Page 182 - VC Message

Leading with Purpose
Messages of the Vice Chancellor KEYNOTED ADDRESSES

3 UTB University President’s
rd

Forum

Session 3: Funding, Internationalisation Challenges
and Geopolitical Influence
Tuesday, 21st October 2025, 1.45pm

A New Dawn of Humanistic Higher Education:
Desperate Times, Idealistic Measures

1. It is an honour to address you on the vital mission of reimagining higher education
in today’s complex world.
2. I have just had a courtesy meeting with the Minister of Education,Datin Seri Setia
Dr. Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Md Salleh earlier this morning in her office,where
we had a productive discussion on the way forward in higher education for both
countries and for the region and in deepening strategic collaborations.
3. I want to thank the organiser, Universiti Teknologi Brunei for organising this great
event. My ties with UTB goes a long way back, I was the external moderator
with UTB previously, under the leadership of your Vice Chancellor Datin Paduka
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Professor Dr Dayang Hajah Zohrah Haji Sulaiman, when I was the Deputy Vice
Chancellor of UMT.
4. Now that I am here again, it brings back fond memories, and I am hopeful for
deeper ties ahead with various opportunities, together with you, Datin Paduka.
5. In UM and under my leadership, we strongly believe that education and strength
are for the benefit of all and for all humanity, and it is not confined to any particular
institutions. It is to be shared.
6. Hence, I look forward very strongly to continue our strong ties with UTB and all
other institutions as we move forward together.
Distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends

7. We gather at a time when our world is defined by unprecedented geopolitical
tensions, rapid digital transformation, and an urgent push for sustainability.
8. These forces are reshaping societies and testing institutions everywhere.
Education stands at the crossroads of these trends, and how we respond will
chart the course for future generations.
9. As UNESCO’s education initiative reminds us, education holds the “most
transformational potential to shape a just and sustainable futures”. It must be
grounded in fundamental principles of human rights, social justice, human dignity,
and cultural diversity.
10. In other words, higher education can no longer be business as usual – it must
evolve into a beacon of hope and a driver of solutions for humanity’s greatest
challenges.
11. Today, I will speak about how universities can navigate the trends, challenges,
and opportunities of this geopolitical, digital, and sustainable era, and how we at
Universiti Malaya are striving to lead the way with a bold, future-driven approach.