• Tun Ismail Ali Chair (TIAC)
  • tiac@um.edu.my
  • 03-7967 3689
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Tun Ismail Ali Challenge 2018: Technology and New Growth Areas

The winners of the Tun Ismail Ali Challenge along with the judges, Assistant Governor Marzunisham Omar, Dr Afzanizam (Chief Economist, Bank Islam),  Dr Kwek (Associate Professor, University Malaya), Dr Chew Yew Choong (Principal Data Scientist, RHB) and Prof. Thorsten Beck (6th Tun Ismail Ali Chairholder)

Bringing the World of Economic Policymaking to Undergraduates

The Tun Ismail Ali Chair (TIAC), which was founded by Bank Negara Malaysia to enhance academic excellence in the area of monetary and financial economics of the local academic community, recently organised the inaugural Tun Ismail Ali Challenge on the 18th and 19th of July at Bank Negara Malaysia. The Tun Ismail Ali Challenge was a two-day residential challenge that aimed to provide undergraduates with a platform to express their ideas and creativity in solving policy issues related to the macroeconomy and the financial sector. The challenge aspired to promote the build-up of a strong theoretical and practical foundation in the field of economics amongst the next generation of Malaysian economic graduates. A total of 27 finalists were selected from among 150 applicants to participate in the challenge.

The theme of the challenge was ‘Technology and New Growth Areas’. The participants, who consisted of finalists from various local and foreign universities, proposed various policy solutions that would enable Malaysia to best benefit from the technological revolution underpinning the changes in economies worldwide.

Aaron Luke (London School of Economics), Alya Athira Binti Mohamed Rafick Khan (London School of Economics) and Thevesh Thevananthan (University of Cambridge), who named their team ‘Pakatan Nasi Lemak’, emerged as the champions of the Tun Ismail Ali Challenge with their proposal of establishing an agency that coordinates and funds high-skill training for workers, and eventually pairs them with interested employers.

Cheah May Lyn (University of California, Berkeley), Lai Jia Hao (University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus) and Ridhuan Mohammad Rizal (University of California, Berkeley) from the first runner-up team, ‘Golden Bears’, proposed policies to turn Malaysia into a renewable energy hub by tapping into the global demand for renewable energy. Meanwhile, Mandeep Singh A/L Manjit Singh (Help Academy), Sukhdev Singh Malhi Darshan Singh (London School of Economics) and Wong Khang Yee (Help Academy) from the second runner-up team, ‘Scientia Conquisitor’, proposed policies to link small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-up companies.

The winners were awarded RM10,000 (Champion), RM5,000 (First runner-up) and RM3,000 (Second-runner up) cash prizes respectively.

Last Update: 28/07/2022