Harun (second from left) greeting UMS students who were enrolling online for the 2015/2016 session.
KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) welcomed over 4,000 new students who registered for the 2015/2016 session yesterday.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Mohd Harun Abdullah said during a press conference that in addition to local applicants, UMS will be receiving 138 international students as well.
“We have offered places to a total of 4,481 candidates, who have responded to our offer,” said Harun. “This includes 138 international students.”
“Despite the fact that this number has decreased compared to last year’s figure, it is a good sign that there is more diversity in terms of our students’ nationality. For example, we have never received applicants from Saudi Arabia before, but we got one this year. We will also be accommodating one student from the United States.”
Harun said, the continuous international enrollments show that UMS is accepted and recognised as an institution of higher education on a global scale, which falls in line with the aim to internationalise the university.
A number of strategies have been initiated for 2015, said Harun, such as increasing the intake of international students threefold compared to previous years. He hopes that their initiative will bear fruit by the end of the year, apart from looking forward to receiving students who are dedicated and will be viewed as quality graduates in the future.
According to Harun, one of the main reasons why international students choose to enrol in UMS is the environment surrounding the campus that is very calming, more so because the Kota Kinabalu area is known for its peace and safety.
Harun added that aside from the benefits in terms of revenue, international students are also important to the university as they provide local students with the opportunity to interact with people from different walks of life.
“In our efforts to raise UMS in terms of status and ranking on an international scale, we also need to be visible as an institution of higher learning that is sought after by students from other countries,” said Harun.
Not only does UMS offer places to undergraduates from around the globe, it also accommodates students with special needs and provides assistance for those who face financial trouble.
This year, UMS is home to 100 students from low income families through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, which has been ongoing for three years.
“We take into consideration families with low incomes, specifically those who live in the interior,” explained Harun.
“We prepared 100 spots for these students, whereas the rest of our students come from other parts of Sabah such as Beaufort, Keningau and Sandakan. We give priority to these outstation students to stay on campus, in the hostels that we provide.”
In terms of students with special needs, UMS received 19 of them at the registration yesterday. These students, some of whom are blind, have speech impediments and are physically challenged, will be placed in hostels on a lower level to ease their movements. Special transportation will also be provided to aid them in getting from class to class.
Of the 4,481 undergraduates who enrolled yesterday, including the 138 international applicants, Sabahans constituted 2,021 students, whereas 1,941 were from the Peninsular and 381 hailed from Sarawak.