UTAR’s holistic education for nurturing holistic individuals

In the context of higher education, choosing the right educational institution is important because the right education, which encompasses one’s experience in the university, skills and knowledge acquired, and personal development very much affects their career path and choices in life. For that reason, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) remains one of the top private universities in Malaysia for people of all ages to pursue higher education. 

Over the years, UTAR’s quality and affordable education has attracted enrolments from local and international students. To date, the University has produced more than 79,000 graduates, with an employability rate of 95-97% within 9 months of graduation. 

Vice President for Internationalisation and Academic Development Ir Prof Dr Goi Bok Min said, “UTAR’s holistic education uses the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) approach, which enables the stimulation of the cognitive (brain), affective (heart), and psychomotor (hand) to develop the students wholly, including their intellect, emotions, social, and physical well-being. Accompanied by the conducive learning environment in UTAR, students are able to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and of the world around them. This is an important aspect because we want to ensure that our students are equipped to be resilient when facing challenges in this diverse society and industry.”

He added, “Apart from our students excelling academically, the holistic education in UTAR instils in them important skills that would help build social and emotional intelligence to help them succeed across fields. This effort is supported by the UTAR Soft Skills Development Certificate (USSDC), a certification system to recognise students’ achievements and efforts in improving themselves in the areas of communication, thinking, teambuilding, leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation and life skills.”

The USSDC is overlooked by the Department of Soft Skills Competency (DSSC), which organises a multitude of short programmes such as workshops, training programmes and community projects to train students into obtaining essential soft skills. These programmes are conducted by professional trainers, with DSSC also working with the public and private sectors to give the best possible learning experience to the students in developing relevant industry skills.

Additionally, the participation of students in the UTAR Research Scheme (URS) exposes and involves them in research and development, whereby students are able to foster their creativity and innovation as they develop new ideas and approaches to solving problems. It also instils in them critical thinking skills as they question and analyse information from various perspectives. These skills are important for individuals who aspire to help solve global issues through research, and thus contribute to make the world a better and sustainable place. 

Innovative students will also find their place at UTAR’s Unovate Centre. The business incubator provides Business advice, Networking connections, Mentoring, Training, Assistance to set up the company, and Legal advice. These are aimed to foster an entrepreneurial culture in the university and, nurture and accelerate the successful development of young businesses or start-ups during their early years. 

Another step to nurturing holistic individuals is the organisation of Inbound-Outbound Mobility Programmes. These programmes provide global networking opportunities for students to experience overseas student life, pursue high-quality academic programmes, pick up new languages, experience new cultures and gain global networks. Not limited to UTAR students, international students enrolled in these programmes can study at UTAR and experience Malaysian culture. This is made possible thanks to the over 360 partnerships established worldwide, including mobility programmes with prestigious universities and research collaborations with leading industry partners.

UTAR offers over 130 programmes from foundation studies to bachelor, master’s and PhD degrees in accounting, business, finance and economics, actuarial science, mathematics and process management, agriculture and food science, arts, social sciences and education, Chinese studies, creative industries, digital animation, multimedia and design, engineering and built environment, information and communication technology, life and physical sciences, and medicine and health sciences. 

For as low as RM309, you would be able to enrol to UTAR foundation or undergraduate studies, you will also enjoy 100% application fee waiver. In addition, UTAR is offering study grant of RM1,000 to students whose sibling is currently studying or completed studies at UTAR and to children of UTAR Alumni (terms and conditions apply).