UTS reaches 4,000-student target ahead of 2025

SIBU (Sept 21): University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) has achieved its targeted student population of over 4,000 ahead of the 2025 deadline.

According to UTS chairman Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, the university’s student population jumped to 4,218 this month, with 551 new students being enrolled under the September intake.

“We targeted to reach 4,000 students by next year, but the target has already been achieved in 2024,” said Dr Annuar, also state Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak and Nangka assemblyman.

He was speaking at an oath-taking ceremony for Bachelor’s Degree students at UTS Chancellor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud Hall here yesterday, where the vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Khairuddin Ab Hamid was also present.

Dr Annuar attributed the success to the growing reputation of UTS and the bursary scheme, and thanked the Sarawak government under the leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg for its strong focus on elevating the standard of education.

He informed that UTS has an academic strength of 210 individuals and pointed out that, given that the university was just established about 10 years ago, this is a good achievement.

He gave the well-established University of Southern California as an example, noting that it was established some 144 years ago and currently has a student population of 48,000.

“When it was established 144 years ago, they had only 53 students, with 10 academic staff. Comparatively, within 10 years, the student population in UTS has multiplied four times and in 100 years, we should have over 40,000 students if this momentum is maintained.

“In other words, we are on the right track to become a university of choice not only among Sarawakians, but also across the country,” he said, adding that students should not be concerned about the university’s educational quality, given its high employability rate.

Dr Annuar also elaborated that Sibu is strategically situated and has good road connectivity, making it easily accessible and an excellent education hub.

“On top of that, I can tell you that Sibu has a lower cost of living compared to other parts of Sarawak,” he said.

Meanwhile, Khairuddin mentioned that UTS has been named as the nation’s best university in Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) education by the Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), which is among the many accolades it has received over the years.

Also present at the ceremony was UTS deputy vice-chancellor (Academic) Prof Dr Mohammad Shahril Osman.