SINTOK, 16 January 2025: Prof Dato’ Dr Mohd Foad Sakdan, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), outlined five key policies for UUM 2025 aimed at advancing university excellence. These policies align with the strategic direction presented by the Minister of Higher Education.
Among them are the Education & Research Management Policy, Infrastructure and Infostructure Policy, Financial Management and Sustainability Policy, Internationalisation Policy, and Community Management Policy.
As part of the Community Management Policy, Prof. Dato’ Dr Mohd Foad Sakdan, announced the initiation of the Changloon Transformation Project at Cmart, Changlun. This project reflects UUM’s significant commitment to establishing Changlun as a model for progressive development.
“Many UUM staff reside in Changlun, and I see great potential for this town to experience rapid development, akin to other renowned university towns worldwide. For instance, the city of Oxford, which is developing rapidly owing to the presence of Oxford University, or Bandar Baru Bangi which is flourishing due to the presence of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
Meanwhile, the Infrastructure and Infostructure Policy allocates a budget of RM132.2 million for 2025 under the 12th Malaysia Plan to replace outdated infrastructure and infostructure.
“Speaking of infrastructure and infostructure, we refer to the UUM Smart Campus Roadmap initiated in 2022. This strategic plan aims designed to transform this campus into a digital and ultimately a fully integrated smart campus by 2030.
“In terms of infrastructure development under the JPPI for the year 2025, the RM12 allocation in RP5 will allocate a total of 100 million ringgit for five new projects. The three Flagship Programmes that have been planned are Taman Siswa, Solar Project and T-VET Management,” he said at the 2025 New Year Address and Monthly Staff Gathering, at the SOIS Auditorium on Thursday.
The UUM Financial Management & Strengthening Policy, necessitates the generation of additional internal resources. The year 2025 is significant as the Ministry of Higher Education will implement a new funding model based on the cost per student formula and eight Key Performance Index for the 2026 allocation that UUM must achieve.
“The UUM Internationalisation Policy facilitates the enhancement of international collaboration and the pursuit of world-class accreditation.
“This initiative aims to increase the number of foreign students as well as increasing international mobility, aiming 3,000 international student enrolments in addition to implementing the Offshore Programme: Indonesia in collaboration with UKM, USIM, UMK and SUNWAY University,” he said.
According to him, the Education and Research Management Policy establishes a ‘four track’ pathway for lecturer careers, strengthening research funding and TVET Management, which can contribute to the national agenda and generate financial resources for the university.
“In order to produce AI-savvy graduates, we are exploring the implementation of mandatory AI courses for all UUM students. This would include general courses such as Introduction to AI for All Disciplines, which aims to provide a foundational understanding of AI and its implications and applications across various sectors,” he said.
He urged the UUM denizens to unite, demonstrating passion and commitment, to elevate Universiti Utara Malaysia to the pinnacle of excellence, making the year 2025 a year full of productivity and high performance.
