Published:
Putrajaya, 11th September 2019 – His Royal Highness The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, (KG, GCVO, CD, ADC (P)) visited Heriot-Watt University's Putrajaya campus today to launch an MBA partnership between the University's Edinburgh Business School and The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation. He also launched Malaysia's first Happy Café under the Action for Happiness Organisation.
Earlier this year, The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Heriot-Watt University at its Dubai campus, paving the way for senior staff of the Foundation to study for a distance taught MBA. The programme is specifically designed to equip them with invaluable business insight and skills that will enable them to impact numerous young people through the provision of access to the non-formal education The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award offers.
“The MBA programme provided by Heriot-Watt will equip our senior staff and volunteers with the opportunity to develop themselves to a standard that is not normally available in our sector–, to facilitate the business of developing charities and young people. Having this MBA qualification places us in the right position in terms of our mission to help youth everywhere, and to do it well,” said John May, Secretary General, The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation.
Later, Prince Edward also launched the University's Happy Café, the first in Malaysia under the Action for Happiness Organisation. A Happy Café is a friendly and welcoming place to meet other people with the shared interest of promoting happiness and wellbeing. There are over 100 such cafés around the world.
“The Happy Café is especially important and significant to Heriot-Watt University in our endeavour to promote positive education as well as a positive mindset. This is already exemplified in all that the University does, including our Youth Transformation Programme offered to our Foundation students, and the EmPOWER programme which all undergraduate students participate in. It was only natural that we also extend this to our cafeteria, which is a centre where our community of students and staff members congregate informally to eat and drink, as well as learning and sharing their ideas and views,” said Professor Mushtak Al-Atabi, Provost and CEO of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia.
During the half-day event, His Royal Highness was also joined by Dr Maszlee Malik, the Malaysian Minister of Education; His Excellency The British High Commissioner Mr Charles Hay; delegates from the Ministry of Education Malaysia; UK University Provosts and ASEAN delegates from The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. His Royal Highness and the delegates were welcomed by the Sri Dasmesh Pipe Band, who recently won the World Pipe Band Championship (Grade 4B category) in Scotland.