IMU University Day 2021 Celebrates Rising Above Challenges and Embracing Uncertainties

26 March 2021, Kuala Lumpur – Rising Above Challenges and Embracing Uncertainties, was selected as this year’s e-University Day celebration. This comes in reflection of year 2020 which has been anything but “business as usual” – a year filled with uncertainties as the world was hit by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. As both students and staff learnt to adapt and overcome obstacles faced to stay safe and work/study a way from campus, the University saw many notable efforts and innovative ways of conducting teaching and learning activities as we learnt from each other’s needs and means of improvements. Click here for the review of 2020. As the nation is still on its pathway to recovery, and with the national restrictions of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) still in place, the IMU’s University Day was organised in a hybrid mode. Majority of staff and students participated in this commemorative day via ZOOM while award and prize winners were present physically to receive their awards. A special IMU Virtual U-Race was also conducted over two evenings leading up to the University Day. This year, we had the pleasure of three alumni, namely Wendy Wong (ND 1/11), Noorhazwani Mohd Noor (CH 1/15) and Dr Koong Jun Kit (ME 2/98) who were present virtually and physically to share their experiences, innovations, and perseverance in achieving the successes in their respective journeys.

This award is an award to honour IMU‘s graduating students who have demonstrated exceptional endeavours in the practice of healthcare and community service. Despite the pandemic and restrictions faced in year 2020, Nabila had persevered with what she believed in. She continued to reach out to empower underprivilege students to pursue tertiary education via the ProjectEd Malaysia initiatives. Aside from this, she also volunteers in on-ground activities involving giving out food to the homeless in Chow Kit area and advocating health awareness through the Kampung Orang Asli Hulu Kemensah and Adolescent’s Health Awareness Campaign.

An important aspect of the University Day is the State of University Address. Presented by the Vice-Chancellor of IMU, Prof Abdul Aziz Baba, it reflected upon the key lessons learnt from the extraordinary year of 2020 and the progress and initiatives identified for enhancement. These includes the value of IMU programmes in which our students will receive – skills and values that are fit for the workforce of the future; advancing health through innovation; to develop a sustainable healthcare ecosystem that will evolved into an Academic Health Centre; and the need to support our employees with new skills and grooming leadership roles which are values based and purpose driven. All these key focuses will be supported and enabled by technology as part of the university’s aim for digital transformation to be more outcome focused.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Annual Report 2020 was officially presented to YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Yahya bin Awang, in-coming Chancellor and Chair of the IMU’s Board of Governors. The e-University Day closed with the presentation of Staff Achievement Awards, Long Service Awards and various other prizes.