UCSI welcomes three distinguished University Council members

KUALA LUMPUR: UCSI University has recently appointed Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Omar Abdul Rahman, Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor and Professor Tan Sri Dr Dzulkifli Abdul Razak as members of its University Council.

All three are Fellows of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM). Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Omar Abdul Rahman and Professor Tan Sri Dr Dzulkifli Abdul Razak are Old Boys of the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, while Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor is an Old Boy of the Royal Military College.

They hold important positions in national and international organisations and they have contributed greatly to the nation’s progress in science, technology and education.

As council members, they will be part of the University’s push to be the leading private university in the country.

Announcing the appointments, UCSI Vice-Chancellor and President Senior Professor Dato’ Dr Khalid Yusoff said that they would have a major role in further accomplishing the University’s goal and ideals.

“I’m delighted to welcome them to the Council and I’m certain that their contributions will propel UCSI to the higher echelons of higher education,” said Senior Professor Khalid. 

“They have made many important decisions that benefit society and their contributions to the nation cannot be understated. UCSI will benefit immensely from their thoughts and insights.”

Prior to joining UCSI’s University Council, the trio served with distinction in academia and policy making.

Professor Emeritus Omar was Malaysia’s first Science Advisor to the Prime Minister from 1984 to 2001. He has served on the United Nation’s Council for Science and Technology for Development, as well as on various UNESCO committees. He stands out for being the ASM founding president and the past president of both the Federation of Asian Scientific Academies and Societies and the Third World Network of Scientific Organisations.

He began his professional career in 1960 in veterinary research. He joined Universiti Putra Malaysia in 1972, where he served as the founding dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences and later as its Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs).

Well known for his passion for the environment, Dr Salleh served as the first director-general of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia. He served as the Malaysian Nature Society president from 1978 to 2014. His contributions have influenced national policies on the environment and wildlife conservation.

Dr Salleh is a former ASM secretary-general and the former president of the International Union of Forestry Research Organisations. He is distinguished for being the organisation’s first president to hail from a developing nation. He is also the former pro-chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

Professor Dzulkifli is the former vice-chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). He oversaw the effort that led to USM’s selection as Malaysia’s Apex university and he is a firm advocate of sustainable development.

He is also the 14^th president of the International Association of Universities – a UNESCO-affiliated organisation, a Fellow of both the World Academy of Art and Science and the Malaysian Institute of Management, as well as an honorary lifetime member of the Asian Academy of Management.