UNIVERSITIES
in Malaysia

There are 5 distance learning universities in Malaysia

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Wawasan Open University

51-20 Menara BHL, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 Penang, Malaysia
Tel:04 2273323 Fax: 04 2269323
E-mail: studentsupport@wef.org.my
Learning Centers: Ipoh Kuala Lumpur Johor Bahru

sabrinaooi@wef.org.my

Wawasan Open University College
 Malaysia’s first charity-backed private open learning institution

http://www.wou.edu.my

The Wawasan Open University College offers courses in information technology, science, philology, business management, accounting and art.

The Vision Wawasan Open University

Wawasan Open is a vibrant learning community that inspires learning, supports innovation and nurtures all-round personal growth.

The Mission

We are committed to the expansion of opportunities in higher education and to teaching excellence aimed at increasing the level of knowledge and scholarship among all Malaysians.

The Values

We believe that you have the potential to develop to the fullest in line with the cherished noble values that we all share. We believe in :

Upholding high institutional standards

  • We provide life-long learning and personal development opportunities for everyone. To this end, we ensure open admission and access to all.
  • We believe in providing an innovative, comprehensive academic programme that offers you top quality instruction, high institutional standards and a broad range of educational opportunities.

Celebrating the diversity of our students

  • At Wawasan Open, we believe that your achievements, talents and heritage contribute significantly to our community. We support your right and responsibility to take an active role in the learning process to make your learning experience a productive one.
  • Honesty and integrity in the teaching, learning and advisory process is essential, and an objective evaluation of your skills and abilities is key to your success. At Wawasan Open, we celebrate the diversity of our student communities and we are positive you will find the experience personally enriching.

Recognizing our employees

  • We believe in recognizing the value and expertise of our employees, fostering mutual respect and upholding their rights. As an equal opportunity employer, Wawasan Open provides a supportive environment that helps employees attain the right balance between their working lives and their personal commitments.
  • We recognize the right and responsibility of our employees to play an active role in their professional development as they strive for excellence. We help them in this process by creating an honest and transparent decision-making process.

Valuing citizens and the community

  • To live up to the trust placed in us by our sponsors, our students, and private donors, we are committed to the responsible management of our financial resources.
  • We aim to contribute to the educational, economic, human resources, technological, socio-economic and cultural development of the nation while preserving ecological sustainability.
School of Foundation Studies

The School of Foundation Studies conducts two categories of courses for all students. They are University and Lembaga Akreditasi Negara (LAN) courses. SFS also offers Headstart Programme to enhance students’ readiness for tertiary study before they embark on degree programmes at the University. In addition, SFS offers several Foundation courses to further consolidate students’ basic knowledge and competency.

The School of Foundation Studies is also in the process of developing other programmes on lifelong learning. These include short courses and degree programmes for individuals, the community, industry and offer governmental or non-governmental organizations. The courses are designed to help people enrich their knowledge, living skills, and to upgrade and enhance workplace skills and competencies.

School of Business and Administration

The School of Business and Administration (SBA) offers six degree programmes reflecting its aims to develop and disseminate business management knowledge to fulfill the needs of the business community.
The list of programmes offered is as follows:
· Bachelor of Business in Accounting (Hons)
· Bachelor of Business in Business Information Systems (Hons)
· Bachelor of Business in Banking and Finance (Hons)
· Bachelor of Business in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (Hons)
· Bachelor of Business in Management (Hons)
· Bachelor of Business in Sales and Marketing (Hons)
The School is planning to offer two post graduate programmes in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning based in Canada: Commonwealth Executive Masters in Business Administration (CEMBA) and Commonwealth Executive Masters in Public Administration (CEMPA) from 2008. In addition, new undergraduate programmes in areas such as Hospitality and Tourism are also being planned. The School is looking at the possibility of collaborating with professional bodies like the Institute of Bankers and Malaysian Institute of Accountants in areas such as packaging of courses and exemptions for professional examinations

School of Science and Technology

The School of Science and Technology (SST) offers five degree programmes reflecting the current state of information and electronics technology required to succeed in a competitive global environment.
The list of programmes offered is as follows:
· Bachelor of Technology in Computer Systems and Networks (Hons)
· Bachelor of Technology in Computing and Intelligent Systems (Hons)
· Bachelor of Technology in Electronic Commerce (Hons)
· Bachelor of Technology in Electronics (Hons)
· Bachelor of Technology in Information and Communication Technology (Hons)
The School is planning to offer Master’s level programmes in Computer and Information Technology and Electronic Engineering. In addition, the School shall be looking to offer new undergraduate programmes in various areas including Environmental Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Manufacturing Technology, Production and Process Engineering, Quality Sciences and Management and Bio-Medical Technology

 
Wawasan Open University (WOU) opened its door on 22nd January 2007  with an initial offering of 11 undergraduate degree programmes under three faculties - the science and technology, business administration and foundation studies.   Courses include degrees in information systems, computing science & artificial intelligence, business information systems, accounting and sales & marketing. The cost of an undergraduate programme is about RM16,000. 

680 students had already enrolled with the university, which has four study centers located in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh and Johor Baru. 

WOU had also offered scholarships for those who were not well off, as well as arranged for those who would have difficulty paying to get study loans from banks.  WOU's headquarters in Penang to be ready by July 2007 for Malaysia 's five million workers with SPM qualifications to come forward and take advantage of this opportunity.
Wawasan Open University College is an open distance learning institution - set to bring opportunities for higher learning to Malaysians who wish to study for accredited qualifications or for personal enrichment without leaving their homes and jobs.

Our flexible self-paced learning environment is specially designed for the convenience and accessibility of adult learners.



Funded by charitable trusts, corporations and the public, it is Malaysia's first private not-for-profit open learning institution.

It aims to bring down the personal cost of learning to a level that more people can afford.

Wawasan Open University College chose to locate its headquarters in Penang, from where courses and programmes will be designed to the highest international standards for delivery to the whole nation using both analogue and digital technologies. Learners will be supported by trained tutors in learning centers across the country - located initially, in the higher population density areas of Penang, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru

Malaysia Wawasan Open University Scholarship Fund

The Wawasan Open University Scholarship Fund is established to assist needy adult learners to re-skill, retrain and re-tool themselves through open distance learning at  Wawasan Open University.

To celebrate the inauguration of its establishment, financial assistance in the form of tuition fees shall be awarded to needy and eligible candidates who are  admitted to programmes of study with Wawasan Open University for the January,  2007 Semester only.

Eligible programmes of study :

Accounting (KA7120)
Banking and Finance (KN6945)
Business Information Systems (KA 7119)
Management (KA7118)
Sales & Marketing (KN6944)
Computer Systems and Networks (KN 6946)
Computing and Intelligent Systems (KA 7122)
Electronic Commerce (KN 6947)
Electronics (KA7214)
Information and Communication Technology (KA 7215)

Who can apply ?

- Malaysian Citizens
- Students who are enrolled in a programme of study with Wawasan Open University
- Students who possess a Gross Family Income of NOT MORE than RM 3,000 per month or RM 36, 000 p.a.

How to apply ?

Scholarship Fund Application Forms are available at all Wawasan Open University Regional Offices. It can also be downloaded from the University website at www.wou.edu.mv . Completed Application Forms can be submitted to the University Headquarters as well as to any of its four regional offices.

Penang Regional Office
7 China Street Ghaut, Level 3 Menara PGRM, 10300 Penang
Tel: 04 2633 323/ 2625 359    Fax: 04 2623 669
Email: ro_pg@wou.edu.my

KL Regional Office
8 Jalan Pudu Ulu, 56100 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 92817 323 / 92838 323 / 92847323     Fax: 03 92849 323
Email: rojd@wou.edu.my

Ipoh Regional Office
Wisma Gerakan, 80 Persiaran Green Hill, 30450 Ipoh, Perak
Tel: 05 2436 323 / 2426 323 Fax: 05 2549 323
Email: ro_ip@wou.edu.my


JB Regional Office
No 15 Jalan Jaya 2, Taman Jaya, 81300 Skudai,  Johor
Tel: 07 5564 323 / 5566 323     Fax: 07 5549 323
Email: rojb@wou.edu.my

Selection and Award Committees :  The selection and award of financial assistance is administered by the Selection Committee and the Award Committee.

Terms :

Financial assistance is targeted at students who possess a Gross Family income of NOT MORE than RM 3,000 per month or RM36, 000 p.a. only.

The financial assistance award is only for tuition fees for programmes of study undertaken only in the January, 2007 Semester with Wawasan Open University.

Successful applicants must have signed up for a programme with the University. The administration & processing fee (RM50) and the resource and services fee (RM100) must be borne by the applicant where applicable.

Members of the Scholarship Selection Committee and Award Committee are required to disclose any relationships to applicants.

The University reserves the right to award partial tuition fees where appropriate. Its decision is final.

The University reserves the right to revoke the award if the student fails to comply with the Rules and Regulations of the University or if false information is found to be furnished by the applicant to manipulate the outcome of the award.
Partners in Collaboration

WAWASAN OPEN aims to provide world-class education to all Malaysians. To attain global academic standards, offer industry-relevant knowledge and skills, as well as provide international-class qualifications, it plans to establish academic working relationship with:

Kolej Disted-Stamford Penang
Open Polytechnic New Zealand
Open University Hong Kong
Open University United Kingdom
The Commonwealth of Learning

Open to Commonwealth degrees

Sabrina Ooi : Director of Communications
 Wawasan Open University College is teaming up with the intergovernmental Commonwealth of Learning (COL) to offer Executive masters programmes in business and public administration by distance learning.

Malaysian People's Movement Party (Gerakan - the second-largest Chinese-based party in Malaysia)  is setting an open university based in Penang. The Wawasan Open University College will start enrolling the first 1,000 students by September. 

Wawasan Open University College and COL signed an affiliation agreement at a ceremony here 4 April 2006 that will pave the way for working adults to obtain an internationally recognized qualification without having to quit their jobs or to attend evening or weekend classes.

COL was created by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1987 and is the only intergovernmental organization working towards enhancing access to education and training through open learning.

The Commonwealth Executive MBA and MPA (CEMBA/CEMPA) programmes are the outcome of collaboration between the Vancouver-based COL and four open universities in South Asia.   These degree programmes when they become available in Malaysia will mark another milestone in the collaborative approach adopted by the international open learning community.

CEMBA/CEMPA as it is currently run in the other open universities allow students the option to leave at various stages in the programme after having earned a certificate, diploma, graduate diploma or degree.

Wawasan Open is opening its doors to undergraduate students in October 2006. The main campus in Penang will be supported by regional offices and learning centers in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, and Johor Baru, with the coverage later expanded to cover all states in the country.

On February 26 2005, Gerakan's Wawasan Education Foundation marked the first formal step toward establishing this open university when it received an official invitation from Malaysia's Higher Education Ministry to set up Wawasan Open University College.

Courses Available :  The university college will initially have three faculties – Science and Technology, Business and Administration and Foundation Studies – offering 11 degree programmes.  This new university will offer a wide range of college courses giving chances to obtain tertiary qualifications for the  about 5 million eligible labor workers in Malaysia who have no access to tertiary education.

The application for WOU will be open in the next few days and the first batch is slated to start January next year.

More about : http://www.gerakan.org.my/wawasan_booklet.pdf

Homestead Building : The campus premises is the 12-storey extension 11,000 square meter of Homestead Building - a heritage building designed in 1919 and donated by the Yeap Chore Ee Charitable Trust and the Yeap Chor Ee Endowment Trust.  The heritage mansion had been home to the Yeaps, a prominent banking family in Penang, for almost 60 years.  The late Yeap Chor Ee, who founded the Penang-based Ban Hin Lee Bank, bought over the colonial-style property from shipping magnate Lim Mah Chye in the 1940s. 

Higher Learning Institutions in Malaysia :  In Malaysia today there are 11 public universities, six public university colleges, 10 private universities, one private university college and more than 600 private colleges.
Malaysia's first non-profit open learning institution, funded by charitable trusts and members of the public.

Based in Penang and fully supported initially by student learning centers located in Kuala Lumpur, Ipohand Johor Baru. WAWASAN primary mission is to make higher education Open to All.

WAWASAN OPEN UNIVERSITY committed to providing affordable, accessible and flexible higher education for all Malaysians - mature students, working adults, school leavers to realize their hidden potential and further develop themselves in life.
Official Opening of Wawasan Open University (WOU)

WAWASAN Open University was officially launched on 22nd September 2006 by Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed.

WOU is Malaysia second open university after Open University Malaysia (OUM). The university is located in Penang and funded by Wawasan Education Foundation, a tax-exempted entity established by Gerakan and supported by the Yeap Chor Ee Charitable and Endowment Trusts.

"With the concept of open learning, higher education is not only for those aged 17 to 25 years but also those beyond 25," Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said during the launch at Menara PGRM here. ".. the existence of two open universities now would encourage service providers to give wider opportunities for adults to continue their studies, which might have been limited before this.."

There were about five million people in Malaysia who had passed the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination but could not continue their studies to university level. These include civil servants, teachers, police personnel and factory workers. IJust one per cent of this will be 50,000 people, if two per cent, it will be 100,000. Thus two open universities may not be enough to provide the opportunities for higher education among this group.


The university will invest more than RM200 million over the next 10 years and is expected to establish a regional office in each of the states to serve more than 30,000 students. Four new offices will be set up in Penang (campus) Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baharu.

 INDEX UniNew 17-3-2006             July 24, 2007 10:00:18 AM