The Nicol David Organisation (NDO) and the University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide opportunities to UNM’s School of Education students in gaining practical experience and exposure to the industry. The non-profit organisation, founded by the award-winning squash athlete Datuk Nicol David, advocates wider accessibility of education and sports for underprivileged children in Malaysia.
The MOU was signed by UNM’s Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Associate Professor Dr Hazel Melanie Ramos and NDO Founder Datuk Nicol Ann David, in the presence of Associate Professor Dr Subarna Sivapalan, Head, School of Education and Chief Executive Officer NDO, Mariana De Reyes on 26 September 2023.
This momentous ceremony was one of the highlights of the School of Education’s September 2023 intake’s orientation week. Later that evening, the special guests were invited to a panel discussion titled “Empowering Youths through Sports and Education”.
The UNM-NDO partnership provides a unique platform for the university’s staff and students to explore the role of education and sports in children’s well-being as well as address education inequity within the country.
Students and staff of UNM’s Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education TESOL programmes will participate in NDO’s social initiatives through internship placements and other activities such as joint educational programmes, guest lectures, professional development workshops, joint and collaborative research projects, including supervising undergraduate and postgraduate research.
Through this MOU, UNM affirms its commitment to strengthening academic-industry ties as well as offering new avenues for students and graduates to gain practical experience in the industry.
Launched in 2022, NDO is a new endeavour that strives to empower the children of low- and middle-income families in hopes of nurturing budding new talents in squash. Its inaugural programme, titled “Little Legends”, provides children from the ages of 8 to 12 with holistic afterschool activities such as English tutoring, squash training and life skills workshops.
The Little Legends’s squash development programme was developed by eight-time World Champion winner Datuk Nicol David herself, who also helms the role of Head Coach, while the English lessons are based on the Cambridge curriculum approved by the Ministry of Education and designed by the US Embassy in Malaysia.
NDO currently has 116 children in their programme from public schools within Bukit Jalil and Sri Petaling. The programme is held at the Bukit Jalil Golf & Country Resort, under the guidance and supervision of experienced teachers and coaches.
Within a year of its launch, NDO has received support from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports, the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Yayasan Sime Darby, and Yayasan Hasanah of Khazanah National Berhad, among others.
Posted on 3rd October 2023