Who's Who in the Malaysian Education Industry
Professor Datuk Ir Dr Wahid bin Omar
Vice-Chancellor
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Mission in Life
My philosophy of life is to always uphold trust and exercise wisdom in whatever I do. These are the core values that I espouse in my mission to strive for excellence, both in my personal and professional capacity. I believe that in contributing to any good cause, sincerity, passion and commitment are essential. Once one has set the path to attain a particular objective, one should always believe in the direction taken, guided by the true north. As a leader, I inspire others to believe in themselves, to be brave in the decisions made, and to persevere with the uncertainties and challenges of the future. Staying true to one’s strengths and conviction will lead him to the light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how challenging the journey might be.
Contributions to my institution
Over the course of my 30 years serving Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), I have fully embraced its philosophy, and am highly committed to its mission and vision. As an academic with professional training in civil engineering, I have assisted my faculty in developing and refining its programmes and curriculum by offering inputs and insights based on my experience as a professional engineer registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia. During my term as the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development) (2011-2013) and as the Director of the Office of Asset and Development (2008-2011), one of the major tasks entrusted to me was managing campus development projects worth RM1 billion. While many saw this as a huge challenge, I, on the other hand, viewed it as an opportunity of a lifetime. It was a privilege for me to lead and accomplish the project implementation successfully. As the Vice Chancellor of UTM, I see myself as a leader who aspires to steer the university to greater heights towards becoming among the top 50 engineering and technology universities in the world.
Contributions to the education industry
As the Vice Chancellor to one of Malaysia’s Research Universities, I am confident that UTM will continuously play a vital role as the main contributor to knowledge discovery and key driver of the Malaysian knowledge-based economy. As the global landscape becomes more competitive and challenging, UTM has now become more entrepreneurial and innovation driven, as this serves as the means for generating economic wealth to support the nation’s development towards achieving sustainable growth. Internationalisation is key to engaging with strategic partners across the globe and with our innovative teaching and learning approaches, our students are being trained to become talented and versatile global citizens. Upon graduation, they will be the expert and professional human capital that would drive national growth towards global prosperity. I will ensure that UTM’s role and mission are aligned with the expectations of the higher education sector in Malaysia, thus becoming a competitive regional and global playe in the knowledge economy.
