Lim (second left) and Hakim shaking hands after the MoU signing, witnessed by Wong (centre). Also seen are Cheah (left) and Zainal. — Photo by Jeffery Mostapa
KUCHING: University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) and Kolej Sunway Kuching (KSK) are now collaborating on helping the government nurture more high quality accountancy professionals.
The two institutions of higher learning yesterday sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enable Diploma in Accounting (DIA) graduates of KSK to take up an articulation pathway into Year Two of the Bachelor of Accountancy (Hons) programme at UCTS.
Following the MoU, KSK will offer and prepare students of UCTS for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Professional Qualification.
Representing UCTS at the signing ceremony was its vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Hakim Juri while KSK was represented by its chief executive officer Joseph Lim.
Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, who is also UCTS chairman, witnessed the MoU signing.
In his welcoming address, Lim said KSK had produced more Certified Accounting Technicians (CAT) and ACCA graduates and high achievers than any other institution in East Malaysia.
“To date, we have nurtured a total of 386 ACCA affiliates, 96 Oxford Brookes University (OBU) graduates, 819 CAT finalists as well as eight CAT world prize winners and 22 ACCA and CAT Malaysian prize winners.”
Lim was pleased to note that UCTS had state-of-the-art facilities as well as an environment conducive for learning and a dedicated team of academics and management.
“With the lower cost of living in Sibu and attractive scholarship opportunities, I see great potential for our students to pursue undergraduate degree programmes at UCTS once they have completed their DIA at KSK.”
According to him, students who have competed DIA will now be eligible for enrolment into Year Two Semester Two of the Bachelor of Accountancy (Hons) programme at UCTS, subject to satisfying UCTS’ admission requirements.
He added that DIA graduates of KSK would only have to study for a further five to six semesters to complete their undergraduate degree at UCTS.
“With UCTS on board, we now have articulation pathways with more than 13 good ranking local and overseas universities for our DIA programme.”
It is learnt that universities that already accept DIA graduates into Year Two of undergraduate programmes include Nottingham University Malaysia Campus; University of Waikato, New Zealand; University of Canterbury, New Zealand; Birmingham City University, UK; University of Western Australia; Curtin University Sarawak and Australia; Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak Campus; Victoria University, Melbourne; Australia Catholic University, Sydney; Cardiff University, Wales; and Sunway University.
To date, Lim said, KSK had produced more than 40 DIA graduates with an employability rate of 97.2 per cent.
“Today’s MoU will see KSK working with UCTS to ensure that the university’s undergraduates can pursue ACCA with maximum exemptions. I look forward to working with UCTS to stimulate interest among CTS undergraduates to pursue accountancy and finance as a career and to come onto the ACCA programme.”
Among those present were Sunday Group exco member Puan Sri Datin Sri Dr Susan Cheah and UCTS dean of School of Business and Management Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Zainal Munshid Harun.