UTAR is encouraging the intake of more foreign students to have an international community at both its campuses – the Kampar Campus in Perak and the UTAR Sungai Long Campus in the Klang Valley.
UNIVERSITI Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) aspires to continue as a global university in the future by persevering and being relevant to the needs of the country, industries and community.
UTAR president Prof Datuk Dr Ewe Hong Tat said that as part of its ongoing globalisation efforts, the university is encouraging its partner universities all over the world to send more of their students here under exchange programmes and study tours.
“In terms of student population, the university is encouraging the intake of more foreign students to have an international community at both its campuses – the Kampar Campus in Perak and the UTAR Sungai Long Campus in the Klang Valley.
“Now that travel is open, the interest is returning and we have also started getting more physical exchange students from these partner universities while UTAR students are applying to study overseas under our Explore the World programme which enables them to study at these foreign universities.
‘We are doing more joint research with universities from different parts of the world,’ says Prof Ewe.
“Before the Covid-19 pandemic, we had about 1,000 foreign students from partner universities coming to UTAR each year on exchange and study tours programme, and the same number of our students studying at our partner universities each year.
“But during the pandemic, we went virtual,” he said when speaking on the university’s 20th anniversary.
Prof Ewe said UTAR always makes sure that its curriculum is connected to the world, and external examiners from top universities in the world have been appointed for all its programmes, to give feedback and suggestions for improvements.
“Our staff are doing more joint research with universities from different parts of the world with international staff and students, as part of our continuing globalisation approach,” he said.
Prof Ewe noted that following the pandemic, UTAR continues to organise virtual programmes for students from UTAR as well as from partner universities.
“Such exposure is fruitful for the students as they get to exchange learning and cultural experiences beforehand,” he said.
On UTAR’s plans for the near future, Prof Ewe said there will be more collaboration with researchers from international universities and institutions, at the same time the university will strive to extend further research activities with local companies especially SMIs and SMEs.
“We are also looking at continuing to develop our facilities, not only at our physical campus but also our digital campus because now, especially after the pandemic, digital has become a way of life, to study.
“We want to develop our students beyond their normal curriculum with UTAR Soft Skills Development Competency (USSDC) programmes and the voluntary community service initiative called CARE programme, which encourage students to develop their soft skills and volunteer their time for community services, for them to experience holistic learning experience,” he said.
Prof Ewe noted that after the pandemic, overall the education sector has transformed with learning no longer being confined to classroom or campus.
“The curriculum today may not be valid in another five to 10 years. Besides knowledge, developing soft skills, for example the four Cs – collaboration, critical thinking, communication and creativity – are equally important in expanding a student’s experience in this new era of learning.
“To cope with future needs, students need to develop themselves with high-order thinking and multiple intelligence whereby problems can be solved using cross-disciplinary approaches,” he said.
In the past 20 years, UTAR has given out more than RM180mil in scholarship and zero-interest loans to students.
Prof Ewe said that with the university’s innovative and dynamic curriculum, about 95% of its students have gained employment within six months of graduating, while it took a bit longer during the pandemic.
He said the next 20 years will see the university focusing on the not-for-profit UTAR hospital to provide affordable and quality medical services as well as clinical training for medical students.
“We want to continue being relevant and want to provide highly competent and skilful graduates who have the human touch and are willing to contribute back to society,” he said, adding that the university is grateful to its stakeholders including the government, industries, community, alumni, staff, students and parents.
UTAR now has a total 21,000 students at both its campuses.
