Prof Dr Shamsul: UTM plans to open six satellite offices this year.
UNIVERSITI Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) hopes to raise about RM30mil this year for its endowment fund, says deputy vice-chancellor (Development) Professor Dr Mohd Hamdan Ahmad.
He said the university was confident of achieving the target despite news of uncertainties and challenges in the global economic landscape.
“In fact, we continued to receive donations to the fund in the past two years at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country,’’ said Prof Mohd Hamdan.
He said this in a press conference after the launch of UTM enVision Moonshot Strategic Plan 2025 by its vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Ahmad Fauzi Ismail at Dewan Sultan Iskandar, Skudai Campus in Johor Baru.
“Presently, we have RM136mil in the endowment fund,’’ said Prof Mohd Hamdan.
The UTM Endowment Fund was established in 2009 and the money was used to sponsor scholarships for students.
Besides that, the funds were also used for a free food programme for students and a monthly contribution in sundry goods for its Almari Kasih Sayang programme to help less privileged students.
Meanwhile deputy vice-chancellor (Student Affairs) Professor Dr Shamsul Sahibuddin said the university planned to open six satellite offices this year.
“Presently, we have a satellite office in Universitas Malang, Indonesia which opened in December 2022, and we have yet to identify the locations for the other offices,’’ he said.
Prof Shamsul added Hong Kong University (HKU) has its satellite office in the Skudai Campus which co-ordinates academia-related programmes between HKU and UTM.
He also said the university would use its foreign student alumni network from 98 countries to further strengthen its position as one of the leading universities in the world.
“We have about 10,000 former foreign students all over the world whose expertise and contacts we can use for the good of our university,’’ he added.
Presently, UTM has about 21,000 students at its Skudai Campus of which 4,000 are foreigners with students from China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt and Nigeria making up the top five countries.
