UNM Graduate School

Our April 2026 issue of newsletter is out! 🎉🎉

Check out some of the highlights:
- PGR Conference Support 2026: application is open until 30 April 2026
- PGR Opeations updates: EC applications and PGR Supervision Form
- Training schedule in May 2026
- Congratulations to PGRs who passed their examination (with minor corrections) in Quarter 1 of 2026
- Your fellow PGR peers sharing some candid reflections

Refer to our email sent on 15 April 2026 for the full content.

Our PGR Conference Support is back! 🎉

Eligible PGR students may submit their application by 30 April 2026. For more details, please refer to our email “Call for Applications - PGR Conference Support 2026” sent on 30 March 2026. Alternatively, you may scan the QR code in the attached flyer (accessible by current PGR students of UNM).

We look forward to your application and all the best! 💪

Eid mubarak! Wishing you a joyful Eid filled with love, gratitude, and prosperity. Sending warm wishes for a blessed Eid.

Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir dan Batin dari kami di Graduate School! 🎉

Image from freepik.com

“Adversity introduces a man to himself.” — Albert Einstein

Chloe Jiang Qian (School of Education) shares a candid look at how challenges, feedback, and collaboration transformed her PhD experience into a journey of growth and self-discovery.

Every PhD journey begins with a question — but finding the right one can be just as challenging as answering it. It's also about finding a space where passion meets purpose. Jia Yiing, from the School of Psychology, reflects on how she found her research niche and the lessons learned along the way.

Wishing you a prosperous and joyous Year of the Horse filled with good health, happiness, and success in all your endeavors.

Warmest wishes for Chinese New Year from all of us at the Graduate School. 🎇🧧

新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè Happy New Year)
恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái Happiness and Prosperity)

ℹ️ Image by callmetak on Freepik

Happy New Year! Kicking start our communication series with January 2026 issue of our newsletter.

Check out the highlights:
-Greetings from our Associate Dean of GS and your new SA Postgraduate Officer! 🌠
-2025 recap - some memories in pixel 📸
-2026 preview - things are definitely brewing! 🔎
- Congratulations to PGRs who passed their examination (with minor corrections) between October to December 2025 🎉
- Your fellow PGR peers sharing useful tips and tricks

Refer to our email sent on 6 January 2026 for the full content.

‘Tis the jolly season! 🎄🎉
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Wishing you a magical holiday season filled with love, laughter, and joy. Here’s to a ho-ho-whole lot of fun times! 🥳🥳🥳

Warmest regards from all of us at the Graduate School 🫶

Every recognition along your PhD journey is a reminder of the resilience, passion and hope that keep you moving forward. Congrats to Siew Zhen Yun from UNM Pharmacy on his recent achievements! Siew writes his reflections on his remarkable triumphs.

✨Two International Awards, One Incredible Journey ✨
I am deeply honoured and truly humbled to share that I recently received two international awards:
• Y.S.P.SAH Excellent Scientific Paper Award awarded by the TienTe Lee Biomedical Foundation (USD3,000 and a trophy)
• 4th Place at the 6th Solarbio Pathology Cup https://www.linkedin.com/posts/solarbio-science-technology_solarbio-pathologycup-contest-activity-7404414222262235136-fXCj

These recognitions mean more than personal achievement. They reflect perseverance, late nights, setbacks, breakthroughs — and the unwavering passion that fuel my journey in science.
I am sincerely grateful to the committees for believing in my work, and to every mentor, colleague, and friend who has guided and inspired me along the way.
Each step in research reminds me why I chose this path: to contribute knowledge, push boundaries, and bring hope for a brighter, healthier future.
These honours motivate me to keep striving, questioning, and uncovering the unknown.

Here’s to progress, passion, and making a difference for mankind 🌍✨

Conferences aren’t just about listening; it gives students the chance to share, learn and grow. Edward and Zizhao documented their experience of participating in the 2025 Australian & New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Conference held on 1 to 4 December 2025.

Learning 📝. Networking 🤝. Growing 📈.

Edward and Zizhao, along with Dr Michael Mustafa, represented the UNM Institute of Work Organisations and Wellbeing (IWOW), School of Psychology and delivered their presentations during the conference.

✅ “How employees make sense of receiving feedback: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis” by Zizhao Wang and supervisor Siti Khadijah Zainal Badri
✅ “Positivity at Work: How Psychological Capital Shapes Employee Creativity and Wellbeing” by Edward Huang and supervisor Hazel Melanie Ramos
✅ “Managerial coaching in the workplace and employee productivity: A Gendered perspective” by Sharifah Shaliza Syed Manshor and supervisor Michael Mustafa

Their studies received positive feedback and were accepted. During the presentations, they also gathered valuable insights to strengthen their work further.

Both Zizhao and Edward joined the Doctoral Workshop, building connections with the professors, editors and fellow PhD students from other institutions.

Through the panel discussion on ‘Editorial Perspectives: How to Publish in Leading Journals’, with Dr Mike Mustafa as one of the panelists, both students gathered valuable insights on what editors look for in manuscript submissions, common pitfalls to avoid, and the need to build psychological resilience when facing rejection. These insights serve as reminders that resilience will push you forward and setbacks are part of progress.

Your new SA Postgraduate Officer is here! 🥳

Congrats Samuel on your new role! We look forward to working with you towards the positive experience of PG community.

We’d also like to thank Rohan as well for serving the PG community for Academic Year 2024/25. All the best in your upcoming endeavours!

Wishing you a Deepavali full of light, hope, and happiness. May the festival of lights bring positivity, joy, and fulfilment to you and your loved ones.

Deepavali valthukkal from all of us at the Graduate School! 🪔