UUM synergy strengthens SE-Budi Hasanah series 8 in empowering young entrepreneurs and language learners
Pictures by: SE-Budi Hasanah Team
LANGKAWI, 27 September 2025 – The SE-Budi Hasanah Community-Based Language Learning (CBLL) Programme advanced its transformative journey through Series 8: Mini Community Project – Sweet Tuba, held at SMK Langkawi, Pulau Tuba. This initiative is part of the wider SE-Budi Hasanah Programme under the Hasanah Special Grant (HSG) 5.0 valued at RM361,000, awarded by Yayasan Hasanah, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional, and powered by the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
Series 8 invited 250 secondary school students into a day of experiential learning where entrepreneurship and English language acquisition were seamlessly intertwined. The morning session focused on the creative task of designing, decorating, and packaging cupcakes. Students worked in teams to craft unique toppings, brand identities, and catchy slogans, before presenting their products in a pitching exercise to a panel of school leaders, community representatives, and industry mentors. This immersive process not only developed communication and business skills but also encouraged students to think critically about design, affordability, and customer appeal.
The afternoon session shifted to a more structured exercise in entrepreneurial pitching and persuasive writing, led by Fatin Athirah Fadzillah, Lead Researcher of SE-Budi Hasanah and Social Entrepreneurship Coordinator at the Cooperative and Entrepreneurship Development Institute (CEDI). Students refined their earlier creative outputs into clear, marketable business pitches, drawing on practical sentence frames and vocabulary scaffolds provided by the School of Languages, Civilisation and Philosophy (SLCP), through the contribution of Module Writer Nurul Akmal Ab Halim.
Reflecting on the programme’s intent, Fatin Athirah remarked:
“At its heart, SE-Budi Hasanah is about enabling young people to connect language learning with real-life skills. When students see how communication, teamwork, and enterprise are part of their everyday lives, they begin to develop confidence not only as learners, but as contributors to their communities.”
The initiative drew formidable support from four UUM centres working in synergy. The Cooperative and Entrepreneurship Development Institute (CEDI) ensured seamless coordination through its dedicated team. UUM Leads Sdn. Bhd., under the leadership of its General Manager, Associate Professor Dr Mohd Sobri Don @ A. Wahab, provided strategic direction and entrepreneurial insight, while the Centre for Student Entrepreneurship Development (PPKS), represented by its Director, Tuan Haji Fadzil Mohd Husin, reinforced the project’s alignment with UUM’s broader entrepreneurship development agenda. At the same time, Unifilm Studio UUM, led by Cik Bahiyah Md Idris, mobilised its technical crew to capture and document every moment of the programme for institutional record and learning.
For the students, the experience carried an even greater weight: their business pitches were delivered not only before teachers and peers, but directly in front of real industry and institutional leaders, the General Manager of UUM Leads, the Director of PPKS, and the distinguished Associate Professor Dr Armanurah Mohamad, recipient of the Anugerah Mentor Keusahawanan Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi (KPT). Her presence and encouragement lent prestige to the occasion, underscoring the national importance of cultivating entrepreneurial talent through community-based initiatives. A defining highlight of Series 8 was the involvement of student-mentors from across UUM’s faculties, the School of Business (SBM), the School of Computing (SOC), the School of Economics, Finance and Banking (SEFB), and the School of Law (SoL). Their guidance created a dynamic peer-learning environment where secondary school students were supported not only academically but also in developing entrepreneurial mindset and teamwork.
The programme was further strengthened by the participation of strategic partners from the wider ecosystem. BESTUBA (Koperasi Kepulauan Tuba dan Selat), a long-standing pillar of SE-Budi Hasanah, once again lent its strong community support. Flour Crown, a growing bakery brand owned by a UUM alumna, contributed industry insight and inspiration for the students. At the same time, Oblong Burger (Seleraku Trading Sdn. Bhd.) joined hands as a community business partner, reflecting the value of university-industry-community collaboration.
Beyond teaching skills, Series 8 emphasised resilience, creativity, and social responsibility. Students were encouraged to see entrepreneurship not merely as a commercial activity but as a way of creating meaningful impact within their communities.
The Sweet Tuba Mini Community Project once again affirmed that SE-Budi Hasanah thrives through the synergy of education, enterprise, and community partnership. With the continuous support of Yayasan Hasanah, Khazanah Nasional, MoF, and UUM’s ecosystem, together with local strategic partners, this initiative empowers rural youth to learn, grow, and lead with confidence. – Akmal Ahlami Md Rozai
