University - Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Open University Malaysia (OUM) is the seventh Malaysian private university and it is owned by the multimedia technology Enhancement Operations (METEOR) Sdn. Bhd, a consortium of 11 Malaysian public universities. It leverages the quality, prestige and capabilities of its consortium. The main campus is at Jalan Tun Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. In addition to this, there are 37 learning centres throughout Malaysia, out of which 10 are regional learning centres.

As the first open university in the country, OUM initially opened its doors to 753 learners in 2001. A decade later, OUM has over 100,000 students in more than 50 academic programmes. The MQA Rating System for Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia for 2011 (SETARA’11) has rated OUM as a Tier 5 (Excellent) institution.

In Malaysia, providing access to higher education is the biggest challenge faced by the government in its effort to become a fully developed country by the year 2020. One approach is to use technology as an enabler to bring education to the masses. Universities are rising to the challenge by enhancing the content of their programmes but more importantly, by leveraging the latest technologies to improve the delivery system. This approach is widely used in open and distance education as it facilitates greater access to higher education for the masses.

As a result of this new phenomenon, in August 1999, the Minister of Education invited Multimedia Technology Enhancement Operations Sdn Bhd (METEOR), a consortium of 11 public universities in the country, to set up an open and distance learning (ODL) university. The move by the Minister led to the establishment of Open University Malaysia (OUM) in August 2000, followed by its official launch on 26 August 2002 by the then Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

OUM is the seventh private university in Malaysia. Although incorporated as a private university under the Private Higher Education Institutions Act 1996, the University leverages on the quality, prestige and capabilities of its strategic partners – the 11 public universities. OUM adopts the motto “University for All” which is consistent with its philosophy in democratising education. This philosophy underlies the belief that education should be made available to all, regardless of time, place, age and social economic background. The ODL mode is specifically targeted at working adults who need to take care of their families as well as manage their careers while pursuing higher education. Under the able stewardship of the then founder and President / Vice-Chancellor, the late Tan Sri Dr. Abdullah Sanusi Ahmad, and later the second President / Vice-Chancellor, Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Anuwar Ali, OUM has positioned itself as an alternative avenue for the public to gain quality tertiary and lifelong education.

As the first provider of ODL in the country, OUM has played an important role in providing greater access to people from all walks of life to pursue the education at the highest level. In line with our motto, “University for All”, we have amongst our learner population; teachers, members of the police and armed forces, civil servants, nurses, employees of private companies and many others.

Quality and flexibility are our strengths as indicated by the increasing number of working adults and school leavers embarking on a new learning experience with OUM. With the diligence and commitment of our founding President and the pioneering spirit of our first batch of academics and management staff, OUM now stands proud to see its learner enrolment exceeding 104,362. The University has grown by leaps and bounds in comparison to its first intake of 753 learners in August 2001.

Chancellors
The vice-chancellor of OUM is Professor Dato’ Dr Mansor Fadzil. The first chancellor was the late Tun Endon Mahmood Ambak (the wife of fifth Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi) who was appointed on 16 December 2004. On 8 December 2007, Tun Jeanne Abdullah was appointed as the new chancellor of OUM; the pro-chancellor is Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim who is also the executive chairman of Arab-Malaysian Corporation Berhad.

Vision
To be the Leading Provider of Flexible Learning

Mission
To widen access to quality education and provide lifelong learning opportunities by leveraging on technology, adopting flexible mode of learning, and providing a conducive and engaging learning environment at competitive and affordable cost

Shared Values

• Integrity
• Professionalism
• Caring
• Teamwork
• Innovativeness