News from the Swenson Center

A text-of-speech by YBhg Tan Sri Anuwar Ali, President/Vice-Chancellor of Open University Malaysia (OUM) at the visit to the International Institute Of Health Sciences, Sri Lanka at 10.00am, 31st January 201

Welcoming speech by YBhg Prof Tan Sri Anuwar Ali Group Chief Executive Officer, METEOR Sdn. Bhd., for The Opening Ceremony of e-Learning Training Programme, GOTEVOT, Arab Saudi on the 17th July 2006 at Theatrette, OUM, Jalan Tun Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

Speech of the President/Vice-Chancellor OUM, Prof Tan Sri Anuwar Ali on the Opening Ceremony of e-Learning Training Programme, GOTEVOT, Arab Saudi at Theatrette, OUM on the 17 July 2006

Incentives and Initiatives Provided for the Implementation of Employability Skills in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET): The Malaysian Experience

Today’s globalised and highly competitive environment calls for a workforce that is skilful, efficient and innovative. This is an imperative for any nation that seeks to build a knowledge-based economy via highly competent and well-educated human capital. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET), now commonly considered part of mainstream education, creates pathways for enhancing competencies and thus, can help to hone employability skills necessary in creating a high-income economy. In Malaysia, TVET is recognised as a vital avenue for raising the capacity for knowledge and the right value systems, as well as for enculturating a lifelong learning society. The role of open and distance learning (ODL) in TVET is still relatively recent in many countries, including Malaysia, but their integration indicate a feasible system for sustaining greater access to educational opportunities for larger sections of the society. This paper will explore the concept of TVET, its main features in Malaysia and incentives and initiatives available that aim to carry TVET to greater heights in this country. This paper will also discuss the integration of TVET and ODL and illustrate how an ODL institution like Open University Malaysia (OUM) can leverage on its technologies, flexibility and accessibility to complement TVET-based programmes. For Malaysia, with less than a decade left to achieve Vision 2020, TVET will be crucial not only in ensuring a properly skilled workforce, but also in facing ever newer challenges in higher education. (Abstract by author

Empowering teachers through capacity building and professional development : a collaborative effort

Teacher training and capacity building are important development imperatives for many nations including Malaysia. With the view to upgrade the teachers’ academic qualifications, the Ministry of Education (MOE) takes a serious stand in the issue of teacher quality and upgrading by introducing the Special Degree Programme for Non-Graduate and In-Service Teachers. Open University Malaysia (OUM) has been chosen to be the partner in this programme, under which the university has successfully produced about 11,200 graduate teachers during the last eight years. This paper illustrates the salient features of the OUM-MOE collaboration that was, from the outset, strategically planned on the basic need to achieve quality education for the teaching profession. Thus, all aspects of the delivery system have been tailored towards this important imperative which includes the adoption of OUM’s blended pedagogy. It is also in this context that the leveraging on information and communication technology (ICT), via OUM’s Learning Management System (myLMS), e-learning, iRadio and digital library, has become a significant component of the teaching and learning process. This paper will thus highlight how open and distance learning (ODL), through its flexibility and accessibility, has been able to benefit training and education as well as enable MOE to save substantial costs on every teacher trained. To ensure the success of this OUM-MOE collaborative effort, the university gives emphasis on the principal objective of this enterprise so as to instil professionalism, commitment, good ethics and quality awareness in teachers, thus contributing to the enhancement of the country’s education sector

Expending access to higher education opportunities via international collaboration : the Open University Malaysia approach

The concept that education can cross borders is inherently linked to open and distance learning (ODL). Its very foundation is borne out of the necessity to expand educational access and opportunities, which in this 21st Century is an increasingly crucial issue, especially in facing global challenges, boosting economic progress and keeping abreast with rapid expansion in information and communication technology (ICT). The importance of higher education in contributing to economic development is universally acknowledged, and is all the more significant for developing countries like Cambodia and Malaysia. The relevance of ODL lies in the reality that the limited resources and facilities of traditional higher education providers have rendered them unable to cope with today’s growing demands. However, the unique ODL approach has proven to be a feasibly way for a more accessible, affordable and flexible means for a greater number of people to attain higher education. The ODL scene in Asia is fast evolving, with a number of established and prominent open universities in Indonesia, Thailand, India, China and other countries. This indicates ODL’s great potential in contributing to economic development by meeting relevant national needs. Furthermore, the open nature of ODL has also paved the way to international collaboration, where learning opportunities are open to every individual, regardless of location or nationality. This paper will consider the idea of education across borders and discuss international collaboration as a means to expand higher education. From the perspective of Open University Malaysia (OUM), this paper will also discuss how the ODL approach can play a pivotal role in advancing the very concept of partnerships in higher education. Finally, this paper will also briefly explore potential opportunities in creating collaborative higher education links between Cambodia and Malaysia. (Abstract by author

Keynote Address by Professor Emeritus Anuwar Ali in International Conference on Contemporary Issues in Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management, Jan 2014

A keynote address by YBhg Prof Tan Sri Anuwar Ali in International Conference on Contemporary Issues in Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management on 24 January 2014 at Treston International College, Taguig, The Philippine

Development of High Performing Academics: The Importance of Leadership in Private Higher Education Institutions

Since the enactment of the Private Higher Education Institutions Act in 1996, private higher education in Malaysia has progressed into a competitive and fast-paced field. Remaining relevant in such an environment calls for dynamism, attention to quality and producing concrete results, particularly from the academic perspective. The development of high performing academics in private higher education is vital because academic excellence provides a critical indicator of the success and quality of the institution, thus bearing an influence on how the institution is perceived by its clients and the public at large. This is also important as a way to enhance the institution’s competitive advantage and thus, improve its brand as an education provider. In private higher education, successfully developing high performing academics significantly hinges on academic leadership. Leadership influences various elements of the university, from its institutional values, to human resource practices, work culture and also its relationship to various stakeholders. Ensuring that academics can perform well will require a leadership approach that can promote a conducive environment for academics to grow and evolve, while at the same time, serve as a role model that adheres to the beliefs and values of the institution. This presentation will discuss academic leadership as a means to develop high performing academics in private higher education institutions. This presentation will also explore the current private higher education scene in Malaysia and focus on the importance of high performing academics in achieving university excellence. (Abstract by author