Much to gain from speakers’ experience

BEING talkative as a child turned out to be a good thing for senior industrial relations lawyer Datuk Thavalingam C. Thavarajah.

The personality trait, he says, has led him to pursue a challenging yet rewarding career in law.

“My teachers always complained that I talked too much. So, I thought I should make use of my ‘talent’ and decided to read law,” he says.

He says lawyers have to invest in the latest technology to keep abreast with the rapid changes in the industry.

Thavalingam says lawyers must keep abreast with the rapid changes in the industry.

“Time is of the essence in most transactions. The courts are also moving very fast so we have to be able to meet their requirements,” says Thavalingam, who was admitted to the Malaysian Bar two decades ago.

Thavalingam will be speaking on his life as a lawyer to aspiring students at the Star Education Fair, to be held on Jan 8 and 9 next year at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The session Law and Architecture will see experts share their views with visitors on Jan 9.

For those who want to pursue a course in architecture, Taylor’s University dean of the School of Architecture, Building and Design Tony Liew says: “Students must ensure that the programme is accredited by the professional board governing architectural licensure.”

In Malaysia, he says, the architecture programmes are accredited by the Board of Architects Malaysia, not by the institution itself.

“Some schools are design oriented while others are technically oriented. Choose programmes that suit your ideas about architecture,” he says.

Joining Liew is Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) president Boon Che Wee.

Boon says the career prospects for architecture graduates are very promising in the age of design economy.

The 23rd Star Education Fair will have a new line-up of experts speaking about career trends and study options in medicine, engineering, architecture and law.

Other highlights include talks on selecting the right pre-university programmes and funding for tertiary education.

The fair will also feature many educational institutions, professional bodies, higher education agencies and education centres which will provide students and their parents with information on a wide range of courses and options, both locally and abroad.

TS