March 8, 2021, by Lisa Chin

A network by Students’ Association for postgraduate students

This blogpost is written in collaboration with Kelvin Tan Sim Zhen, Students’ Association (SA) Postgraduate Officer. 


No doubt, postgraduate students are busy people as they have to juggle between study, research, work (for some), a social life and other commitments.

So why would we want to recommend you to get engaged with the postgraduate community? Well, for some very good reasons.

Enriching your postgraduate experience  

“Postgraduate students have quite a rigorous academic schedule and many have full- or part-time work and not to forget, personal lives to balance,” said Dr Tissa Chandesa, Research Training Development Manager at the Graduate School. “However, I think it is worthwhile to get involved on campus, even if it is occasional involvement. Not only you will get a sense of connectedness and camaraderie, you will also get to expand your personal and professional network. Besides, you need to take a break in between your routines. Trust me, you will benefit greatly from it,” continued Dr Chandesa.

Serving the interests of all postgraduate students at UNM

The Postgraduate Students’ Network (PGSN) is the representative body of postgraduate students at UNM. It is one of the student-run networks under the Students’ Association (SA) of UNM. Its missions include:

  • being the representative voice of postgraduate students at UNM

  • fostering a sense of identity and community for postgraduate students

  • promoting the distinct academic, professional and social interests of postgraduate students at UNM

Connecting with other postgraduate students at UNM

It is no secret that getting a postgraduate degree can be a lonely process. No matter how challenging a postgraduate study can be, remember that you are not alone. By getting yourself connected and engaged with the rest of the postgraduate community on campus, we hope you will find it a phenomenally rewarding experience at the end of your postgraduate journey. Who knows, there might be a potential collaboration between you and your fellow postgraduate mates.

Getting to know the PGSN Committee 2020/21

PGSN is led by the Students’ Association (SA) Postgraduate Officer. The current elected officer is Kelvin Tan Sim Zhen. Kelvin is a second year PhD student from the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering. He is assisted by a group of volunteer representatives from each faculty across the University.

Since its establishment, PGSN has been working closely with the University authorities to cater to the interests and welfare of postgraduate students at UNM, apart from providing them the latest updates about University’s policy. It also has been consistently organising various successful events such as Game Night to make the postgraduate community feel like a big warm family. Following the vision by Kelvin – “Together, we build a stronger community”, it emphasises the importance of connecting with fellow postgraduate researchers to leapfrog towards another year of challenging yet exciting journey.

We at the Graduate School are committed to support the initiatives by PGSN and will continue working closely with Kelvin to enhance the postgraduate student experience.

If you would like to find out more about PGSN and their support to postgraduate students, please get in touch via email. You can also follow their Facebook and Instagram.


For more information, please email us at graduateschool@nottingham.edu.my.

Posted in News and EventsPostgraduate lifeResearcher Development