logo
UM sets sights on full autonomy - Vice-chancellor

UM sets sights on full autonomy - Vice-chancellor

The Sun13-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya (UM) is making significant strides toward achieving full autonomy, aiming to govern independently while reducing its reliance on the government.
UM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman said that the pioneering, bold, and radical approach would enable UM to gain full independence in governance, student admissions, finance, and academics, without compromising its corporate social responsibility.
'As an established and mature university, UM should be progressing towards autonomy without being entirely dependent on government assistance.
'Therefore, UM must think creatively about leveraging its existing advantages to achieve autonomy,' he told Bernama after attending a UM media strategic session with senior management from several local media organisations here today.
The session was attended by Broadcasting director-general Datuk Suhaimi Sulaiman, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) News Services executive editor Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa, and Harian Metro Group editor Hussain Jahit.
Noor Azuan said that there were currently around 1.1 to 1.2 million students nationwide, with 600,000 studying in 20 public universities, while the rest were enrolled in over 300 private institutions.
'In this regard, universities should be creative in obtaining funds without neglecting the quality aspect, and for that, media promotion and advertising are crucial for attracting international students to Malaysia,' he said.
He also expressed his appreciation to media practitioners for their continued support and coverage, particularly in conveying the university's messages, initiatives, efforts, and achievements to the public.
'We really appreciate the role of the media, which not only supports UM but also contributes to the development of all universities in Malaysia,' he said.
The media had previously reported that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had expressed his view that public universities should be given full authority to decide on their priorities.
The matter was mentioned during the opening ceremony of the Ministry of Higher Education's (MOHE) Strategic and Global Thinkers Discourse 2024, where the Prime Minister called on the MOHE to provide more space for universities to implement programmes aimed at improving the quality of education.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

ASEAN Higher Education Ministers' Roundtable in Langkawi on June 19
ASEAN Higher Education Ministers' Roundtable in Langkawi on June 19

The Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Sun

ASEAN Higher Education Ministers' Roundtable in Langkawi on June 19

PUTRAJAYA: The ASEAN Higher Education Ministers' Roundtable: Envisioning the Next Decade and Beyond will be held in Langkawi on June 19, and is expected to outline a new direction for regional higher education, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir. He said the roundtable would be one of the main events under the ASEAN Ministers of Education and Higher Education Roundtables (#EduRoundtables2025) and Events, which will take place on the resort island from June 17 to 19. 'This event will see the participation of education and higher education ministers from ASEAN member states and Timor Leste, as well as senior representatives from Myanmar and the ASEAN Secretariat,' he said during a briefing with editors-in-chief at the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) here today. He said one of the key outcomes of the meeting would be the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Higher Education: Towards an Inclusive, Sustainable and Prosperous ASEAN, which would serve as a foundational document or new blueprint to strengthen higher education in the region over the next decade. Zambry said the new declaration would renew and reinforce the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Higher Education adopted at the 27th ASEAN Summit on Nov 21, 2015. He added that the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting on Education (SOM-ED) held on Feb 14 had also endorsed the implementation of the ASEAN Global Exchange Mobility and Scholarship (ASEAN-GEMS) initiative proposed by Malaysia through Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS). 'This proposal involves the implementation of an Intra-ASEAN Scholarship Programme that facilitates smoother student exchanges among ASEAN countries, free from mobility restrictions, while also providing students with exposure to diplomacy and culture,' he said. Zambry also noted that the 8th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Higher Education Mobility (AWGHEM) had agreed to place both initiatives on the main agenda of the upcoming roundtable in Langkawi. Separately, he said that in conjunction with the MADANI Rakyat 2025 programme to be held at Lumut Waterfront, Perak, from June 13 to 15, with the theme Higher Education as the Driver of a MADANI Nation, the ministry will highlight the role of higher education in advancing the MADANI national agenda. The programme is scheduled to be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and will feature various activities involving universities, polytechnics and community colleges. Commenting on Malaysia's role as ASEAN Chair this year, Zambry said MOHE had taken a strategic approach by convening two ministerial meetings — one involving education ministers and the other focusing specifically on higher education. 'In this engagement, we want Malaysia to be the heart of ASEAN higher education excellence by strengthening regional collaboration, including through the empowerment of teaching personnel in areas such as artificial intelligence and the latest technologies,' he said.

ASEAN Higher Ed Ministers to chart new direction in Langkawi
ASEAN Higher Ed Ministers to chart new direction in Langkawi

The Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Sun

ASEAN Higher Ed Ministers to chart new direction in Langkawi

PUTRAJAYA: The ASEAN Higher Education Ministers' Roundtable: Envisioning the Next Decade and Beyond will be held in Langkawi on June 19, and is expected to outline a new direction for regional higher education, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir. He said the roundtable would be one of the main events under the ASEAN Ministers of Education and Higher Education Roundtables (#EduRoundtables2025) and Events, which will take place on the resort island from June 17 to 19. 'This event will see the participation of education and higher education ministers from ASEAN member states and Timor Leste, as well as senior representatives from Myanmar and the ASEAN Secretariat,' he said during a briefing with editors-in-chief at the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) here today. He said one of the key outcomes of the meeting would be the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Higher Education: Towards an Inclusive, Sustainable and Prosperous ASEAN, which would serve as a foundational document or new blueprint to strengthen higher education in the region over the next decade. Zambry said the new declaration would renew and reinforce the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Higher Education adopted at the 27th ASEAN Summit on Nov 21, 2015. He added that the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting on Education (SOM-ED) held on Feb 14 had also endorsed the implementation of the ASEAN Global Exchange Mobility and Scholarship (ASEAN-GEMS) initiative proposed by Malaysia through Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS). 'This proposal involves the implementation of an Intra-ASEAN Scholarship Programme that facilitates smoother student exchanges among ASEAN countries, free from mobility restrictions, while also providing students with exposure to diplomacy and culture,' he said. Zambry also noted that the 8th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Higher Education Mobility (AWGHEM) had agreed to place both initiatives on the main agenda of the upcoming roundtable in Langkawi. Separately, he said that in conjunction with the MADANI Rakyat 2025 programme to be held at Lumut Waterfront, Perak, from June 13 to 15, with the theme Higher Education as the Driver of a MADANI Nation, the ministry will highlight the role of higher education in advancing the MADANI national agenda. The programme is scheduled to be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and will feature various activities involving universities, polytechnics and community colleges. Commenting on Malaysia's role as ASEAN Chair this year, Zambry said MOHE had taken a strategic approach by convening two ministerial meetings — one involving education ministers and the other focusing specifically on higher education. 'In this engagement, we want Malaysia to be the heart of ASEAN higher education excellence by strengthening regional collaboration, including through the empowerment of teaching personnel in areas such as artificial intelligence and the latest technologies,' he said.

Govt committed to increase women-owned companies
Govt committed to increase women-owned companies

The Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Sun

Govt committed to increase women-owned companies

KUALA LUMPUR: The percentage of women-owned companies in Malaysia are still low compared to other ASEAN countries, at about 20 per cent or 210,000 companies out of all enterprises in the country. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the government through the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) would strive to increase the percentage through various new programmes and policies. 'In helping women access overseas markets more effectively, the government is committed to providing trade facilities such as MADANI Digital Trade, Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) and also trade missions to various countries,' he said during the opening ceremony of the Women in Export (WiEX) Forum 2025 today. Tengku Zafrul said the initiative implemented was open to women entrepreneurs who wanted to explore international markets, including emerging markets such as West Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, which have high demand for Malaysian products. 'MATRADE also constantly monitors the participation of female entrepreneurs in international exhibitions and overseas trade missions so that women can become competitive exporters on the international stage,' he said. Meanwhile, MATRADE chairman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said the participation of Asian women in the economy, comprising only 30 to 35 per cent, shows that there are still untapped economic opportunities. 'Therefore, to assist women-owned companies in the export market, MATRADE has allocated 40 per cent of the RM14.89 million in export grants to 6,711 women-owned companies,' he said at the event. Regarding the organisation of WiEX, he said the forum was important as a meeting place to empower women in the export ecosystem and, by 2026, the forum would be known as the Women International Exporters Expo. 'The WiEX Forum has become the perfect platform to celebrate and recognise women entrepreneurs who want to make a name for themselves in the international arena. All the knowledge, inspiration and strategies shared today are valuable gifts that can guide their respective journeys,' he said. Therefore, Reezal Merican said MATRADE has launched an e-directory that serves as a bridge connecting products and services provided by women-owned companies. 'This platform will showcase to the world the great products and services produced by Malaysian women. It will facilitate business collaboration, build international networks and, most importantly, provide direct access to global markets. 'This initiative is in line with the National Women's Policy 2025-2030 and sustainable development goals, demonstrating the government's unwavering commitment to empowering women in the trade sector,' he added. Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, chairman of the Umno Malaysia Women's and Family Affairs Council (HAWA) Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and MATRADE chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store