Kurniadi from Indonesia aptly titled his final project “Teochew” as the awareness campaign he designed is aimed specifically at highlighting the importance of conserving the ancient Chinese dialect and the traditions and culture of the community that speaks it.
“Teochew” is a variant of Southern Min, spoken mainly by the Teochew people in the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong in China.
Kurniadi, who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Professional Design from the Faculty of Design Innovation, says he see the importance of engaging and enlightening the younger generation about their heritage.
“My awareness project focuses more towards the young kids from the Chinese community as I aim to let them know about the importance of this dialect,” said Kurniadi.
He said “Teochew” is slowly dying among the younger generation and he strongly believes by educating them through this project, there will certainly be a change in their perspective.
“I believe it will reach out well to the people, especially the Chinese community and others as well from different races and religions,” said Kurniadi.
Valuable lessons
Kurniadi was inspired by the Chinese culture which allowed him to incorporate both traditional and modern elements into his designs.
The main challenges he encountered were pitching the design, time management and multitasking.
“My lecturers were my pillar of strength that enabled me to overcome these challenges and I am really thankful for such helpful, understanding and experienced lecturers that helped me pull it off,” said Kurniadi.
He added that completing the project provided him with lessons that he never imagined he would master - such as proper time management, and more importantly, opening up his mind towards his own culture.
“I saw no better University than Limkokwing and I know deep down inside me, I will definitely be someone well-known in the future with a Limkokwing education,” said Kurniadi, on why he chose Limkokwing to help him kickstart his dream career.
Asked for advice for his colleagues and junior students, he reminded them to always work hard, practice proper time management and a healthy lifestyle.