From Aviation Engineering to Empowering the Next Generation
From maintaining aircraft to leading engineering operations and mentoring aspiring engineers, Sunway alumnus and Head of Engineering at SR Aviation Ir. Dr. Ricky Liew Chee Leong exemplifies the importance of giving back.
Ricky completed his Master of Business Administration in Collaboration with Victoria University, Australia in 2010. One of his most memorable experiences was struggling with the accounting and finance module. Recognising that some students needed additional support, he recalled how lecturer Mr Nicholas Lum stayed after office hours to guide them through the concepts. Ricky remembers his patience as much as the lessons themselves, an experience that continues to influence his own approach to mentoring.
Having benefited from Sunway’s education at different stages of his career, Ricky understands how a timely opportunity or word of encouragement can make a difference in a student’s life. He hopes to help aspiring engineers translate classroom learning into confidence, practical ability and a sense of professional responsibility.
Ricky has supported engineering student project awards at Sunway’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology and contributed to SunForge. He believes student projects deserve recognition because they encourage young people to test ideas, overcome setbacks and communicate their findings. Through his support, he hopes to inspire creative engineering work and give students opportunities to showcase their potential. He has also delivered talks to Sunway students, sharing insights from his professional experience.
Beyond Sunway, Ricky continues to contribute to the wider engineering community through the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia, where he chairs the Mechanical Engineering Technical Division, and through outreach related to the Board of Engineers Malaysia. He also shares his industry experience as an adjunct professor at Universiti Putra Malaysia and Nilai University, while mentoring students, apprentices and early-career engineers. These efforts reflect his commitment to making practical knowledge, professional standards and opportunities more accessible to the next generation.
For Ricky, giving extends beyond financial contributions. He enjoys mentoring aspiring engineers, discussing professional ethics with students and arranging opportunities for them to experience a real aircraft maintenance environment. While financial support can help fund initiatives, he believes that time, honest feedback and access to industry can help students discover their direction and prepare for their careers.
The impact Ricky hopes to make is simple but meaningful: to encourage students and give them a clearer understanding of what good engineering looks like in practice. If a student becomes more curious, documents a project more carefully or gains the confidence to pursue an engineering career, he believes the effort has made a difference. Ultimately, he hopes to inspire more young people to recognise that professional ethics and public safety are fundamental to their work.
His advice to students is to take every educational opportunity seriously, embrace challenges and learn from unsuccessful attempts. He encourages them to explain their thinking, reflect on what they have learnt and give credit to their teammates. Whatever path they choose, he believes competence and integrity must grow together.
To fellow Sunwayians considering giving back, Ricky encourages them to start with what they can offer, whether it is a small donation, an hour of mentoring, a workplace visit or a candid conversation about their career. Consistent, thoughtful support can make an opportunity feel possible for a student who has yet to find their path.
Ricky believes that an institution’s success is reflected in what its graduates do for the next generation. Alumni can bring current industry problems, professional networks and practical guidance back into the learning environment. That exchange helps students and keeps graduates connected to the people and place that contributed to their growth.
For Ricky, being a Sunwayian means carrying the benefits of education forward through continuous learning, integrity and helping others find their own opportunities. Through his contributions to Sunway students and the wider engineering community, he continues to put this belief into practice.
Ricky Liew Chee Leong
Master of Business Administration in Collaboration with Victoria University, Australia
2010
