UNIMAP DRAFTING STRATEGIC PLAN 2026-2030, AIMING FOR 37,500 TALENTS

By Nurrul Huda Ahmad Lutfi

ARAU, Nov 8 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) is drafting its Strategic Plan 2026-2030, which, among others, aims to produce 37,500 talents by 2030.

UniMAP vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Zaliman Sauli said that as a university under the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN), it currently has an enrolment of about 13,000 students.

"To achieve this, we must be prepared to change our mindset and approach. This will keep the university's efforts aligned with a shared objective, driven by academic excellence and sincerity, to support national progress,” he told Bernama recently.

He added that the plan focuses on boosting young people's interest in enrolling at the technical university, diversifying student admission pathways, and narrowing the higher education gap for all, including vulnerable groups.

Zaliman said the UniMAP Strategic Plan 2026-2030 is a continuation of the Strategic Plan 2018-2025, which encompasses five main pillars and three catalytic pillars, and is now in its third phase of implementation.

“To ensure the successful execution of activities and initiatives, all targets are assigned to relevant faculties and centres. Target achievement is monitored quarterly, and the performance of UniMAP 2025 can be tracked online through the ePIC system,” he said.

The strategic plan is also aligned with the Ministry of Higher Education’s (MOHE) direction, which emphasises five focus areas and 20 aspirations to be carried out this year to enhance the excellence of higher education.

“The five main focus areas outlined by the minister (Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir) include nurturing the nation’s top talents, strengthening the research and innovation ecosystem, implementing new approaches for knowledge transfer and sharing, internationalising higher education, and enhancing the enabling ecosystem.

“Therefore, UniMAP supports MOHE’s aspirations with a systematic and effective roadmap and actions to produce industry-ready graduates,” he said.

Zaliman said the university is also taking several strategic measures to strengthen curriculum development and delivery, particularly in the context of engineering and technology education.

He said elements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data Analysis, and Automation, have been integrated into the curriculum to ensure graduates are relevant to industry needs.

“Currently, UniMAP offers 43 undergraduate programmes as well as various postgraduate programmes at the Master's and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) levels, covering engineering, technology, business, and communication streams,” he said.

He added that the university offers study programmes designed with precision matching to meet current industry needs, equipped with industry-standard facilities such as cleanrooms used in teaching and learning, which are crucial for supporting the nation's electrical & electronics and semiconductor industries.

UniMAP also operates a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centre developed in partnership with industry, offering professional certification courses to graduates and industry workers as an added value to existing skills.

“In addition, UniMAP is actively collaborating with foreign institutions from countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and others to develop international dual and joint degree programmes. This supports MOHE’s vision for Malaysia to become an international education hub.

“Recently, UniMAP established a campus in Cyberjaya, offering academic programmes to international students, with enrolment starting in October 2024. We aim to attract 2,000 international students to this campus over the next three years,” he said.

Zaliman added that UniMAP also implements various strategic initiatives under the Research Quality, Visibility, and Social Engagement (RiSE) framework, encompassing the entire ecosystem of research, innovation, commercialisation, and the transfer of technology and knowledge to industry and community this year.

“Collaborative research with industry leads to the commercialisation of research outcomes and innovations by the industry. So far this year, UniMAP has received more than RM20 million in grant funding.

“High-impact publications remain a key target for UniMAP researchers to enhance publication impact, thereby boosting the university’s visibility and credibility. To date, over 1,000 high-impact publications have been produced this year,” he said.

Furthermore, he mentioned that UniMAP is intensifying its efforts to generate its own revenue through cash wakaf and alumni contributions, as well as income generation from academic programmes for international students at the new Cyberjaya campus.

“The government has set a requirement for UniMAP to generate at least 20 per cent of internal resources to cover annual operating expenses. Additionally, cost-saving measures in operations are focused on by applying the lean thinking approach.

“This approach refers to continuous thinking skills that prioritise the value of work. If this mindset can be embedded and practised by every member of UniMAP, not only can operational tasks be optimised, it can also contribute significantly to cost savings,” he said.

-- BERNAMA