UM Sets Sights On Full Autonomy - Vice-Chancellor

KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Bernama) -- 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.

--BERNAMA