The Sunway CIMP – Putting Adventure into Learning
It was a joyous occasion for 196 students as they graduated from the Canadian International Matriculation Programme (CIMP) at Sunway University College. For young people, brimming with bright-eyed enthusiasm, CIMP provides a rewarding year of mind-boggling class discussions and presentations, extra-curricular involvement and assignments.
The CIMP at Sunway is the largest in Malaysia with more than 600 students. 80% of the teaching staff are Canadian certified, thus providing a truly Canadian learning experience. Students study an identical syllabus to the Grade 12 in Ontario and graduate with an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
Dr. Rosemary Gannon, Director of the CIMP at Sunway said, “the CIMP offers formative and summative learning with 70% of the syllabi based on coursework and 30% on the final exams”. Students may choose subjects without locking into a particular stream while thinking and enquiry, communication and application are the main approaches to learning.
Among the graduates were 15 Subject Award winners for a total of 18 subjects. 43 students achieved 80% in their marks and were awarded the status of Ontario Scholars. Among them, three students achieved distinctions. The flavour of the CIMP programme is leaning towards being a cosmopolitan one, as about half of the students come from as many as 44 different countries.
The Class Valedictorian for the December 2006 graduation, Ali Anjum who hails from Pakistan said, “the CIMP allows students to experience learning at its best, with dedicated teachers who bring lessons to life, with activities and class projects that simply open the mind to make learning an adventure”
Ali Anjum, who had 7 ‘A’s, was active both in and out of the classroom. He was President of the CIMP Student Council, played rugby and basketball and helped raise funds for various charitable causes including creating more awareness for the fight against animal abuse. Ali will be pursuing Medicine at the International Medical University in Kuala Lumpur. He hopes to become a neurosurgeon in the future.
Gan Peck Jin was presented with the Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah Award which recognises high academic achievers. Gan achieved 7 ‘A’s and managed to obtain a Diploma in Solo Piano (Associated Trinity College of London) privately while studying in the CIMP at Sunway. She and her group represented Malaysia in the 4th World Choir Games in Xiamen, China where they won one gold and two silver medals.
Musically gifted Gan will be pursuing a Degree in Performance from the University of Adelaide in February. “CIMP has taught me how to work with others as a team, communicate more effectively while overcoming language and cultural barriers and it has improved my speaking skills tremendously” said Gan.
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