A Session with the VC

When was the last time you felt inspired by your organisation’s achievements? For OUM staff, that moment arrived on 20 July in a session with our Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dr Ahmad Izanee Awang.

He unveiled a series of triumphs that are aligned with OUM’s four strategic pillars – growth, visibility, sustainability, and harmony – at the session on OUM 2023 Strategic Initiatives Progress Report.

Among these triumphs are that OUM now boasts an impressive 29,074 active learners, with 8,052 new learners joining us as a result of the January and May intakes. The retention rate is also high at 80%, a testament to the quality of education we provide.

Our faculty strength is equally impressive, with 70 academic staff, of whom 36 are PhD holders. The total number includes the five new hires who have joined our ranks this year.

According to Prof Izanee, eight new programmes are also in the pipeline, to meet the evolving needs of industries and learners. From Diploma in Occupational Safety & Health to Master of Data Science, these programmes will open doors to exciting career opportunities for many learners.

In addition to our learner-centric approach, OUM has received industry recognition for seven programmes. Five programmes from the Faculty of Business and Management have been recognised by the prestigious Chartered Management Institute while the Malaysia Society of OSH has acknowledged the Bachelor of Occupational Safety and Health Management and the Master of Occupational Safety and Health Risk Management.

With a total of 16 programmes receiving professional recognition, alongside MQA accreditation, we continue to set the standard for excellence in open, flexible and distance learning.

Our impact extends beyond the classroom. OUM has successfully organised two international meetings in Kuala Lumpur, fostering research networking and collaboration. The first was in March for BUKA, a European-funded project involving seven universities, and the second was in May for OU5, a research collaboration group of five open universities.

In addition, we have formed strategic partnerships with UPSI Holdings Sdn Bhd and Universitas Ubudiyah Indonesia to offer our programmes. We have also provided consultancy services for the establishment of Open University Kenya and collaborated with the International Atomic Energy Agency on a programme for educators.

After Prof Izanee’s session, Vice President (Academic & Research), Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Tajudin Md Ninggal, took over the rostrum to speak about preparations for OUM25, the University’s silver jubilee in 2 years’ time.

The mid-year successes shared by Prof Izanee are just a glimpse of what lies ahead for OUM. As we continue to push boundaries, we invite you to join us on this exciting journey of progress and growth.