Representatives from CIM Malaysia in a photo with TAR UC students after their dialogue session with TAR UC students on CIM and the future of marketing. (standing from left to right): Tan Sri Dato’ Professor Dr James Alfred, Mr Goh Ing King and Mr Michael Woo Wing Tuck.
Philip Kotler, well-known guru of Marketing once said, “Marketing is a race without a finishing line”, which means marketing is not a field where existing ideas can be reused again given the ever-changing needs and wants of the market. For one to be successful in marketing, life-long learning and upgrading one’s qualification and skills to stay ahead of the competition are necessary.
Since 2013, TAR UC students studying marketing are able to not only pursue their diploma but they can move ahead towards attaining a degree in marketing. And as a result of the institution’s commitment to providing professionally driven qualifications, TAR UC has been accorded the recognition from the prestigious Chartered Institute of Marketing (‘CIM’) as the first and currently the only institute of higher learning in Malaysia to be granted the Graduate Gateway status under the new CIM programme structure. Besides the Graduate Gateway status, TAR UC is also the first and currently the only institution in Malaysia to hold the Advanced Standing status for its marketing programme. This is the highest recognition given by CIM to any tertiary education institution in Malaysia. The following is the transcript of an interview with the representatives from CIM Malaysia namely Tan Sri Dato’ Professor Dr James Alfred, President, Mr Goh Ing King, Chairman and Mr Michael Woo Wing Tuck, Vice President, where they shared the strength of the collaboration between TAR UC and CIM and the recent developments that will shape the future of marketing.
1) Can you share about CIM, in terms of when and how it was established and how the institute has grown throughout the years, marking its presence worldwide especially in Malaysia? When was CIM established in this country and up to date, how many students have successfully obtained CIM’s qualifications?
Tan Sri Dato’ Professor Dr James:
CIM is the world’s leading professional marketing body with over 30,000 members worldwide, including more than 3,000 Chartered Marketers. This is due to the establishment of the institute which is over 100 years ago where it has supported, represented and developed marketers, teams, leaders and the profession as a whole. Meanwhile, CIM Malaysia was established in 1997 and up to date, more than 6,000 graduates have obtained their CIM qualifications through CIM Malaysia.
2) How do employers and industry leaders in Malaysia value CIM’s qualification? Based on employers’ perspective, what are the competitive advantages that a CIM graduate has as compared to a normal marketing graduate?
Tan Sri Dato’ Professor Dr James:
How a qualification is valued largely depends on the industries. However, marketing is a field that is relevant across industries and this is why it is even more important for a marketing graduate to possess a professional qualification which has worldwide recognition. The CIM qualification is standardised across the globe as CIM has a very strict ruling for its examinations. This is achieved through the central responsibility of CIM UK in the preparation of the examinations questions, execution of the examinations and evaluation of candidates’ answers worldwide. On top of this, qualifications from CIM are practitioner-based and are built on the foundation of the CIM Professional Marketing Competencies. This is why a Chartered Marketer of CIM is well sought after worldwide especially in European and Commonwealth countries.
3) TAR UC is CIM’s one and only Graduate Gateway Accredited University in Malaysia. Could you elaborate what is Graduate Gateway Accredited University? How is such status helpful for TAR UC students seeking to obtain CIM professional qualification?
Tan Sri Dato’ Professor Dr James:
What would best describe CIM’s recognition of TAR UC is that TAR UC is the first and currently the only Graduate Gateway Accredited University as well as with an advanced standing. What this means is that TAR UC students who have completed their Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Marketing will be granted the maximum exemption of 1 out 3 modules of CIM’s Diploma in Professional Marketing, making this by far the highest level offered by CIM to any tertiary institution in Malaysia. TAR UC is given such recognition as TAR UC’s standards of curriculum are at par with CIM’s standards.
4) Speaking of marketing in Malaysia, we are definitely looking towards becoming the region’s leading nation in E-commerce with hosting Alibaba’s first South East Asia office and the establishment of the Digital Free Trade Zone in 2017 just to name a few of the initiatives put in place. With that being said, how do you see CIM’s collaboration with TAR UC playing an important role to support all these initiatives?
Tan Sri Dato’ Professor Dr James:
CIM definitely recognises the emerging trend of Digital Marketing and E-Commerce especially in Malaysia. In order to move in tandem with this development, new modules have been included into CIM’s Diploma in Professional Marketing such as Driving Innovation, Mastering Metrics and Digital Strategy. Therefore, TAR UC students who are pursuing their professional qualification from CIM will have the option to complete any of these new modules which is closely knitted with Digital Marketing.
5) Artificial Intelligence (‘AI’) is expected to affect the way things will be done in the future. In your opinion, how will AI affect marketing? Arising from AI, what are the essential skills that TAR UC marketing graduates must possess to thrive in the future? How would CIM’s qualification better prepare TAR UC marketing graduates following from the development on AI?
Mr Michael Woo:
The importance of digital marketing has definitely caught CIM’s attention especially on how this technological development will shape the future of marketing. Regardless of it being AI, Virtual Reality (VR’), Augmented Reality (‘AR’) or any other future developments, CIM is very much aware of the potentials and the pace of development in these areas and this has set the way forward for CIM to develop a full-fledged Diploma in Digital Marketing. In other words, CIM students will soon have the option of either advancing into CIM’s mainstream programme or to pursue the new digital marketing programme. When it comes to what would be the essential skills that TAR UC marketing graduates must possess in the wake of such technological advancements, it definitely has to be to stay on top of the market developments and demands.
