In 2021, Universiti Malaya (UM) celebrated the 116th year of its founding anniversary. Since then, UM has been on a journey which has seen it established itself as the premier university in Malaysia committed to providing high quality education and enriching society. UM has contributed significantly to Nation building, cultivating pioneers in various academic fields and leading Malaysia in key scientific research, with its alumni playing pivotal roles throughout Malaysia’s history. UM is not, however, content to rest on its laurels. In the last decade, with the implementation of carefully designed strategic initiatives, UM has successfully positioned itself among the top 100 universities in the world, Asia’s best top 10 (2020 QS-Asia University Rankings) and the top 3 in Southeast Asia.

Universiti Malaya (UM) is embarking on a transformation journey to elevate the University to academic and intellectual excellence. Being part of the global knowledge network, UM strives to make significant contributions that impact our society, country and the world. A Joint Steering Committee: UM Transformation, comprising the Board of Directors (BoD) and the Top Management of the University, has been established to oversee the University’s transformation process.

Our vision has grown with us, and we now aim to be a global university impacting not just the nation, but also the world. Moving forward to achieve this vision, we must continue to grow and evolve, spreading the wings of our knowledge. Our roles must go far beyond academia. We must aim to be the engine that drives the nation forward in achieving its aspirations, with our academics and researchers making contributions that impact not just Malaysia, but the world.

As a nation, Malaysia has several strategic initiatives in place to move it forward; • The Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 (SPV2030) aims to see Malaysia achieve sustainable growth with fair and equitable distribution across all levels of the community. This is in sync with the 17 Social Development Goals of the United Nations.

• The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) has also put in place the National Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTIN) 2021-2030 and the 10-10 Framework of Science, Technology, Innovation and Economy (MySTIE). Together, these two initiatives will elevate the role of science, technology and innovation as key driving forces for Malaysia’s economic growth, towards achieving Malaysia’s aim of becoming a technologically advanced nation.

• The 12th Malaysia plan with the tagline ‘A prosperous, inclusive, sustainable Malaysia’. It focuses on three key themes - resetting the economy; strengthening security, wellbeing and inclusivity; and advancing sustainability. The key to achieving these are the following policy enablers – developing future talent, accelerating technology adoption and innovation, enhancing connectivity and transport infrastructure, and strengthening the public service.

UM aims to lead in research, development, policy making, talent development and other areas which will help achieve these goals. We understand the challenges before us, and as a premier university UM must take the lead in navigating and overcoming these challenges. We have therefore strategise to bring about transformation by: Championing a new governance and business model; Reimagining education in UM; Excelling in research; Adopting process and digital enabled transformation; Transforming culture, embracing change, and nurturing talent; and Enhancing the learning and work environment; at the same time, we are focused on having a real social impact. All these elements of the plan give us the acronym CREATEs, which also reflects our drive to enact concrete plans for transformation. We hope that our commitment, shown through UM’s transformation plan and the implementation and realisation of CREATEs, will see us leading the nation towards these goals.

What are the 6 themes about?