UTS Vice-chancellor: 4,000 student-population target by 2024 attainable

Dr Annuar hands over the scroll to a graduating student, witnessed by Khairuddin (seated, right) and others.

SIBU (March 7): University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) is eyeing to achieve a student population target of 4,000 by 2024.

In pointing this out, the vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Khairuddin Ab Hamid said such projection was attainable, in view of the support and financial incentive announced by the Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in November last year.

“With less than 100 students in 2013, today we are achieving student enrolment (number) of close to 2,000.

“With the support and financial incentive introduced by the Premier of Sarawak during the launch of UTS in November last year, we are targeting to achieve 4,000 student population by Year 2024,” he said in his speech for the second session of the university’s sixth convocation held at Kingwood Hotel here yesterday.

Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development I Dr Annuar Rapaee, also the chairman of UTS board of governors, officiated at the closing ceremony.

Adding on, Khairuddin also recalled the university having started off with only 76 staff members – at present, the number of personnel is slightly over 300, with 55 per cent of them are members of the academic staff and from this percentage, about 30 per cent are those with PhD and other professional qualifications.

This year, a total of 387 UTS students received their scrolls during the convocation.

Khairuddin continued: “I am very happy to announce that for the first time, UTS has produced two PhD graduates, both in Business Management (Faculty), in this convocation.

“Congratulations to both graduates and their respective supervisors.”

Founded in April 2013, the university was initially known as ‘University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS).

“This is a Sarawak state university, by the Sarawak Government for the people of Sarawak.

“The objective was to provide higher education opportunities to as many Sarawakians and Malaysians, especially those in the central region of Sarawak, as possible.

“At the same time, UCTS was responsible in producing skilled and professional workforce for Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) and also for future development of Sarawak its aim to become a developed state by 2030,” he elaborated.

from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3HOuYEj
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