Khairuddin said the upgrading of UCTS to a full-fledged university and now known as Universiti Teknologi Sarawak (UTS) is a huge achievement for the Land of the Hornbills. – File photo
SIBU (Nov 23): The upgrading of University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) to a full-fledged university and now known as Universiti Teknologi Sarawak (UTS) is a huge achievement for the Land of the Hornbills, said UTS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid.
He said UTS is the only university which is 100 per cent established “from the sweat of the Sarawak state government”.
“UTCS was upgraded when it met the criteria in terms of infrastructure, quality of educational programmes, research work, contribution of students and lecturers to the world of knowledge, manpower and financial strength which is fully contributed by the state government.
“This upgrading symbolises a huge success in terms of physical, moral and identity, that it is the first full-fledged university established by the Sarawak government,” he told Bernama.
The university was established as UCTS on April 1, 2013 and was awarded full university status last Nov 8 by the Ministry of Higher Education, and the name changed to UTS, which was officially launched by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg last Nov 10.
Khairuddin expressed the hope that the university would be able to increase the student enrollment, quality of teaching staff and provide the best education, especially for the people of Sarawak, with the assistance of the state government.
He said this was based on the marketability rate of UTS graduates, which is among the highest in Malaysia at 99.1 per cent, with almost all of them getting jobs at the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).
“This shows the desire and hope of the Sarawak government for UTS to help produce the many manpower needed in SCORE,” he added.
On the high marketability of UTS graduates, Khairuddin attributed it to, among others, the approach adopted by the university.
“UTS often discussed with the private industry on the requirements for programmes that meet market needs, apart from the professional certification and industry certification given to graduates when they graduated.
“This means that when students graduate, they will get a degree and also the professional certificate which is recognised by the industry not only in Malaysia.
“Another factor, is the use of English in their studies. This makes them more marketable,” he added.
In this regard, he said, UTS was targeting the enrolment of 4,000 students in the next two years. Currently, it has bout 1,000 students.
“Although UTS is 100 percent owned by the Sarawak government, we want to have a mix of students from outside Sarawak and abroad,” he said.
Since its inauguration as a full-fledged university recently, he said, UTS had received various inquiries through phone calls and emails, and some even came directly to the university for information on admission.
“This is a good sign, especially from the local community. They are proud to have a full-fledged university. They want to know what programmes are available, the registration methods and conditions.
“Some incumbent assemblymen even help to promote UTS through their respective social media platforms. In terms of image and meaning, it is very big because the local community, they are very concerned about the status of the university.
“They want the name of the university, it will give confidence to the community, parents and students,” he added. – Bernama