Double joy for married couple at UMT convocation

KUALA NERUS: Sharing the same stage at the Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) convocation ceremony was truly unforgettable for husband and wife, P. Thuban, 32, and M. Hasivini, 31, after successfully graduating together.

In fact, the married couple also took the same course, a Master's Degree in Business Studies at the UMT branch campus, Cyberjaya.

Thuban, who hails from Rawang, Selangor, said that work commitments did not stop them from pursuing knowledge in order to secure a better future in an increasingly challenging world.

He said that many challenges had to be overcome over a period of two years before he and his wife were able to enjoy their achievements today.

"I can say that 80 per cent of my studies was done online and on the ship because my work schedule is such that I have to spend three months at sea and two months on land. In addition, the country was under the Movement Control Order (MCO) during that period.

"I even had to take an exam on the ship because at that time I was at sea," he said when met at the 20th UMT Convocation Ceremony at Dewan Sultan Mizan, today.

Although most of his lessons were on the ship, there were no major problems except the internet network coverage which was sometimes unstable in the middle of the sea.

As for Hasivini who works as an engineer at a private shipping company in the capital, one of the challenges was having to divide the duties as a wife, employee and student, wisely.

"I started studying at the master's level in October 2020 and got married two months after that. It was indeed a tall order to juggle three tasks all at once as I had just got married," said Hasivini who has yet to be blessed with a child.

A total of 1,601 graduates will receive Master's Degrees, Bachelor's Degrees and Diploma during the two-day convocation ceremony that started today.

The opening ceremony was graced by the Chancellor of UMT, Sultanah Terengganu, Sultanah Nur Zahirah who also presented the Royal Education Award to two Bachelor's degree graduates namely Muhammad Syauqi Jafree and Hoe Ling for their excellence in academics, leadership and co-curriculum.

-- BERNAMA