Syed Hamid Albar now AeU's first Chancellor

KUALA LUMPUR: Asia e University (AeU) appointed Tan Sri Dr Syed Hamid Albar (pic) as its first Chancellor during the university's 11th Convocation ceremony here on Saturday (Oct 15).

AeU Vice Chancellor Professor Tan Sri Dr Nik Mustapha Raja Abdullah said that he had no doubts that with the vast experience in administration and management the former Foreign Minister possesses, Syed Hamid will provide AeU with the direction and leadership to further enhance AeU’s academic standing.

"On behalf of the management and staff of AeU, I wish to congratulate Tan Sri Dr Syed Hamid Tan Sri Syed Jaafar Albar on his appointment as Chancellor of this university.

"Besides, he has also been involved in this university since 2006 from the beginning, he was very instrumental to the development and formation of AeU and he also took his Doctor of Philosophy(PHD) programme here,” he told Bernama at the convocation ceremony.

He said that a total of 2,490 academic students, of whom 1,353 are international students and out of these 1,049 are from the year 2021 batch while 1,441 from the year 2022 batch received their scrolls at today's in person convocation ceremony.

"This morning we were informed that one of our former students from Vietnam was selected as among the top 10 best entrepreneurs in his country, because Vietnam is becoming a leading economy with multi-million dollar companies and I am sure there a lot of our students who are successful out there," he said when asked about the marketability of AeU students.

The 2021 physical convocation ceremony had to be postponed to this year because of the COViD-19 pandemic.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad was the guest of honour. Not only that, she was also one of the graduates of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme through the APELQ pathway. Also present was Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidi Zainal, Chairman of the Board of Governors of AeU.

Meanwhile, Syed Hamid, who also chairs the World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation, said his appointment was unexpected and that he was deeply moved to get the recognition.

"When the university decided that they wanted to make me the first Chancellor it was a great honour and privilege. I am very much humbled and touched.

"This university always been dear to me and they inspired me to pursue what I have always wanted to from my very young days, becoming an academician," he said. - Bernama