UM Marks 121st Anniversary With Renewed Commitment To Relevance And Tangible Impact

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaya (UM) is marking its 121st anniversary with a renewed commitment to remain relevant and deliver tangible impact on the nation's development and society by strengthening academics, research and integrating AI.

UM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman said the milestone was not merely about marking the university's age, but about embracing a greater responsibility to ensure the country's oldest institution of higher learning continues to steer the nation towards a better future.

"Today is a deeply meaningful moment for the entire UM community and its alumni, not just alumni, but all Malaysians.

"These 121 years carry a greater responsibility to ensure UM remains relevant to the nation, to advise the country so that it becomes better, and ultimately to deliver the most important and tangible impact on Malaysian society," he told reporters after the launch of UM's 121st Anniversary celebration here.

Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, in his capacity as UM Chancellor, graced the event and officiated the ceremony. Also present were Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

Commenting on the modernisation and adaptation of the university's academic curriculum, Noor Azuan explained that UM has always kept pace with global developments, including strengthening AI-based learning and management systems.

"We are heavily oriented towards AI, whether through our programmes or systems, which are constantly moving in tandem with AI developments," he said.

He also stressed the importance of international university rankings as a benchmark for how the world perceives the quality of UM's education and research.

"So if we look at UM's current ranking, it stands at 56 (QS World University Ranking), and we are working to ensure that this ranking continues to climb to even greater heights in the years ahead," he said.

Noor Azuan added that UM will remain a key platform for producing high-quality talent and leaders to sustain the nation's excellence, citing the university's success in producing six of Malaysia's 10 Prime Ministers.

"UM does not belong just to those on campus. It belongs to all Malaysians," he said.

-- BERNAMA