[This is a sponsored article with Taylor’s University.]
We love the idea of the natural-born leader. The prodigy. The one who just seems to have it all.
But leadership isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you learn. Something you’re pushed into, tested on, and built through experience. Sometimes under pressure, sometimes over a stove.
This philosophy comes to life through the Camp of Leaders (COL) programme, a structured mentorship platform by Taylor’s University that connects students with industry professionals to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world.
The COL programme is more than just a boot camp. It offers direct exposure to industry realities where mentors guide students through genuine challenges and share insights shaped by actual practice, not just lessons and textbooks. And this year, that experience took a turn into the kitchen.
For its fourth edition, the programme focused on culinary arts, throwing 17 handpicked students from Taylor’s Culinary Institute (TCI), specifically from the Advanced Diploma in Patisserie and Gastronomic Cuisine, into the pan under the theme “The Art of Modern Asian Culinary Expression”.
Their task was to reimagine classic Asian flavours with a contemporary twist. This challenge demanded not just technical skills but composure, collaboration, and the ability to lead from within a team.
The challenge unfolded as a one-day crash course where students had to prepare a five-course, four-hands dinner (a culinary term for a collaborative style where two chefs craft a one-off tasting menu) under the guidance of two Taylor’s alumni who have made their mark in the industry.
One was Chef Yuda Bustara, an internationally recognised Indonesian chef, entrepreneur, and TV personality. He has brought Indonesian cuisine to global audiences through shows like Urban Cook, Home Cooked Indonesia, and Iron Chef Indonesia, as well as represented Indonesia on Netflix’s The Maverick Academy.
Alongside him was Chef Hans Christian, one of Indonesia’s most respected names in modern fine dining. He is the co-founder of August, a restaurant known for its contemporary take on Indonesian cuisine, which has earned regional recognition, including the American Express One To Watch Award at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 and a spot on the 2024 list.
A Window Into The Real World
While the professional chefs set the tone, the true measure of the programme lies in the hands-on skills of the students on the other side of the pass. Wynn Wyman, a second-semester international student in TCI’s Advanced Diploma in Patisserie and Gastronomic Cuisine, was one of them.
For the Jakarta native, whose interest in cooking began in childhood, the COL programme was more than a day of high-pressure cooking; it served as a window into two very different culinary career paths and a chance to figure out where his own ambitions might eventually land.
His day at the boot camp began in the morning with back-to-back masterclasses from the two chefs, who gave him and the other students personal insights into their career journeys.
For Wynn, the contrast between the two industry leaders was immediately valuable, not because they were naturally gifted, but because they had each carved their own path through relentless effort.
“They told us a lot about their experiences—how they grew up in the industry, how they started. I really learned a lot, both in technique and in life. How to become a better chef, how to be more of a team player, how to improve as a person.” — Wynn
The afternoon was dedicated to preparing for the dinner service. Students handled mise en place (the French culinary term for preparing and organising ingredients), assisted with desserts, and contributed to main courses and appetisers.
Learning From Industry Leaders
Crispy Kinmedai fish served with a creamy green-yellow curry sauce and ginger flower relish—bringing together savoury, sweet, and lightly tangy flavours. / Image Credit: Vulcan Post Malaysia
While Wynn picked up plenty of technical skills during the experience, the bigger impact came from a shift in how he thought, which helped change both his approach and perspective in the kitchen.
“I grew to realise that Asian cuisine can be elevated, made modern and gastronomic,” Wynn expressed. “Not a lot of restaurants try to do modern gastronomic Asian cuisine. They still focus on European, French, Italian. So it’s great knowing that these chefs want to make Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine more interesting.”
As someone who plans to expand the fine-dining discipline into Indonesian cuisine, this realisation fits neatly into Wynn’s broader aspirations.
“I really hope that I can be someone who can elevate Indonesian dishes, make them more well-known to people outside of Asia. I want to make Indonesian cuisine as prestigious as French cuisine,” Wynn shared ahead of his internship in France.
Wynn’s experience captures exactly the soft-skills development that the programme focuses on by learning to stay steady and work confidently alongside experienced professionals, qualities that no amount of natural talent can replace.
“A lot of techniques are not very common for us to use right now,” Wynn noted. “But as they’re fine dining chefs, they explain to us and slowly guide us.”
Wynn said he walked away from the experience knowing he’ll now pay close attention to every detail, work to master more techniques, and never work half‑heartedly.
Emptying The Cup
For Chef Hans Christian, the chance to return to Taylor’s and mentor this session of the COL programme came from a deep understanding of how critical the university-to-industry transition can be.
“Moving to Taylor’s is the first major life decision for you as a high schooler, and that kind of determines your life path after that.” — Hans
Hans described himself as a driven and curious student who actively sought opportunities beyond the standard curriculum. “You have to be like a sponge,” Hans emphasised, noting the importance of looking for opportunities outside the classroom.
This mentality is the core message he tries to impart to students during the programme, and he stressed that academic prowess alone does not automatically translate to professional success.
“No matter how good you are when you are in school, when it comes to the real kitchen, it takes a certain mentality, character, and attitude to empty your cup and really absorb as much as you can. Whatever you believe here is only a small part of what makes you a great chef,” he explained.
He also addressed the importance of mindset over raw talent, especially when facing the inevitable pressures and criticisms of a professional kitchen. For Hans, true leadership reveals itself in how someone responds to difficulty, not in whether they have innate talents or confidence.
“No matter how good you are, if your chef scolds you like crazy and gives you a hard time, how do you process that?” He continued, “Can you wake up the next day and come back and say, ‘I’m going to do better this time’? That’s what matters.”
At its core, the COL programme gives students something no textbook can provide by offering them the chance to experience real pressure before they step into the workforce.
With three sessions slated for April, September, and November 2026, each themed differently and guided by renowned industry leaders from around the world, the COL programme stands as a platform where students can step up and become leaders in their own right.
