Uni status: TAR UC is TAR UMT now

KUALA LUMPUR: Tunku Abdul Rahman University College’s newly acquired full-fledged university status will see it placing a bigger emphasis on research and development to benefit the nation, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

He also assured that fees would remain affordable.

“We have worked so hard over the last 53 years to build Tunku Abdul Rahman College into a respected institution of university status,” he said when announcing the status upgrade at the main campus in Setapak yesterday.

“(This) despite the fact that the last two years, we faced Covid-19, but we still managed to do it.”

The 53-year-old higher learning institution, now known as Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT), aims to become a renowned and prestigious talent development hub that contributes significantly to industries and socio-economic growth of the Malaysian and Asean community.

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The university would continue to provide higher education of international standards at an affordable fee, said Dr Wee, who is TARC Education Foundation Board of Trustees chairman.

“It (the university) will continue to serve the wider community through a wide spectrum of activities.

“It wants to be a university for the people regardless of race, class and creed,” he added.

Dr Wee also said that the allocation given by the government for TAR UC’s operating expenditure would continue although it was now a university.

The institute was well known in Malaysia for producing high quality graduates in accounting, computing and information technology, business, quantity surveying, applied sciences, engineering and many more, he added.

The process of evolving into a university began in 2018, after the higher education institution had met the criteria set by the Higher Education Ministry in terms of the number and types of courses, and student enrolment.

“Building on this solid foundation, TAR UMT is poised for a bigger role not only in Malaysia but beyond its borders,” said Dr Wee, who is also the Transport Minister.

The university will place special focus on developing and nurturing its students to better prepare them for a constantly changing world.

“(This) while being led and driven by digital technology in an increasingly borderless economy.

“TAR UMT will have a strong symbiotic relationship with the industry, other institutions of higher learning, the government and the wider community,” said Dr Wee.

He said a crafted 10-year roadmap with outlined strategies would propel TAR UMT into a significant university at the national, regional and global level.

He added that in conjunction with the status upgrade, the university would be organising a TAR UMT logo design competition.

Separately, TAR UMT president Prof Dr Lee Sze Wei said they would now be putting more focus on research and development, and supporting the industry in terms of research and consultation services.

TAR UC board of directors chairman Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai said it would be able to attract more international students now that it was a university that provided quality education.

TAR UMT began as Tunku Abdul Rahman College in 1969 with an enrolment of 764 students.

It currently has a student population of over 28,000 spread across six campuses around the country.

It has produced more than 220,000 graduates.