysia, celebrates UK higher education and the achievements of UK alumni in Malaysia, further strengthening collaborative ties between UK and Malaysia.
In 2019, the award has received around 1,000 applications from international UK alumni in more than 100 countries, representing over 120 higher education institutions across the UK.
In Malaysia, three remarkable winners were honoured out of seven finalists based on the following criteria ― impact, UK influence, media traction, potential to influence and inspire the next generation of potential students, as well as the quality of the application.
The winning recipients were selected for three award categories ― Professional Achievement, Entrepreneurial and Social Impact.
The winner of the Professional Achievement award was Oon Chern Ein, while Howe Wong and Goh Ai Ching received the awards for Social Impact and the Entrepreneurial respectively.
British Council Malaysia director Sarah Deverall said, “We are proud of our three winners and all seven finalists, who have maximised their UK education experience and made a significant impact to their communities.
“The Alumni Awards allow us to come together to celebrate these individuals and the role of international students in enabling UK to be one of the most diverse, dynamic and rewarding higher education destinations.”
Goh, who co-founded Piktochart, a visual communications tool that helps condense information for visual storytelling, said, “I am very proud to receive the Entrepreneurial award from the British Council.
“Co-founding Piktochart was a very intense experience in the beginning, but it’s a story worth telling to encourage youth that international exposure can shape and mould us into mature individuals.
“It really is amazing how my start-up in Penang has been able to serve 18 million users globally. It gives me great joy that I have been able to give a whole new approach to the idea of growth.’
