Kuala Lumpur, 5 January 2023 – The International University of Malaya-Wales (IUMW) celebrated its 7th Convocation Ceremony at the historic Dewan Tunku Canselor, Universiti Malaya, in a momentous occasion held back-to-back with Universiti Malaya’s 62nd Convocation Ceremony.
IUMW celebrated 420 Bachelor, Masters and Doctorate graduates in programmes from Business, Psychology, Communication, Science, and Technology fields; many of which are offered in academic collaboration with their UK partner, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD).
In her speech during the graduation, the Chair of the IUMW Board of Directors Professor Dr Yatimah Alias congratulated students on making it through such a challenging period and welcomed the new graduates to the growing international alumni network.
“As graduates of IUMW, every single one of you strengthens this university’s worldwide alumni network. Our alumni have gone on to achieve great things, and I know that so will you”.
The ceremony also celebrated two exceptional graduates with 2 Best Student awards, given to Jaskiren Jit Kaur Parmjit Singh, a Finance graduate from the Faculty of Business; and Naveen Sivaguru, a Biotechnology graduate from the Faculty of Arts & Science.
The convocation was an extra special occasion for husband and wife graduates David Lim and Rosalind Goh, both graduating together with a Bachelor of Real Estate Management and Auction (Honours) degree.
“My background is part-time real estate as well as housewife, and now I am so happy to say that I have finished the degree programme! It was tough in the beginning but I made it! I learned a lot, I’ve grown a lot – it was all worth it”, Rosalind shared.
Rosalind’s husband David shared that the programme was ideal for working adults like himself, even with 20 years of experience under his belt. “It’s important to get the right knowledge, and it’s even more important to be able to put that theory into practice, and that’s what this programme gives you. I highly recommend it. We have done it – well done!”, David congratulated his wife.
The event carried special significance for IUMW this year as the community builds up to the excitement of the 10th-anniversary celebrations in 2023. Established in 2013, the University has seen huge growth over the past decade, and now boasts international alumni of almost 2500 members.
The 7th Convocation also celebrated graduates from IUMW’s first-ever 100% online programme, the Master of Business Administration (Open and Distance Learning).
“I thoroughly enjoyed the online MBA”, graduate Kishin Kumar Binwani shared. “It was challenging initially, but then you get into a routine where you manage to prioritise both your studies and work”.
Fellow classmate Jivanantham Muttupillai believes self-discipline is important, but this type of learning leads to great growth. “You spend less time in classes and with classmates, so self-discipline and hard work are important, but eventually, you become a far more organised and hard-working person”.
This historic cohort of MBA ODL graduates marks a milestone in the University’s history, in a year that has seen several digitally-focused developments under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr Kamila Ghazali, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor at UM. This includes the upcoming launch of 5 new Open and Distance Learning degrees including in Digital Business, International Business and Entrepreneurship, as well as a range of short courses and micro-credentials; making up part of its 2023 digital strategy.
“The strategy falls in line with our 10th Anniversary, as we build on past achievements and mark a new direction for the university”, Kamila explains.
“As we look to the future of education and the role of online learning, convenience has certainly become a factor, no doubt accounting for much of the popularity of online delivery. There has been a shift in attitudes towards digital delivery, and the 64 MBA ODL graduates we celebrate today are a testament to that. They have embraced the convenience and flexibility offered by the programme while knowing they are not losing out on the quality they would get from a conventional face-to-face programme”.
“Today we celebrate those and all 420 of our graduates as we honour their hard work and accomplishments. I know that they leave this University with the confidence, skills and ability to succeed and I’m proud of all that they have achieved during their time with IUMW”.
For more information on IUMW visit https://www.iumw.edu.my