May – September 2013 – The Festival of the Arts, an annual event at the International Medical University (IMU), was organised to reach out to students and the community through arts related activities. This year, the theme was ‘The Art of Healing’, to understand the subjectivity associated with healing. Some of the highlights for the Festival of Arts this year are the Children’s Creative Camp, participated by Ti-Ratana, Precious Home and IMU staff’s children. Another activity which was part of this event was the workstation competition to facilitate individuality and creativity amongst staff which directly reflects job satisfaction and well-being. Staff who participated in this competition had to decorate their workstations in a theme that best depicts their personality and yet remain functional. Judges comprising of Prof Khor Geok Lin, Ms Christy Chiu and A/Prof Joachim Perera visited the participants at their workstations, viewed the designs and questioned them about the items found on their desks. After deliberations, the judges selected the winners: 
1st Prize: Alexius Cheang from Division of Psychology 
2nd Prize: Carmen Ng from Human Resource Department 
3rd Prize: Sarina Md Salleh from Academic Services Department Other activities include ‘Heal what we Shoot’ photography workshop, ‘Healing Art’ workshop and ‘Healing Faces’ craft workshop to which 45 staff and students registered. And to further create an atmosphere of festivity, there were also art and craft booths demonstrating batik, stone painting, henna, tie & dye amongst others at the atrium of the University. There was also a competition to express a person’s feelings through colours and stop and think about healing by completing a caption. Winner: Dr Neeraj Gupta Winning caption: “Today I am healed because I found a moment of joy in the season of art”. 
Through the workshops and craft booths, RM 778.00 was raised for the IMU Cares beneficiaries, NASAM and Penang Hospice Society. This year, the prestigious annual inter-varsity IMU Art Competition received a total of 76 entries. Participants were from nine different colleges and universities: Sunway University, The One Academy, Malaysian Institute of Art, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, In-house Multimedia College, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Limkokwing Institute of Creative Treachnology, Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA) and International Medical University. Each of the 76 art pieces, which visualise the theme The Art of Healing, is a representation of what healing means to young adults of our nation; representing the voices of today that will give direction to the future of healthcare. The panel of judges comprising Hematram Yadav, Professor of Community Medicine, IMU, Jasmine Kok, a professional fine art sculptor and Pohmee Leong, a self-taught artist viewed the thirteen shortlisted entries and selected the following winners: Grand Prize of RM3000 to Tang Chu Yik from IMU Special Prize of RM2000 to Ahmadulhadi b Mohd Ais from ASWARA Special Prize of RM1000 to Mohamad Amirul Syafiq b Mohd Khairi from University Malaysia Kelantan. Ten consolation prizes of RM200 each to Chen Jia Zhun and Lee Chern Wah from In-House Mutimedia College, Farahlisa Sofea bt Jafri from ASWARA, Yong Heng Chee from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Ryunosuke Kikuchi from The One Academy and Lim Zhi Han Nicholas, Ang Chun Yiing, Low Jun Kuang, Aye Thida and Voon Yan Wen from IMU. All entries can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/imuartsfestival. 
Grand Prize Winner: Optimism by Tang Chu Yik from IMU The Festival of Arts culminated with the prize presentation and art exhibition, graced by YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Abu Bakar Suleiman, Dr Mei Ling Young and Prof Peter Pook. About 80 guests including representatives from the various colleges and universities attended the prize presentation and art exhibition. 
Special Prize winner, Music Sense by Ahmadulhadi b Mohd Ais from ASWARA 
Special Prize winner, I’m Sick by Mohamad Amirul Syafiq b Mohd Khairi from University Malaysia Kelantan
