- by Nazura Amanda Bte Hamed, HMS student writer

The Gawad Kalinga (GK) Summit 2010: Icon of Hope Against Poverty, was recently held from 25 to 27 June 2010 in Singapore. The 3-day summit was co-hosted by NP School of Humanities and NUS Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, and was attended by about 800 people from the United States, Cambodia, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines. 

BZSE students had the valuable opportunity to participate in this event and learnt important event management skills outside the classroom.

Sheena Lim, a BZSE Year 3 student, along with fellow student Sheryl Tan, spear-headed the hospitality team for the event. They were tasked to plan the operations of the ushering team, and provide appropriate training and monitor the performance of the team members. Although it was not an easy feat, good teamwork and communication between the two leaders proved successful in juggling school work and preparation for the event.

Recalls Sheena of the experience, “As I had many commitments including school projects and assignments during the period of planning, I had to strike a balance between planning the GK Summit and making sure that I was not lagging behind in terms of my academic work.  I am privileged to have Sheryl who helped to share my duties.”

Sheena Lim (right)

Sheryl Tan (left)

Nan Han Siang, another BZSE Year 2 student agrees on the importance of good communication not just during planning and preparation but at the event too. As one of the stage leaders, Han Siang’s responsibilities include allocation of resources before the actual event and putting contingency plans in place during the event. Working closely with the production team, he also handled the breakout sessions on 26 June, Saturday, to ensure that the sessions ran smoothly. He explains, “Without an efficient communication system, the team will not be able to pass on information efficiently and processes will be delayed.” Both Sheena and Han Siang describe the hands-on learning experience at a large-scale event like the GK summit to be greatly beneficial.  Besides the opportunity to apply their knowledge, they also learnt how to think creatively and on their feet.

Nan Han Siang

Citing an incident where there were communication problems between Han Siang and the guests when giving assistance and directions, Han Siang shared that it is important to keep a keen eye for details while being quick to respond to unexpected situations.

Despite the long months of effort and hard work put into preparing for the event, both Sheena and Han Siang look forward to participating in more events like the GK Summit in the future.

Reflecting back, Sheena said of the experience: “GK Summit was a really enjoyable experience for me! It served as a great platform where I managed to learn far more than what textbooks could offer.” Han Siang agrees, “This is because it'll be another valuable learning journey which is not available within the curriculum hours. In addition, these opportunities will allow me to be more "seasoned" in event and project management.”