SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

special

SETARA TIER 5

Excellent
status
universities

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

2 SETARA

By IAN JEROME LEONG

RECOGNISING the importance of
higher education, Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, in
his foreword to the Malaysia
Education Blueprint 2015-2025
(Higher Education), said education
has been key to Malaysias rapid
development as it has provided
citizens with the knowledge, skills
and competencies that have
propelled the nations growth and
prosperity.
However, he warned that if the
country is to achieve its goal of
becoming a developed nation by
2020, there is a need to increase
both access and quality of higher
education within Malaysia.
In line with the Governments
initiatives to make Malaysia a
regional higher education hub, the
Higher Education Ministry too has
identified pivotal focus areas to
support these efforts, such as
defining clear criteria for
institutional excellence that will
ensure the standards of tertiary
education.
Tasked to implement a basis for
quality assurance of higher
education and set the reference
point for the criteria and standards
for national qualifications, the
Malaysian Qualifications Agency
(MQA) first introduced the Rating
for Higher Education Institutions
in Malaysia (SETARA) in 2007.

Measurement criteria
Since SETARAs launch, three
subsequent ratings have been
released the most recent and
currently used rating was
published in 2013.
This rating exercise, which is
targeted at students, parents,
teachers and academic society,
measures the quality of teaching
and learning at the undergraduate
level in participating universities
and university colleges around the
country.
SETARA rates each institution
based on three generic domains:
l Input Addressing faculty
and student talent, physical
and financial resources and
governance
l Process Focusing on aspects
related to the quality of curriculum
l Output Measuring graduate
satisfaction and the quality of
graduates based on information,
such as marketability, graduate
attributes and employers feedback
These institutions are then
classified into six different tiers
Tier 1: Weak, Tier 2: Satisfactory,
Tier 3: Good, Tier 4: Very Good,
Tier 5: Excellent and Tier 6:
Outstanding.

Current ratings
Out of the 53 higher learning
institutions that participated in
SETARA13, 42 institutions were
awarded a Tier 5 rating while the
remaining institutions received a
Tier 4 rating.
This marked an improvement
from SETARA11 as seven
institutions were reclassified from
Tier 4 to Tier 5 and the only
university previously rated Tier 3
was reclassified to Tier 4.
Prof Dr Mohd Zamri Yusoff,
deputy vice-chancellor of student

University has a Tier 6:

Outstanding status for its
hospitality and tourism courses.

Significance for all

stakeholders

The Rating for Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia (SETARA) measures the quality of teaching and learning at the
undergraduate level in participating universities and university colleges around the country.

Setting national
education standards

affairs, alumni and management

at Universiti Tenaga Nasional,
believes SETARA offers the
opportunity for every university to
gauge its respective education
standards and therefore build on
their current ratings.
Although all institutions received
either a Very Good or Excellent
rating, the absence of Outstandingrated institutions signals the need
for all Malaysian universities to
identify their weak areas and
enhance their teaching methods,
processes, management, academic
programme, curriculum content,
and teaching and learning
experience.

Special course
recognition
In addition to SETARA, the
Discipline-Based Rating System
(D-SETARA) was developed to rate
the quality level of teaching and
learning of specific clusters of
disciplines at the undergraduate
level.
Focusing on the four discipline
clusters of engineering, health
sciences, hospitality and tourism,
and medicine, dentistry and
pharmacy, the D-SETARA rating
was awarded based on team
meetings, stakeholders
consultation, data collection and
verification, analysis and report
writing between MQA and the
participating institutions.
The current D-SETARA ratings

include 25 institutions participating

in the discipline of engineering,
15 in medicine, dentistry
and pharmacy, 14 in health
sciences and seven in hospitality

and tourism.
Each of these institutions was
awarded a Tier 3: Good rating or
higher for their respective courses.
Only one institution Taylors

Speaking on the importance of

raising the quality and standards
of local education, MQA chief
executive officer Datuk Prof Dr
Rujhan Mustafa said, With
increasing costs and global access
and competitiveness, students,
parents, employers and funders
demand to be assured of quality
outcomes of higher education.
Indeed the demand has gone
beyond fulfilling threshold
minimum requirements and to
exceed them. It is critical for
institutions to make quality and
standards institutionalised and
routinised components of their
provision.
According to the Malaysia
Education Blueprint 2015-2025
(Higher Education), between 1990
and 2010, the enrolment in higher
learning institutions in Malaysia
rose significantly with intakes for
bachelors and postgraduate
degrees multiplying sixfold and
tenfold respectively.
Behind only to Singapore and
Thailand, the high number of
enrolments also places Malaysia as
one of the main centres for
postgraduate tertiary education in
South-East Asia.
Thanks to the implementation of
the SETARA rating, prospective
students, both local and
international, who are looking to
further their studies are now able
to compare the quality of various
universities on an unbiased and
equal platform thus not only
cementing Malaysias place as a
leading education destination but
also driving the possibility of
creating a new generation of
knowledgeable and skilled
professionals who will lead
Malaysia to become a developed
country by 2020.

Quality reference point

FOLLOWING the implementation
of the Malaysian Qualifications
Act 2007, the Malaysian
Qualifications Agency (MQA) was
established through a merger
between the National
Accreditation Board (previously
known by its Bahasa Malaysia
acronym LAN) and the Quality
Assurance Division of the Higher
Education Ministry.
According to MQA chief
executive officer Datuk Prof
Dr Rujhan Mustafa, the agency
succeeds LAN and represents the
next phase in the evolution of
quality assurance of Malaysian
higher education, in tandem with
domestic and international
developments.
He explained that the MQAs
core business and dreams of
pushing the boundaries of quality
enhancement and to make
Malaysias higher education
comparable with the best in the
world remains the same as LAN
but its functions have expanded.

Launched in 2007 by then

Higher Education Minister Datuk
Mustapa Mohamed, the functions
of the agency include:
l Implementing the Malaysian
Qualifications Framework (MQF)
as a reference point for
Malaysian qualifications the
MQF is an instrument that
develops and classifies
qualifications based on a set of
criteria that are approved
nationally and benchmarked
against international best
practices
l Developing standards and
credits as well as relevant
instruments to be used as
national references for the
conferment of awards with the
cooperation of stakeholders
l Assuring quality in higher
education institutions and
programmes
l Accrediting courses that
fulfil the set criteria and
standards
l Facilitating the recognition

and articulation of qualifications

l Maintaining the Malaysian
Qualifications Register a
national register containing
programmes, qualifications and
higher education providers
accredited under the Act

International
recognition
The MQA is recognised by the
IREG Observatory on Academic
Ranking and Excellence, which is
an international institutional
non-profit association of ranking
organisations, universities and
other bodies interested in
university rankings and
academic excellence.
MQAs SETARA Rating System
for Malaysian Higher Education
Institutions is listed in the IREG
Inventory of National Rankings
a list that identifies and maps
national rankings of higher
education institutions across
the world.

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

SETARA 3

IMU exposes students to relevant clinical experience and industrial

placements to help them become competent healthcare professionals.

Unique
international
curriculum
INTERNATIONAL Medical
University (IMU) is Malaysias
first and most established
private medical and health
sciences university with more
than 24 years of dedicated focus
in healthcare education.
The university specialises in
medicine, health sciences and
complementary medicine
programmes, devoting all
its resources to excellence
in this area of education.
Studying at IMU means
students are acquiring
knowledge at a Tier 5 university
based on the SETARA ratings of
Malaysian universities and
university colleges awarded by
the Malaysian Qualifications
Agency (MQA).
IMU has also received
international recognition from
various organisations. In August
2013, the universitys School of
Medicine was conferred the
Association for Medical
Education (AMEE) ASPIRE to
Excellence Award in the area of
Student Engagement.
In April 2013, the IMU Cares
programme, through which the
university adopted the village of
Kampung Tekir, won the first
place MacJannet Prize for Global
Citizenship.
The university pioneered the
partner university model and
has established a strong global
network with more than 30
partner institutions of higher
learning to enable credit transfer
into their programmes.
These partnerships are an
indication of IMUs unique
curriculum that is designed to
high international standards and
accepted by partners.
At IMU, students receive early
exposure to research projects
throughout their degree
programme.
Over the years, IMU has
established partnerships with
leading hospitals in the country
to allow its staff and students to
get continuous and extensive
real-life clinical experience.
It also operates its own private
IMU Healthcare clinics to ensure
close integration of real practice
with education.
IMU students are taught by
lecturers who are highly
qualified in their fields of
expertise, with extensive

experience not only in academia

(teaching, research and
publications) but also clinical/
professional practice.
Relevant clinical exposure
and/or industrial placements
are important as preparation
to become knowledgeable,
competent and caring healthcare
professionals.
For this reason, IMU students
are exposed to these during their
studies and meet a diverse
population of students and
practitioners.
Students are also actively
involved in the community
where they can translate the
knowledge gained in classrooms
into health education for the
public, enhance communication
skills and strengthen
professional and technical skills
in real-world environments.
This helps to create graduates
who are committed to lifelong
learning and imbued with a
sense of good citizenship,
leadership and ethical
behaviour.

About IMU
Established in 1992, IMU
pioneered the worlds first
partner medical school
programme and has since
gained international recognition
with more than 30 world-class
university partners.
IMUs main campus is located
at Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur,
with branch clinical schools
located in Seremban, Kuala
Pilah, Batu Pahat and Kluang.
The university had a major
breakthrough in 2010 with the
start of its IMU Healthcare
centres, which allow IMUs staff
and students to receive and treat
patients.
Committed to its brand
promise Delivering the Future of
Better Healthcare, in 2010, IMU
became a fully integrated
healthcare institution offering
education, healthcare services in
medical and complementary
alternative medicine as well as
research to serve and improve
the quality of lives.

n For more information,
visit www.imu.edu.my or e-mail
start@imu.edu.my or call
03-2731 7272.

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

4 SETARA

ESTABLISHED in 1998, Monash University

Malaysia is one of Malaysias most respected
universities. The global footprint for Monash
University in the Asian region, it is the
Malaysian constituent of a premier researchintensive Australian university ranked
among the top 100 universities in the world
by Times Higher Education World University
Rankings 2015-2016 and a member of
Australias prestigious Group of Eight.
As an independent, self-accrediting
institution of higher education, the
university attracts students not just from
Malaysia, but from all over the world.
Approximately 6,000 students
representing almost 70 nationalities are
currently enrolled at Monash Malaysia and
enjoy a quality academic experience.
Here are 10 reasons Monash University
Malaysia should be your choice tertiary
education destination.
The institution provides internationally
recognised quality Australian Education.
Monash University Malaysia degrees are also
recognised by the Malaysian Ministry of

University with pull factor

Education and the Malaysian Qualifications
Agency. They are quality assured by Monash
University Australia and the Australian
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards
Agency (TEQSA).
Students have opportunities to transfer
to Monash University Australia or
receive a Monash University Australia
degree after completing a programme at
Monash University Malaysia.
There is access to high-quality researchactive academic staff with strong
industry connections and state-of-the-art
teaching and research facilities.
Monash University Malaysia provides
value-for-money programmes.
Its tuition and living expenses are
significantly less than studying and living
in Australia, the United States or the United
Kingdom.

The combination of a vibrant campus life and top-quality programmes makes Monash University
Malaysia an excellent higher education option.

Students undergo simplified admissions,

payment and visa procedures and there
are scholarships available for academically
meritorious students.
There are safe, secure and inexpensive
on-campus accommodations available
and a range of extracurricular, sporting and
recreational opportunities.
A multicultural student population
provides support and cultural networks
in a dynamic, cosmopolitan, moderate
environment.
It is in proximity to countries in the
Indian sub-continent and Asian regions.

9
10

Students have excellent employment

and career prospects upon completion
of their studies.
Students gain lifelong worldwide
connections through a global alumni
network.
Monash University Malaysia is hosting
its Open Day on March 19 from 11am
to 4pm. Come and discover more about
the universitys programmes, facilities
and staff.

n For more information, visit

www.monash.edu.my.

UTAR SCOR
students
with their
lecturers at
a Statistical
Analysis
System
workshop.

Growing prospect
for graduates
UNIVERSITI Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR),
one of the premier private universities in
Malaysia, is committed to providing quality
and affordable education. Since May 2010,
UTAR has been offering the Bachelor of
Science (Hons) Statistical Computing and
Operations Research (SCOR) at its Faculty of
Science (FSc) at the UTAR Kampar campus.
The three-year SCOR course provides
instruction on theoretical aspects and
practical hands-on experience to students,
enabling them to apply statistical methods
and operations research techniques
acquired in areas such as services, science,
management and government agencies.
SCOR graduates are also trained in
managerial and computing skills to
effectively optimise the usage of
organisational resources in the service and
manufacturing industries.
Our SCOR graduates are equipped with
the fundamental application knowledge of
statistical and operations research
techniques, which allows them to support
quantitative analysis, modelling and solving
in scientific and business-related problems,
says UTAR FSc Department of Physical and
Mathematical Science head Dr Lam Weng
Hoe.
As a student of BSc (Hons) SCOR, I was
able to learn a wide range of subjects and
gained a broad understanding of statistical
computing and mathematics. It also teaches
students high-level skills and knowledge to
develop abilities that will be vastly valuable
in whatever career path students take, says
Ooi Chin Ting, graduate of UTARs SCOR
course, who is working as a production
control executive in Continental Automotive
Components Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

Dr Lam adds, The career prospects

offered are broad and flexible. SCOR
graduates can find themselves working as
statisticians, quality control officers,
business analysts, production supervisors,
operations research analysts, researchers,
business consultants and market surveyors.
Students have to undergo industrial
training and take complete a research
project to apply what they have learned.
The FSc at UTAR offers other
undergraduate and postgraduate courses
that give students a good grasp of theories
and concepts in their respective fields.
Established in 2002 with just 411 students,
UTAR today offers more than 110 courses to
more than 26,000 students in its nine
faculties, three institutes and three centres
located in the Sungai Long campus and
Kampar campus.
In conjunction with the May student
intake, UTAR is inviting school-leavers, their
friends and families to UTAR Open Day for
programmes enquiry and to participate in
the open day activities.
The Open Day will be held on March 6, 19
and 20 from 9am to 5pm at UTAR Sungai
Long in Bandar Sungai Long and UTAR
Kampar in Perak.
UTAR is also extending its counselling
hours at the Sungai Long and Kampar
campuses daily from March 12 to June 12
from 9am to 5pm (excluding public
holidays).

n For more information, call 03-9086 0288

or 016-2233 559 (Sungai Long campus),
05-468 8888 or 016-2233 557 (Kampar
campus), e-mail enquiry@utar.edu.my or
visit www.utar.edu.my/openday/.

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

6 SETARA

Taylors University has achieved high rankings in various rating exercises, including the Tier 5 (Excellent) SETARA rating.

Truly world class

THE quality of undergraduate
teaching and learning at Taylors
University has been acknowledged
time and again when it garnered a
Tier 5: Excellent rating in the Rating
System for Malaysian Higher
Education (SETARA) in 2009, 2011
and, most recently, 2013, by the
Higher Education Ministry.
The SETARA audit is conducted
every two years and measures the
overall undergraduate teaching and
learning quality of the institution at
university level in three generic
dimensions input (governance,
resources and talents), process
(curriculum, quality delivery,
assessment, monitoring and
ancillary activities) and output
(graduate marketability, graduate
satisfaction and employers
satisfaction).
Under this certification,
Malaysias universities and
university colleges are classified
into six tiers Tier 6 (Outstanding),
Tier 5 (Excellent), Tier 4 (Very Good),
Tier 3 (Good), Tier 2 (Satisfactory)
and Tier 1 (Poor). None have
attained the highest rating of Tier 6
in all three exercises.
In 2013, Taylors University made
history by obtaining the highly
coveted Tier 6: Outstanding rating in
the Higher Education Ministrys
Discipline-Based Rating System
(D-SETARA) 2012.
Taylors University is the first
and only university to achieve
Tier 6, the highest rating in this
inaugural rating exercise conducted
by the Malaysian Qualifications
Agency.
D-SETARA is a rating system
that evaluates four specific
disciplines hospitality and tourism,
engineering, health sciences, and
medicine, dentistry and pharmacy
for the undergraduate level in local
institutes of higher learning.

The Tier 6 rating was awarded to

Taylors Universitys School of
Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary
Arts in recognition of the schools
international reputation for
superior quality as well as teaching
and learning excellence.
A testament of its outstanding
achievement in the international
arena, Taylors University also
received international recognition
by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) in
2015.
Taylors was awarded five stars
in four categories of the QS Stars
Rating: Employability, Facilities,
Internationalisation and
Inclusiveness. The QS Stars rating
measures achievements of
universities worldwide.
In addition to being ranked in the
Top 250 in Asia in the QS Asia
University Ranking in June last year,
QS Stars rating is another important
milestone for Taylors University as
it measures the universitys
achievement against other top
universities worldwide.
This achievement is a testament
to its global reputation among
academic partners and employers,
its world-class facilities,
achievement in internationalisation
and proven track record in making
quality education affordable.
Taylors University is the only
non-government linked private
university in Malaysia to make it to
the Top 250 in the QS Asia
University Ranking 2015 and to
receive the most number of five-star
awards in QS Star Rating 2015.
QS Stars is a rating system that
allows students to get a wider
picture of an institutions qualities,
looking at everything from the
employability of graduates to
facilities and community
engagement.
It is designed to reflect the

nuanced mission of universities

and the needs of students who may
be interested in things other than
those to which traditional rankings
are necessarily limited.
As a progressive and modern
university, Taylors strength lies in
academic excellence standard as a
result of its world-class teaching and
learning pedagogies, which are
benchmarked against world
standards and strong industry
linkages for curriculum
development.
As Taylors University moves
to the next chapter, these
accomplishments provide the
university with a stronger
foundation to as it continues to
attract the best talents, collaborate
with the best partners globally and
produce the best graduates who will
take their place as leaders in the
global community.
Taylors University offers a
myriad of courses at the foundation,
diploma, degree, postgraduate and
professional levels.
The universitys 13 schools
include business, medicine,
pharmacy, hospitality, engineering,
architecture, computing and law.
In 2014, Taylors University
became the first university in SouthEast Asia to launch a 2nd Transcript
or the Shine Award Programme.
The Taylors 2nd Transcript
complements and supplements
the Academic Transcript in
providing expanded opportunities
for students to develop intellectual,
life skills and emotional/social
development.
It provides formal recognition
for and rewards students
extracurricular achievement both
on and off campus.

n For more information, visit

university.taylors.edu.my.

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

SETARA 7

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh (second from left) presenting the MyRA
certificate to Prof Graham Kendall.

Five-star
research rating
THE Government has awarded The
University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
(UNMC) a five-star rating for the quality of
its research and innovation, making it the
highest rated international university in
Malaysia.
The Malaysia Research Assessment
(MyRA) measures the quality of research,
development, commercialisation and
innovation conducted by Malaysian
universities.
The five-star rating was announced at a
ceremony officiated by Higher Education
Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh on Nov 30
last year.
Prof Christine Ennew, chief executive
officer and provost of UNMC, says, This is a
magnificent achievement and recognition
that we are delivering high-quality research
and achieving benchmarks equivalent to
those of the countrys leading universities.

Priority on discovery
With 280 academic staff, UNMCs worldclass research portfolio centres on
environmental sustainability, Islamic
business and finance, sustainable palm oil
and the Asia Aerospace City Research and
Technology Centre.
This is further supported by research
groups that explore areas such as drug
delivery, green technologies, nanotechnology,
climate and pollution, intelligent systems,
advanced materials and geomechanics.
UNMCs current research portfolio stands at
more than RM33mil.
UNMC also undertakes research for the
business community, utilising MyResearch
Sdn Bhd, which is a tax-efficient vehicle so
that companies can recover RM2 for every
ringgit invested.
Last year, UNMC set up its first spin-out
company Nottingham Green Technologies
Sdn Bhd, which has a focus on cleaning up
effluent from palm oil mills.
Prof Graham Kendall, vice provost for
research and knowledge transfer, says, This
is a fantastic outcome for UNMC and is a

testament to all the hard work put in by the

staff at the university.
I am extremely proud to represent the
team of high-quality academics and
professional services staff that have
achieved this in the short time that we have
had a presence in Malaysia.

More than 15 years

UNMC was Britains first fully fledged
international campus. One of the worlds
truly global universities with campuses in
Malaysia, the UK and China, this year marks
the 16th year since setting up as UKs first
full-fledged international campus in
Malaysia.
UNMC epitomises the universitys
commitment to provide an international
education experience while inspiring
students and staff to improve the academic
and professional communities they belong
to worldwide.
Spanning 125 acres (50.6ha), the campus
in Semenyih is now home to 4,800 students,
including international students from 70
countries.
All three campuses continue to enrich the
lives of students across the world through
global education, ground-breaking research
and community engagement.

Recognised for quality

The University of Nottingham has 43,000
students. It is one of the most popular
universities in the UK among employers, in
the top 10 for student experience according
to the Times Higher Education and winner
of Research Project of the Year at the Times
Higher Education Awards 2014.
It is ranked in the worlds top 1% of
universities by the QS World University
Rankings and eight in the UK for research
quality, according to Research Excellence
Framework 2014.

n For more information, visit

www.nottingham.edu.my.

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

8 SETARA

Proven
track
record

At SEGi University, students have the option of graduating with parchments from either SEGi University or one of its
partner universities in the United Kingdom, the United States or Australia, or even with both SEGi University and overseas
partner universities parchments.

FEW local private colleges and

universities can match SEGi
University and Colleges proven
track record.
Since its founding as
Systematic College, SEGi has
been offering top-notch
programmes that adequately
prepare students for successful
careers.
After nearly four decades,
SEGi now offers a wide range
of programmes from preuniversity to postgraduate level
to suit every young learners
need, including medicine,
business, the creative arts and
early childhood education.
SEGi has five campuses across
the Klang Valley, Penang and
Sarawak, making it one of the
most accessible higher
education institutions in the
country.
While there are many other
private higher education
institutions in Malaysia, SEGi
still remains one of the most
sought-after options for
secondary school-leavers who
come to SEGi knowing of its
legacy in producing successful
individuals.
With internships and job
placement opportunities for
students with well-known
employees, plus a special
programme for high-achieving
final year students called the
SEGi Talent Enhancement
Programme (STEP), there are
boundless opportunities for
SEGi students to achieve
greatness.
With 27,000 students, SEGi
is also one of the largest
institutions of higher learning,
largely due to the vast number
of programmes offered with
options for students to graduate
with parchments from SEGi
University or in one of its
partner universities in the

United Kingdom, the United

States or Australia, or even from
both SEGi University and its
overseas partner universities.
It is no wonder, then, that
SEGi has garnered a string of
accolades. Last year, it gained
the Silver trophy in the
Education & Learning category
at The Putra Brand Awards
2015, the Gold trophy at The
Readers Digest Trusted Brand
Award 2015 in the Private
Universities/Colleges category
and was voted among the top 5
for GTI Malaysias Courses Now
Students Choice Awards.
Recently, SEGi won six stars
(Excellent) at the Malaysian
Quality Evaluation System for
Private Colleges (MyQUEST)
2014/2015. SEGi was also
bestowed Tier 5: Excellent in
SETARA 2013/2014.
SEGi remains steadfast in its
quest to bring out the best in its
students and equip future
generations of leaders.
Discover SEGi programmes
at the Malaysia International
Retail, Franchise and Licensing
Fair (MIRF) Education Fair at
the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre
that ends today (March 6) or the
Facon Education Fair at the
Kuala Lumpur Convention
Centre (KLCC) from March 12 to
13, or the Education and
Further Studies Fair at the Mid
Valley Exhibition Centre on
March 12, 13, 19 and 20.

n For more information, call

SEGi University at 03-6145 1777
or 1800 887 344, SEGi College
Subang Jaya at 03-8600 1888 or
1800 888 622, SEGi College Kuala
Lumpur at 03-2070 2078 or
1800 888 028, SEGi College
Penang at 04-263 3888,
SEGi College Sarawak at 082-252
566 or e-mail askme@segi.edu.
my or visit www.segi.edu.my.

SEGi is one of the most accessible higher education institutions in the

country with campuses across the Klang Valley, Penang and Sarawak.

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

10 SETARA

The right fit

INFRASTRUCTURE University Kuala
Lumpur (IUKL) is known for its
quality, recognised and affordable
academic qualifications.
Rated as an Excellent (Tier 5) fullfledged university in the latest
Malaysian Qualifications Agency
(MQA) Rating System SETARA13,
IUKL is the first infrastructure
university in Malaysia that
emphasises the integration of both
hard and soft aspects of
infrastructure, aspiring to produce
technopreneurs and skilled
manpower with outstanding
communication, technological and
managerial skills.
For more than 18 years, IUKL has
provided education in various fields

of study. These include engineering,

architecture, construction
management, quantity surveying,
business, accounting, information
technology and biotechnology.
IUKLs programmes are recognised
and accredited by professional
bodies locally and abroad. The
programmes are approved by the
Education Ministry and MQA.
Two of the universitys degree
programmes, the Bachelor of Civil
Engineering (Hons) and the Bachelor
of Electronics Engineering (Hons),
are recognised by the Board of
Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and the
Washington Accord, an international
agreement among bodies
responsible for accrediting

engineering degree programmes.

IUKL also has received recognition
from various local and international
professional bodies Board of
Architects Malaysia (LAM), Land
Surveyors Board (LJT), Royal
Institution of Surveyors Malaysia
(RISM), Cisco, International
Organisation for Standardisation
(ISO), and the Association of
Chartered Certified Accountants
(ACCA), among others.
Access to international education
is also provided through the
cooperation between IUKL and
several international universities
in the United Kingdom, United
States, Australia, New Zealand,
Ireland, China, the Netherlands

IUKLs programmes are recognised and accredited by professional

bodies locally and abroad.

and Germany.
IUKL believes that quality
education should be made
available to everyone and hence
makes higher education more
affordable through its various
scholarships and tuition fee
waivers.
Those active in sports can
apply for the IUKL Sport
Excellence Scholarship. IUKL
also collaborates with major
print media such as the Star
Education Fund and Sin Chew
Education Fund to provide
deserving students the
opportunity to pursue their
higher education.
IUKL also offers a tuition fee
waiver of up to 60% to all its
students who maintain a

minimum CGPA of 3.50 and

above.
No application is required for
this fee waiver scheme as it will
be automatically granted to high
achievers. PTPTN and financial
assistance from the State
Foundation are also available.
IUKL is hosting its Info Day on
March 12 and 13 from 10am to
4pm at its 100-acre campus.
The March intake is in
progress and you can start a
programme at IUKL with only
RM100 and enjoy RM1,000 for
on-the-spot registration during
the Info Day.

n For more information, call

1800 88 STUDY (78839) or visit
www.IUKL.edu.my.

Committed
to excel
THE Rating System for
Malaysian Institutions of Higher
Education or SETARA is a
rating exercise that measures
Malaysian universities and
university colleges for their
quality of teaching and learning
at level six (undergraduate level)
of the Malaysian Qualifications
Framework.
The SETARA rating is among
the measures taken by the
Malaysian Education Ministry to
cultivate a culture of continuous
quality enhancement in an
effort to complement the process
of quality assurance undertaken
by the Malaysian Qualifications
Agency.
The SETARA rating system
was introduced in 2007 with a
focus on six distinct domains
and 89 measuring indicators.
In 2009, the system used 25
criteria represented by 82
indicators, while in 2011 it used
26 criteria represented by 62
indicators.
The evaluation criteria
used in SETARA are centred on
questions that address the
crucial components of an
institution of higher learning,
namely, its governing body,
academic governance,
management and staff, strategic
planning, academic autonomy,
clearly defined lines of
responsibility and decisionmaking, student representation
and organisational climate.

Towards greater
performance
According to the vicechancellor of Universiti Utara
Malaysia (UUM), Prof Datuk
Seri Dr Mohamed Mustafa
Ishak (pic), UUM has shown
overall consistent improvement
in its performance in the

SETARA rating.
The Tier 2 rating attained in
2007 was bettered in 2009 with
the Tier 4 rating, which
subsequently rose to Tier 5
rating in 2011 and 2013, he
points out.
He adds that the positive rise
in UUMs performance in the
SETARA ratings shows that UUM
is deeply committed to
enhancing the quality of
teaching and learning at the
university.
This, he says, will indirectly
aid in driving the transformation
of the university and the nation.
The university is highly
confident that teaching and
learning processes of the first
order can produce competitive
graduates of calibre to meet the
needs of the increasingly
challenging job market of today,
he adds.
There is no doubt that UUM
emphasises quality education
and this is evident in the efforts
it takes to ensure the world-class
quality of its teaching and
learning.

n For more information,

visit www.uum.edu.my or
call 04-928 4000.

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

SETARA 11

Learning through hands-on methods enables APU students opportunities to improve their skills
and knowledge in preparation for successful careers.

Succeed on
global stage
THE Asia Pacific University of Technology &
Innovation (APU) is among Malaysias
premier private universities that delivers a
unique fusion of technology, innovation and
creativity in its education that prepares
graduates for significant roles in business
and society globally.
APU has earned an enviable reputation as
an award-winning university through its
achievements in winning a host of
prestigious awards at national and
international levels.
APUs sound approach to nurturing
school-leavers into qualified professionals
has resulted in its graduates being highly
sought after by employers.
With an international student community
that comprises people from more than 100
countries studying in its Malaysian campus,
APU offers a truly cosmopolitan learning
environment that prepares students for
global challenges.
APU continues to develop and deliver its
academic programmes through unique and
well-established international partnerships,
particularly with Staffordshire University
UK but also with other partners throughout
the world.
This formidable combination of
Malaysian homegrown programmes
fortified with international benchmarking
provides students with the assurance that
the qualifications gained from APU meet
international quality standards.
APU was announced as among the
highest-rated universities in Malaysia, being
rated at Tier 5 (Excellent) under SETARA
2011 and SETARA 2013 ratings by the
Education Ministry and Malaysian
Qualifications Agency (MQA).
APU (via the Asia Pacific Institute of
Information Technology (APIIT)) is
Malaysias first Institution to achieve
Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Company
Status.
Through its network with the APIIT
Education Group branch campuses
established in Sri Lanka and India, APU has
reached out to young aspiring professionals
in these countries, providing them with a
unique opportunity of experiencing
international best practises in higher
education using curricula, processes,
resources and systems developed in
Malaysia.
APUs academic programmes are
approved by Malaysias Higher Education
Ministry and the qualifications are

accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications

Agency (MQA).
More than 11,000 students study in its
campus in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur,
inclusive of more than 6,000 international
students from 110 countries.
Through a network of branch campuses
established in Sri Lanka and India, APU also
reaches out to young aspiring professionals
in these countries.
The APIIT Education Group is a key
contributor to Malaysias aim of becoming
an international hub of excellence for
education and has set a benchmark as a
successful model of internationalisation.
APU offers programmes centred on the
application of technologies as it believes
that knowledge and skills in technology will
be a vital requirement for all careers in the
future.
APU is also a pioneer in the delivery of a
masters degree in data science and
business analytics as well as Islamic
banking and finance programmes at both
undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Programmes offered by APU are
benchmarked against international quality
standards for quality, relevancy and
currency. Its programmes are approved by
the Ministry of Higher Education and MQA.
They are also quality assured by
international partner universities, including
Staffordshire University, UK, which is a
public university and a member of the
Association of Commonwealth Universities.
Its programmes are developed not only to
provide interesting stimulating modules to
develop young minds, but also to enhance
their knowledge and skills, increasing their
chances to compete for their dream jobs.
Exposure to the real world enables
graduates to apply knowledge and skills
immediately upon employment. Hence,
in the course of their study, students
undertake projects that mirror actual
projects carried out in industry.
APU applies constant structured use of
technology as a learning and management
tool through its webspace portal, online
courseware community and online
feedback systems that facilitate
communications and collaborations as well
as 24/7 access to course materials,
assessments and projects and other
information.

n For more information, visit

www.apu.edu.my.

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

12 SETARA

Your university
of choice
Sunway Universitys programmes are accredited by local and international bodies and the university
partners top international universities.

WHEN choosing a university, one has to

choose wisely and take into account the
quality of the programmes offered and the
reputation of the institution.
Owned and governed by Malaysias
largest education-focused social enterprise
the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF), Sunway
University together with 12 other
institutions under the Sunway Education
Group is committed to nurturing and
transforming lives through education.
This is in line with the philosophy of
founder and chairman Tan Sri Jeffrey
Cheahs belief that education leads to better
future and lives.
As a stalwart supporter of the nations
education aims, the Sunway Education
Group through the JCF aims to ensure
sustainable quality education for present
and future generations of students, says
Prof Graeme Wilkinson, vice-chancellor of
Sunway University.
Sunway University works closely in
partnership with world-class partners
Lancaster University and Le Cordon Bleu
International, offering premier education
with international recognition.
In its partnership with Lancaster
University, Sunway Universitys homegrown
degrees in the areas of business, psychology,
communications, computing and
information systems as well as life sciences
are validated by Lancaster University.
Through its partnership with Le Cordon
Bleu, Sunway Universitys international
hospitality management and culinary
management degrees are accredited by Le
Cordon Bleu, the famed global institution
for culinary education.
Sunway University also offers courses in
nursing, the creative arts, as well as the
American Degree Transfer Program.
In our efforts to uphold the delivery of
quality education, the university is also
importing talents and academic staff with
the best knowledge in its partnership with
Lancaster University, which is currently
ranked ninth in the United Kingdom, says
Prof Wilkinson.
In moving forward to becoming the
countrys international education hub,
Sunway University is collaborating on all
fronts with world experts on campus.
Besides partnering with Lancaster
University and Le Cordon Bleu, the
university also partners with University
of Oxford, University of Cambridge and
Harvard University, he says.
Last year, a declaration was signed by
Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah with the University
of Oxford, stating academic and cultural
project collaborations between JCF and
University of Oxford.
In the same year, a historic agreement
was signed in Cambridge leading to the
appointment of two Jeffrey Cheah
Professorial Fellows in Gonville & Caius
College, University of Cambridge.
Meanwhile, establishing the Jeffrey
Cheah Professorship and the Jeffrey Cheah
Visiting Professorship as well as the Jeffrey
Cheah Fellowship and the Jeffrey Cheah
Travel Grants at Harvard University
ensures a flow of professors, postgraduate
students, researchers and scholars who are
anticipated to help develop and upgrade
academic standards of teaching and
research at Sunway University.
Sunway University is constantly updating
its curriculum and developing new
programmes to suit the changing market

Prof Graeme Wilkinson.

and industry demands in its move to ensure

employability for students when they
graduate. New programmes offered include
bachelors degrees in financial analysis,
financial economics, marketing and
information technology (computer
networking and security).
This year, the universitys actuarial
studies programme received full
accreditation from the Finance
Accreditation Agency (FAA).
This is the first bachelors degree
programme to be accredited by FAA in the
discipline of actuarial studies and the first
in Malaysia.
Sunway University has received various
global recognitions. The QS World
university ranking and rating organisation,
regarded as one of the most authoritative of
its kind across the world, has awarded
Sunway University an overall rating of four
stars out of a maximum of five stars in its
2015/2016 QS Stars results.
This rating by a globally recognised
organisation places Sunway University on
par with long-established international
institutions.
Receiving individual five-star ratings in
the teaching, employability and facilities
categories, Sunway University has proven
that it provides quality education at the
same high standards as some of the best
universities in the world.
In the international Student Barometer
Survey Entry Wave 2014 undertaken by
i-graduate, the Sunway Education Group,
including Sunway University, achieved
high student satisfaction for graduate
employment.
It was ranked No.1 in Asia for
employability out of 15 Asian institutions.
In another survey conducted last year,
Sunway University was the highest out of 21
Asian institutions in Asia for learning and
employability.
Out of 10 institutions in Malaysia,
Sunway ranked no.1 for sports facilities.
The university is ranked Tier 5 (Excellent)
by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency
(MQA) SETARA Rating System in 2009,
2011 and 2013.
The rankings achieved by the university
further affirm the high-quality of
Sunway Universitys education delivery,
environment conducive to learning and
overall learning experience for students.

n For more information, visit

sunway-edu.my/university.

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

SETARA 13

Binary Universitys green campus provides students a fresh and inspiring environment to
study in.

32 years of
distinction
WHEN we started in 1984 as a pioneer
specialist college offering British
qualification in business and information
technology, we never imagined that one day
we would be rated as a five-star university
and that students from all over the world
would be pursuing our home-grown PhDs,
masters and bachelors degrees.
As an institution that never sits on its
laurels, we embarked on a research and
publication journey immediately after our
upgrade to university status.
We set up four dedicated research centres
Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Asia
Centre for Entrepreneurship, Centre for
Advancement of Management and Centre of
Women Leadership to enhance our
research profile.
Binarys ISP (Industry-Specialist
Professional) and EYE (Empowering Youth
Entrepreneurs) programmes gained global
recognition with numerous countries forging
partnerships with us to enhance their
graduate employability and create
homegrown entrepreneurs.
Binary University offers programmes
from foundation to PhD levels in accounting,
business, computing, entrepreneurship,
finance, information technology (IT) and
marketing.
Binary Universitys green city campus is
surrounded by numerous facilities that
include the IOI Shopping Mall, Tesco, Giant,
banks, hospitals and clinics as well as a wide
range of Malay, Chinese, Indian and western
eateries and an LRT station at its doorstep,
which is accessible to residents from Putra
Heights, Kinrara, Sri Petaling and Ampang.
Binary University is set to cater to schoolleavers who wish to embark on their higher
education journey. The Binary Foundation
Degree (BFD) is a pre-university programme
that provides the opportunity for school
leavers to acquire a wide range of
knowledge and skills.
Upon completion of the BFD, students can
pursue any of the degrees offered at Binary
University, which are honours degrees and
are fully accredited. Students who wish to do
part of their degrees in the UK or Australia
may use the 2+1 degree pathway that is
available at no additional cost.
Our graduates are highly employable
because we equip them with industryspecific skills and transform them to become
ISP graduates. This empowers our graduates
to walk and talk the language of the
industry.

In addition, we equip our graduates with

an extensive range of entrepreneurial skills.
The ISP and entrepreneurial skills help
differentiate our graduates, making them
not only highly employable but also
empowering them to negotiate for higher
starting salaries.
When one is skilled in entrepreneurship,
one becomes innovative, creative and
competitive.
Often, among the alumni who graduated
from the same year compare their
achievements after a few years of
employment, it is not the smartest ones who
earn the highest salaries nor occupy the
most prestigious positions. Rather, those
who have better salaries and positions are
the entrepreneurial graduates of that
particular batch.
This is why the university is focused on
producing entrepreneurial managers,
entrepreneurial IT professionals and
entrepreneurial accountants. To achieve
this, Binary University developed a
comprehensive ecosystem called the Binary
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (BEE) over the
last decade.
The youth of today show tremendous
talent which, if harnessed properly, can help
the nation to grow exponentially.
The BEE and the ISP Centre of Excellence
provide youths the opportunity to explore
new approaches to learning and acquire
skills that can maximise their potential.
Whether you pursue a business,
accounting, marketing, IT or entrepreneurial
degree at Binary University, you will
graduate with two certificates a fully
accredited honors degree and the ISPcertified qualification.
With more than 280 Faculty of Industry
Professionals (FIPs) covering 22 industries,
Binary University offers a comprehensive
industry-specific skills enriching programme
that no other university in this region does.
Popular courses at Binary University
include the BA (Hons) Accounting, BA (Hons)
Business Management, BA ( Hons)
Entrepreneurship , BA ( Hons) Marketing
and the BSc (Hons) Computer Science.
Come and discover how you can kick-start
your higher education at Binary University.
Its next intake is on April 27. By Datuk
Prof Joseph Adaikalam, founder and
chairman of Binary University

n For more information, call 03-8070 6590/96

or visit www.binary.edu.my.

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

14 SETARA

Proven excellence at OUM

ESTABLISHED in 2000, Open
University Malaysia (OUM) is
Malaysias first open and distance
learning (ODL) institution.
Adopting the motto University
for All, OUM believes in the
democratisation of education,
giving everyone the opportunity to
realise their potential.
OUM has successfully widened
access to quality education by
leveraging on technology, adopting
a flexible mode of delivery and
providing a conducive and
engaging learning experience at
competitive and affordable cost.
When OUM was rated Tier 5
(Excellent) by the MQA (Malaysian
Qualifications Agency) Rating
System for Malaysian higher
education institutions (SETARA)
2011 and the updated SETARA
2013, this substantiated the quality
practices put in place for teaching
and learning in the university.
The SETARA assessment
reviewed three major components
in the university input, process
and output.
OUM then went on to win the
Industry Excellence Award by the
Ministry of International Trade
and Industry (MITI) and the
prestigious Putra Brand Awards
the following year.

OUM has widened

access to quality
education by
adopting a flexible
mode of delivery
at affordable cost.

Kamariah Mohd Noor.

That same year, at the two-day

Asia Pacific Quality Organization
(APQO) conference, OUM received
the Best in Class Global
Performance Excellence Award.
The OUM community now
includes more than 150,000
cumulative learners, 64,500
graduates and growing, 120 faculty
members, 11,000 tutors and about
500 support staff in 36 learning

centres nationwide, says

Kamariah Mohd Noor, vice
president (operations & learner
experience) at OUM.
OUM has also partnered with 12
institutions in 10 countries to enrol
close to 10,000 learners, 3,000 of
whom have graduated.
OUM learners need not leave
jobs, families or other
commitments to learn as courses
are delivered via online learning,
self-managed learning, and
optional weekends-only tutorials
and seminars, says Kamariah.
The ODL mode is OUMs
cornerstone and paves the way for
anyone to pursue higher education
anytime and anywhere.

Enhanced learning
environment
l All centres are purpose-built

with facilities conducive for

face-to-face interactions
l Students and staff have access
to the OUM digital library, which
houses 190,000 online books and
60,000 e-journal.
l A host of learning materials is
provided in digital modules,
complete notes are provided in
PDF format, videos, e-tutorials,
and access to discussion forums
and learning kits are available as
well.
l Students experience
interactions with tutors and
coursemates face-to-face
interactions during the twice-amonth weekend classes
(attendance is optional) and OUMs
newly designed virtual learning
environment myINSPIRE, where
learners can view timetables,
download e-journals and
participate in online discussion
forums.

Flexible approach to
studies
l Not only are fees competitive
at OUM, students can choose
from scholarships, PTPTN loans,
withdrawals from EPF,
Human Resource Development
Fund (HRDF) claims and, in

particular, senior citizens and the

physically disabled can enjoy large
fee discounts.
l Monthly payment schemes
are available and you can postpone
semesters if you are financially
tight or particularly busy during a
semester.
l Entry into OUM can be based
on work experience. The
Accreditation of Prior Experiential
Learning (APEL) system
spearheaded by MQA allows work
or skill experiences to be used as
entry requirements. This means
that anyone, regardless of
academic qualifications, can
leverage on any prior learning to
enter into OUMs diploma, degree
or masters programmes.
The flexibility offered by OUM
has made it a first choice for many
adults, working or not.
The unniversity hopes to
continuously break boundaries
and produce innovative solutions
when it comes to higher education.
The May 2016 intake is now
open for registration.

n For more information,

visit www.oum.edu.my or
call 03-27732121 or
WhatsApp 012-3039934/35.

Nurturing
work-ready
graduates
AS a leading university in engineering
technology, UniKL delivers a unique
approach to learning through a curriculum
design that balances academic know-why
and practical know-how.
These distinctive characteristics not only
position UniKL to be the choice university of
todays students, it also drives it to produce
future graduates with technopreneurial
traits.
UniKLs research activities are focused on
developing new technologies and products to
support techno-entrepreneurship ventures
among researchers, graduates and industrial
partners.
UniKL partners with many local and
international universities as well as
research institutions to put research
knowledge into successful application
and commercialisation.
UniKLs integrated education curriculum
is made up of four major components:
l Technical
l Social
l Learning
l Entrepreneurship
This equips UniKL graduates with the
knowledge, skills and attitude required to
contribute towards and play major roles
in a knowledge-based economy.
UniKL offers a range of courses that
nurtures students talents and potential. As a
UniKL student, you will experience firsthand UniKLs commitment to high-quality
teaching, research and extracurricular
activities.
The 12 branch campuses located across
the country offer various foundation,

UniKL fosters technical, social, learning and

entrepreneurship skills in students to produce
graduates equipped for the workforce.

diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate

programmes specialising in engineering,
engineering technology, chemical
engineering, medical, medical science
technology, information technology,
multimedia, accounting and business.
UniKLs extensive choice of hands-on
specialisations are:
l Aviation technology
l Marine engineering technology
l Chemical and bioengineering
technology
l Industrial maintenance technology
l Automotive components and system
technology
l Quality engineering, facilities
maintenance and industrial logistic
l Product design, tool, and die and
precision manufacturing technology
l Electrical, electronics, medical
electronics and telecommunication
technology
l Information technology, multimedia
and animation
l Medical and allied health sciences
l Medical science technology
l Accounting, entrepreneurship, Islamic
finance, and marketing and international
business

n For more information, call 03-2175 4000

or visit www.unikl.edu.my.

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

RECOGNISED as a leading
university with a range of
foundation, degree and
postgraduate courses in
engineering, information
technology, business management
and related issues, and industrial
science, Universiti Tenaga Nasional
(Uniten) prepares its graduates to
not only become knowledgeable
and competent professionals, but
individuals with a well-rounded
and broad intellectual outlook.
In addition to being a recipient
of numerous local and
international accolades, the
university is proud to have
achieved a Tier 5: Excellent rating
in the 2013 Rating For Higher
Education Institutions in Malaysia
(SETARA13) a rating exercise that
measures the quality of teaching
and learning in Malaysian
universities and university
colleges.
With a vision to become a
leading global energy university
that will shape a sustainable
future, Uniten also achieved a
Tier 5 rating in the DisciplineBased Rating System (D-SETARA)
for engineering.
Since its inception, the university
has always put quality education
as its priority. Uniten has also
earned recognition through ISO
(International Organization for
Standardization) certifications for
its support and academic processes
as well as the Prime Minister
Award for Industry Excellence

SETARA 15

Committed to quality

Prof Dr Mohd Zamri Yusof believes the SETARA rating strengthens Unitens
offerings while providing a benchmark for future enhancement.

and Quality Management

Excellence Award.

National benchmark
It is important for Uniten to be
rated in SETARA13 because it

reflects the quality of academic

programmes, teaching and
learning experience and academic
processes, and quality assurance
procedures at the university, says
Prof Dr Mohd Zamri Yusoff, deputy
vice-chancellor of student affairs,

alumni and management at

Uniten.
Prof Zamri explains that the
SETARA13 rating is beneficial to
both the university and prospective
students.
In the case of a private
university, a good rating
leads to higher prestige and
eventually higher student
enrolment, he says.
It is also a useful tool for
the university to measure the
quality of its education and use
this benchmark to continually
enhance its academic curriculum
content, academic purposes,
and teaching and learning
experiences.
To attract more local and
international students, the
SETARA rating becomes a
yardstick in selecting a top
university as it is an independent
rating system with clear
measurement instruments.

International appeal
Prof Zamri also highlights that a
quality-based rating is helpful for
foreign students who sometimes
do not have much information
about Malaysian universities apart
from advertisements, which can

be biased.
At Uniten, students can rest
assured knowing every
engineering programme offered
is on par with international
engineering standards as each
course is accredited by professional
engineering bodies from the United
Kingdom.

Current undertakings
Uniten aims to achieve a
Tier 6: Outstanding rating, as
stated in the universitys 2016-2020
strategic plan.
During this phase, Uniten
plans to improve the quality of
teaching and learning and create
an exceptional student
environment through major
campus upgrading projects,
including physical infrastructure
and information technology to
further promote blended learning.
We will also build on our already
strong foundation in all processes,
concludes Prof Zamri.

n For more information,

visit www.uniten.edu.my or
call 03-8921 2020 (Putrajaya
campus) or 09-455 2020
(Bandar Muadzam Shah
campus).

SUNDAY STAR, 6 MARCH 2016

16