SIBU: University of Technology Sarawak’s (UTS) 6th Convocation Day on Saturday (March 5) bore a special significance with the appointment of Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg as it first Pro-Chancellor.
Abang Johari, who is the Premier of Sarawak, was appointed to a five-year term effective March 1.
“The significance of having the Premier of Sarawak as our pro-chancellor is very important because we see him as the most appropriate person for the post as he has been instrumental in helping us to get full-fledged university status since 2020,” said UTS vice-chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid.
Explaining, he said, the state government under the helm of Abang Johari and Yayasan Sarawak had lent it support to convince the Ministry of Higher Education to grant it full university status.
“It is because he feels UTS should play an important role in producing human capital to make Sarawak a developed state with high income by 2030.
“So he is actually looking at UTS being a home grown university, 100 per cent owned by Sarawak government for the people of Sarawak,” he added.
Khairuddin said with Abang Johari’s appointment UTS had also completed the governance structure of the university.
“Under the governance of a full-fledged university, we must have chancellor, pro-chancellor, vice chancellor and of course the board of governance.
Set up on April 1, 2013 as Uiniversiti College of Technology Sarawak, the state-owned institution gained full-fledged university status on November 8 last year.
Abang Johari received his appointment letter from Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development I Dr Annuar Rapaee who is also UTS chairman during a courtesy visit to him by the UTS board at Wisma Bapa Malaysia in Kuching last month.
