SCHOOL IS IN SESSION

OBG Talks to Datuk Seri Panglima Kamaruzzaman Ampon, Vice Chancellor, Universiti Malaysia Sabah

OBG : Given the success of the private sector are we likely to see more new institutions enter the market?

KAMARUZZAMAN : lt is extremely likely that we will see an increase in the number of private institutions in Sabah over the coming few years and beyond. With the government focusing on efforts to strengthen the internationalisation of higher education, moving it up to the top of its agenda, it is only natural that growth in this sector will be first encourage and then achieved.

Given the vast potential to attract foreign students to Sabah and the economic opportunities this represents; the private sector is sure to show even more interest. Sabah is located at the very heart of the region, which puts a huge market of foreign students within easy reach. l would like to see Sabah increasing its role within the Brunei Darussalam, lndonesia, Malaysia-Philippines and East ASEAN Growth Area (BlMP-EAGA) as a destination of educational excellence.

We should look to attract students in much greater numbers from countries like Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam. All of these countries are close, to Sabah with excellent connectivity through direct flights, and while Sabah would be a foreign land to them, there are still a great many similarities to help students adapt very quickly. From there Sabah should begin attracting students from markets to the north, such as China, Taiwan and South Korea. Sabah is a wonderful destination for students for many of the same reasons that our tourism industry is growing, however, just like the tourism industry, the education industry must make sure that its marketing, networking and international awareness are improved.

OBG : How are vocational skills and training efforts complementing the formal education sector?

KAMARUZZAMAN: While we produce knowledge workers through formal education, we must not forget about the need, to ensure that students are able to learn real life skills, which will make them more employable and more successful in their careers. Sabah is doing very well in this aspect of the vocational skills and training sector. We have a number of institutions in this area that are providing complementary training to the traditional education that students receive from formal educational facilities;

Many of these institutions were created to help young graduates gain specific skills that are sought by employers. In the past, the higher education sector was designed to impart knowledge and wisdom, which by itself was enough to guarantee a good job. Times have changed, however: and this is no longer enough,

The reality is that we live, in a society with a highly mobile global, workforce. ’lt is essential that during high-education students are exposed to the waiting practices of the industries they are going to enter after their education.

Of course it bodes well for Sabah that we do have such strong training facilities alongside the education sector ensuring that our youth enter the workforce already possessing the required skills and preparation to successfully adapt.

OBG : What will the education centre in Sandakan add to the sector and what is its long term potential?

KAMARUZZAMAN: Education plays a crucial role in society and its development, and the Sandakan Education Hub is a prime example of this. Much of this entire area has been left to languish in the same condition without any real development for many years, however that will l change with the growth of the educational hub. Firstly the youth from the area will be able to stay there to complete their education. ln view of the other deveIopments in the area, such as the Palm Oil industrial Cluster; an increasingly vital area of both the state and national economy, the educational hub will be focused on these sectors as well. meaning it will be producing the future workforce for this increasingly important sector and in turn will help economic growth,

All of this will not only keep locals in the region, but will also encourage more people and investment to come to the area. Eventually it is hoped that the hub will enable Sandakan to develop into a university city.