To misquote Andy Warhol, my 15 minutes of fame have been and gone in Malaysia I think ! I was astonished at the amount of media coverage for the launch of the agreement with Ecoworld for the new student accommodation … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: February 2018
I’m a very shy lion…..
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If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that the accommodation team in NUMed, Malaysia have been working hard to secure new accommodation for continuing students and also for those starting in September 2018.
I’m delighted to have been of assistance especially as NUMed have signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with a developer called EcoWorld who will be the main providers of student accommodation.
Situated adjacent to the campus, Ecoworld’s new development is a mixture of apartments and houses set within it’s own grounds with bars, restaurants and shops too. NUMed have an initial plan to rent 370 bedrooms (which could well increase) for students.
You’ll not be too surprised when I tell you that students here top three must haves were – super fast wi-if, location and cost – it’s a familiar story across the world it seems !! No matter where you go, students are clear about what they expect from their accommodation that’s for sure !
It was a real privalige to be part of the ceremony today along with senior government officials, the CEO and COO from NUMed (Professor Roger Barton and Ms Premila Nair) and managers from Ecoworld.
In addition to the student units, a new eco-friendly shuttle bus service was launched giving good links to the main local towns and Singapore. I was slightly taken aback when about 20 students sprang from the bus to perform a kid’s from fame routine – one there for stagecoach to consider when they launch our new bus service from St Mary’s College after Easter !
Finally, we were all treated to a traditional Chinese lion dance which should bring luck, fortune and prosperity during the new year.
I think we’ll need to get our thinking caps on when we look to organise the opening ceremony at Park View that’s for sure !!!
Catch you all soon, Paul
The Way Forward
By now, most of you will have attended a staff briefing session outlining the forward vision and plan for our service. I expect since then you have taken time to reflect upon the main points raised and will be starting to think of questions to ask and, quite naturally, have concerns too.
I think that more than ever before we all have a great opportunity to shape not just what our accommodation looks like but also what it means for those living in it. This is why I want your feedback warts and all – tell me what you really think as the only way to move forward is to address everybody’s point of view.
Let me sum up the main points as I see them:
- Now, more than ever, students have a huge choice of accommodation to live in and as consumers they will go wherever meets their needs best
- As a University investment will continue in our accommodation and in house services but they must meet the needs and expectations of those looking for accommodation
- Working together we can provide the best accommodation and experience and give people a good reason to live with us
As staff you already offer a welcoming, positive and supportive environment for students, lets build on this to make sure that when future generations ask themselves where should I live in Newcastle there is only one answer – WITH US