KOTA SAMARAHAN: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) further cemented its drive to become an internationally-recognised exemplary university when a record 2,345 graduates received their scrolls this year.
Held at the university’s Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra (DeTAR Putra), Unimas 17th edition convocation ceremony from Nov 9 to 10 produced 24.13 per cent more graduates when compared to 1,889 individuals last year.
To be held over four sessions, this year’s total will see 2,129 students receiving their Bachelor’s degree, 192 their Master’s degree, and 24 receiving their PhD. The 216 post graduates this year also upstaged the 2012 figure of 194.
“Based on the QS Asian University Rankings 2013, Unimas maintained its position in the top 200 best universities in Asia when it managed to rank 181 out of 500 universities in Asia and top seven in the country.
“This ensures that Unimas remains a top draw among students and academicians,” Unimas vice-chancellor Prof Dato Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi said in his speech at the start of the convocation ceremony here.
He beamed that Unimas recently won two gold medals, two bronze and one glory medal from six products exhibited at the International Trade Fair Ideas-Inventions New Products (iENA) 2013 in Nuremberg, Germany.
“Hence, the excellent achievement in 2013 must be continued by empowering research activities at both the faculty and centre-of-excellence levels. This will continue Unimas status as a comprehensive university contributing to the state’s development particularly its Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) initiative.”
Mohamad Kadim said the university had seven centres of excellence that functioned to develop and strengthen its research capability and innovation of higher learning institutes.
They are Malaria Research Centre (MRC), Centre for Water Research (CWR), Centre of Excellence for Rural Informatics (CoERI), Centre of Renewable Energy (CoERE), Centre of Excellence in Images Analysis and Spatial Technologies (IMAST), Centre of Excellence in Semantic Technology and Augumented Reality (CoESTAR) and Centre of Excellence for Disability Studies (Co-EDS).
In its Sept 2013/2014 intake, Mohamad Kadim said Unimas registered 3,757 new students, bringing its total students to 15,918. This consists of 13,956 under-graduates, 1,254 post-graduates and 708 pre-university programme students.
To meet to the student’s accommodation needs, the university had purchased the 15-block Vista Ilmu apartment at a cost of RM48.64 million. To be named Kolej Kediaman Rafflesia, the apartment would house 3,276 students.
Another apartment block, Kolej Kediaman Dahlia, is in construction at a cost of RM51.5 million for about 1,800 students.
With the full completion of these hostel colleges, the university would be able to provide accommodation to about 90 per cent of its current students.
“The completion of the on-going construction of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences building would complete the physical needs of all eight faculties at Unimas Kota Samarahan campus. In addition, the plan to develop a teaching hospital would ease the learning and practical training process of students in this faculty and significantly improved their quality.”
Head of State Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin, who is also Unimas chancellor, graced the convocation ceremony yesterday, presenting scrolls to 216 post-graduates, 107 graduates from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and 70 graduates from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology.
This year’s convocation ceremony also marked another chapter in the university’s history following the official introduction of Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang as its second pro-chancellor after he received his appointment letter last Oct 9. Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has been the university’s pro-chancellor since 1997.
In the second session held in the afternoon, the newly appointed pro-chancellor presented scrolls to 669 graduates comprising those from the Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development (329) and Faculty of Economics and Business (340).
The third session today will see a total of 676 graduates receiving their scrolls.
Taib will officiate at the morning ceremony to present scrolls to 387 graduates from the Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts and 289 from the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology.
In the fourth session in the afternoon, Jabu will present scrolls to 607 students from the Faculty of Social Sciences (338) and Faculty of Engineering (269).
This year’s `Anugerah Pendidikan DiRaja’ went to Nur Syakina Jamali from Kuala Lumpur (Faculty of Engineering) and Perak-born Leong Sin Ye of the Economics and Business faculty.
The Pro-Chancellor Award went to Sabahan Norzellah Asim from the Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development and Selangor-born Seow Jing Yin of the Social Sciences faculty.