LIFELONG LEARNING ENHANCES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A PERSON AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE ENHANCEMENT OF WORK QUALITY

UUM ONLINE: Engaging in lifelong learning enhances a person significance in every moment and contributes to the enhancement of work quality.

UUM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dr Mohd Foad Sakdan said, Distance Education (PJJ) is a component of lifelong learning, which is a government initiative aimed at investing the nation by enhancing the capabilities of individuals through knowledge acquisition and training.

"Consequently, you have successfully fulfilled both the government's vision and your personal ambitions by earning bachelor's degrees in your respective fields," he said at the UUM Distance Education Graduands Dinner Banquet for the Year 2022 at EDC-UUM.

This purpose of the dinner banquet is to express gratitude for the achievements of the 106 DE graduands who attended the ceremony and successfully earned their respective degrees in conjunction with the 35th UUM Convocation Ceremony.

The Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) as a platform acknowledges the nation’s aspiration for a sustainable lifelong learning agenda in the context of distance education that is capable of producing a significant number of highly skilled graduates.

PACE, a centre which was established on 1 April 1999, has successfully yielded more than 8,000 graduates through the DE programme. To date, there are approximately 5,000 active students, with the majority of whom falling within the ages of 30 and 40, with 60% of them from the public sector and 40% from the private sector.

According to Prof. Dr Mohd Foad the DE programmes offer a wide range of educational opportunities that cater to indivuduals from all segments of the society.  This initiative plays a crucial role in producing competent and skilled professional personnel.

"I would like to extend my congratulations to the 1,198 graduands who have successfully obtained their degrees and out of that number, 42 people have achieved first class degrees.

"Graduands who successfully completed their studies after overcoming various challenges along the way, have demonstrated their commitment to personal growth and knowledge acquisition, all while balancing the demands of their careers and family responsibilities.

"An unimaginable joy sets in when a dream finally comes true. This success was not achieved easily but through hard work and solid support from the family," he said.

According to him, the momentum of the students’ commitment to knowledge is already present, so continue your education up to the master's and doctor of philosophy (PhD) levels. In addition, a high level of internal motivation, a refusal to give up easily, prudent time management and constant prayer will be the "key" to unlocking the door to success.

"My message to the graduates, learn from one another, and teach one another, respect your teachers, and be kind to those who teach you," he said as he concluded his speech.

Meanwhile, the student representative, Mr. Azhar Azmi believes that the knowledge and experience he gained throughout his studies at UUM has offered a lot of beneficial input to both himself and the world of work and that he is even able to analyse and apply knowledge in his daily work.

According to him, the majority of graduates who started their studies in 2017 benefitted from two different learning environments, namely face-to-face and virtual learning after the country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The teaching and learning situation has evolved into a challenging obstacle, not only for UUM but for all other institution of higher education in Malaysia. However, thanks to the efforts of UUM, particularly PACE, which always strives to provide conducive learning services, the graduands have successfully completed their studies and will be attending the convocation ceremony tomorrow," he added.

He said that his time spent as a DE student put his mind and patience to the test. This included the fact that he had limited time to devote his studies due to the fact that he worked full-time and was responsible for a family. Nonetheless, he did not see this to be a barrier, but instead became inspiration to continue working diligently with steadfast determination.

"UUM has been ranked as one of the top 10 universities among both public and private universities in Malaysia. We are very proud to be one of the products of UUM and are impressed by the learning system that sets us apart from other university graduates. This is one of UUM’s areas of expertise.

"On this momentous occasion, my friends and I would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to PACE, especially to the lecturers who provided us all the guidance and facilities necessary to bring home a degree. Not forgetting the government, employers and sponsors who have supported and assisted in the pursuit of the goals set in the ivory tower," he said.