Dear Stakeholders:
In the midst of the global financial downturn, the economic, education and social implications of business are more important than ever. There is no question that the world is undergoing a massive shift of priorities, values and expectations. Despite it’s inauguration in 2007, the WUPID brand is among the world’s most recognized and valued. The strength and sustainability of the brand is directly related to our social license to operate, which we must earn by keeping our promises to our customers, consumers, associates, investors, communities and partners. It is an honor and responsibility that we take very seriously.
We are dedicated to offering quality debates and adjudication, socials and occasions, marketing the event and it’s satellite programmes responsibly, and providing information that consumers can trust. From 2007 – 2009, we organized more than 40 speech communication satellite programmes and continued to increase our debate promoting initiatives globally. And just a few months ago, we announced that we should organize our first debate and argumentation conference by the end of 2010, a few days prior to WUPID.
Productivity We constantly challenge ourselves to find innovative ways to realize our vision by making our products and services affordable and our operations educationally and economically beneficial to the communities we serve.
In 2008, WUPID’s organizing company committed to drive out 40 percent in logistical expenses by 2011, allowing the event to reinvest in debate promotion and community-based speech communication programmes for years to come. We are assessing everything to minimize waste, increase productivity, and maximize resources – a clear example of where sustainability goals and business objectives align. Creating new and improving existing partnerships, reassessing our marketing strategies and deploying a more efficient communication channel are among the productivity initiatives deployed to achieve this. At the same time, we have annually invested in the world’s second largest debating championship – Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championship (Australs), which is expected to generate long-term regional interest in the vision of WUPID and provide benefits to a wider group of local communities.
Sustainable Communities The private sector plays a pivotal role in developing sustainable communities through education and community involvement. WUPID understands the effect that critical issues – like unemployment – can have on a developing economy and how addressing those needs helps both the community and our business. In Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), for example, we take an active role at their Career and Industry Relations Expo (CaIREx) as well as their finishing schools. Training most of their final year undergraduate’s practices that enhances their employability.
I have also seen our unique student debate development model enhance employability and advocate thinking, most notably, our Inter-College English Debate (ICED) League in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Instead of using finishing schools to address the lack of communication traits and qualities of thousands of students, our model provides an avenue that trains them the formal mechanics of a competitive debate and creates a platform that gives them the opportunity to practice and apply. Today there are approximately more than 200 student debaters from UPM.
Transparency Commitment is meaningless without accountability. The scrutiny we face from a global debate community is high, and the need for increased transparency continues to grow beyond the requests of our critics to those of our customers and partners. We value an open and honest dialogue with our stakeholders, and we are prepared to advance the conversation.
In this humble weblog, you will see targets for advocating thinking, employability, active debating culture and the expansion of our debate initiatives throughout Asia Pacific, as well as increased data disclosure. Though we highlight accomplishments, we also note areas where we need to improve. Later this year, to boost credibility and accountability we are commissioning a local business management consultant to publish WUPID’s first full post-event report.
This weblog is developed to share our commitments and our passion in meeting them, and it is one chapter in an ongoing tale. We have accomplished many good things, but we still have work to do to continue earning your trust and keeping our promises to you and the communities we serve. We are dedicated to upholding those promises every day.
Kind regards,
Shamsul Azhar Ismail
March 2010
