Sunway PAIR held a virtual forum to address public’s economic concern on pandemic

By MUHAMMAD ARIEF CHE SOH
[email protected]

KUALA LUMPUR 15 June - Sunway Project for Asian and International Relations (Sunway PAIR) club has conducted an open-to-public virtual forum, “Pandenomics: Global Economic Sentiment to COVID-19” to address the public's concern on the pandemic that has adversely affected multiple industries. 

Pandenomics’ represents the union between pandemic and economics and it has become evident that COVID-19 has gravely impacted the global economy.

“With the shift in teaching and learning trends moving towards entrepreneurship, we need to have graduates who not only seek employment, but who can also help create jobs too.

"Current students, graduates, and many of you in the workforce need to be retrained and upskilled to ensure that you stay relevant and be up-to-date according to the shifts in the job environment,” said Professor Elizabeth Lee, CEO of Sunway Education Group in her welcoming address.

The forum aims to provide a platform for future business owners to learn from industry leaders on business sustainability during unprecedented times.

It also intends to create a space for individuals anxious about the future of their careers and gain insight on how to survive and succeed in a competitive employment market.

The forum was divided into two parts where the first session was titled ‘Business Pivot: A Survival Tool During Pandemic,’ and was centred on business sustainability and survival.

The panelists who attended were Sarena Cheah Yean Tih, Executive Director of Sunway Group; Nadiah Wan, CEO & Group Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara; Smita Kuriakose, Senior Economist in the Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice, World Bank; Vimala Murugan, Deputy Senior Director, Industrial Development. 

The second session was titled ‘Graduation = Unemployment? Labour Market Under COVID-19 Crisis’ and emphasized on the unemployment issues in Malaysia.

Meantime, Pro-Chancellor of Bristol University & Distinguished Fellow of Asia Global Institute during his keynote said, in economic terms, the biggest lesson from this pandemic is 'if you don’t control COVID-19, COVID-19 will control you'.

"Because of the very rapid vaccination in the wealthy and developed countries, they are beginning to control it and recover.

"The pandemic had widened the gap not only between rich and poor nations but also among businesses and members of society. 

"The rich and elite have better access to resources, allowing them to work and do business online while the small traders and daily-wage earners are struggling," he said. - DagangNews.com