Wawasan Open University, abbreviated as WOU, is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

located in

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

that provides working adults with access to higher education via open distance learning (ODL). It was established in 2006 and enrolled its first batch of students in 2007. In September 2013, WOU began to also offer full-time degree programmes to STPM school leavers and diploma holders at its Main Campus in

Academic programmes and accreditation

The university currently offers a large number of part-time programmes at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. The programmes include management, accounting, banking and finance, sales and marketing, psychology, liberal studies, English studies, construction management, electronics, manufacturing management, and education (including early childhood education). The university also offers 11 full-time Bachelor's degree programmes at its campus in Penang in such fields as management, accounting, sales and marketing, banking and finance, logistics and supply chain management, and computer systems and networks. All WOU programmes are accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and approved by the Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE). WOU achieved a Tier-5 or "Excellent" rating in the SETARA local university ranking exercise conducted by the MOE in 2011 and 2013.

Campus

The university's main campus is located by the sea in the northeastern part of Penang Island, Malaysia. The main campus consists of two buildings: a heritage mansion called Homestead and the modern 12-storey Al-Bukhary Building. In addition to its main campus in Penang, WOU operates four regional centres in Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Kuching to support its distance learners located in and around those cities. It also has two smaller regional support centres in Bandar Utama and Klang.

Faculties

There are four schools in Wawasan Open University: * School of Science and Technology * School of Education, Languages and Communications * School of Business and Administration * School of Humanities and Social Sciences WOU also has the following centres and institute: * Centre for Graduate Studies * Centre for Professional Development and Continuing Education (PACE) * Institute for Research and Innovation (IRI)

Administration

Chief Executive and Vice Chancellor

Professor Dr Lily Chan has been appointed as the fourth Vice Chancellor in April 2019. She takes over the helm from Professor Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye, who left the University at the end of 2017. In the interim, the Acting Vice Chancellor was Professor Dr Zoraini Wati Abas.

Chancellor

Eminent sports administrator and former Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Ja’afar has been appointed as the fourth Chancellor of WOU. He succeeds Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, a former Chief Justice of Malaysia, who served for five years until December 2018.

Pro-chancellor

Retired medical researcher and veteran politician Dato’ Dr Lim Thuang Seng has assumed the mantle of Pro-Chancellor of WOU. He takes over from Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, a former Chief Minister of Penang. A central committee member of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) since 1987, Dr Lim served as the Selangor State Executive Councillor for Health, Tourism and Consumer Affairs from 2004 to 2008.

Partner Institution

Hong Kong

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Japan

Toyohashi University of Technology Toyohashi University of Technology (豊橋技術科学大学; ''Toyohashi Gijutsu Kagaku Daigaku''), often abbreviated to Toyohashi Tech, or TUT, is a national engineering university located in Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan. Distinguished for the upp ...

Malaysia

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (abbreviated as UTAR; ) is a non-profit private research university in Malaysia. It is ranked top 100 in the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2018 and top 1200 in the Times Higher Education Wor ...

Tunku Abdul Rahman University College Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management & Technology, abbreviated TAR UMT, is a non-profit, private university in Malaysia. Named after the country's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, the school was founded in 1969 as Tunku Abd ...

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*Penang Skills Development Centre

India

SNDT Women's University SNDT Women's University, also called by its full name Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University, is a women's university in the city of Mumbai, India. The university headquarters are at Churchgate in South Mumbai, while the ma ...

Sri Lanka

Open University of Sri Lanka "The Open University of Sri Lanka" (OUSL; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා විවෘත විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය, ta, இலங்கை திறந்த பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is a national universit ...

References

External links

Official Wawasan Open University (WOU) Website
{{Authority control Educational institutions established in 2006 Universities and colleges in Penang Open universities Business schools in Malaysia Information technology schools in Malaysia Distance education institutions based in Malaysia Buildings and structures in George Town, Penang 2006 establishments in Malaysia Private universities and colleges in Malaysia