College gains university status

Students from the International College of Automotive. - Filepic

THE International College of Automotive (ICAM) which is a member of the DRB-HICOM Group, has been accorded university status by the Higher Education Ministry.

With the upgrade, ICAM will now be known as DRB-Hicom University of Automotive Malaysia.

The university is now among the first in Asean to offer home-grown bachelor degrees, master’s degrees and doctoral programmes relating to the automotive ecosystem, which includes mechanical, business and management studies.

DRB-Hicom Berhad group managing director Brig-Gen (K) Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil said the elevation marks a significant milestone for its growing stature as a leading institution of higher learning in the region.

He said the DRB-Hicom University of Automotive Malaysia plays an important role towards making sure that the nation has a steady supply of an industry-ready workforce.

“What makes us different is our balanced approach to education which is similar to the dual training concept widely practised in Germany where nearly 60% of its workers train as apprentices.

“This combination of theory and practice gives our students a head start in their careers as they would have accumulated the required technical knowledge together with hands-on experience in their jobs,” said Mohd Khamil.

Operating from a 42-acre campus in Pekan, the advantage DRB-Hicom University of Automotive Malaysia offers is in being strategically located alongside DRB-Hicom’s regional automotive hub, which houses the nation’s largest integrated automotive assembly complex and makes it probably one of its kind in the world.

“Pekan, a royal town that was once heavily reliant on agriculture, has expanded to become a regional automotive hub and now it is also an education centre housing a full-fledged university,” he said.

He also added that the university has a conducive environment in Pekan and provides the ideal setting for students to fully focus on their learning.

Mohd Khamil attributed the university’s progress to the steadfast efforts by the management team and faculty members.

“We have brought together a strong faculty team led by experienced education professionals and academicians with both local and international experiences who have worked in established institutions around the world, providing the perfect combination to take the university to greater heights,” he added.

Backed by a combined senior management team’s working experience of more than 50 years in the education industry,the university’s management and academic team comprise 87 faculty members from more than five different nationalities including from New Zealand, India, Jordan, Iran and Pakistan.