Universities today play a pivotal role as centers of knowledge and catalysts for societal and economic progress. At UMT, we align academic excellence with national priorities, regional development, and global trends. Here, I am pleased to share strategic developments in three vital domains.

Strengthening Industrial Linkages

UMT’s strengths are marine science, environmental studies, and sustainable development. Therefore, we have collaborated with industry players in fisheries, aquaculture, marine biotechnology, renewable energy, and digital technology sectors to ensure our research remains impactful, our graduates are industry-ready, and our innovations strengthen national economic resilience. We have signed MOUs and MOAs with leading companies and government-linked agencies for joint research, student internships, and curriculum enhancement. Our industrial internship programs have expanded, offering students real-world experience, supporting UMT’s goal of producing holistic and work-ready graduates. Other initiatives such as industry advisory panels have brought professional insight into our academic programs.

Deepening Community Engagement

UMT’s identity is rooted in Terengganu’s community and ecological heritage. Our responsibility is to uplift coastal and rural communities through inclusive and sustainable development efforts. Our University Social Responsibility projects, including coastal conservation, digital literacy for rural youth, and support for small-scale fisheries, have made meaningful impacts. We have collaborated with local authorities, NGOs, and community leaders to implement grassroots projects addressing real-world challenges, including income-generation through community projects, sustainable livelihood training, and health education in underserved areas. New community-based projects have enhanced student and staff participation in community service activities, reinforcing our vision of nurturing responsible citizens.

Accelerating Digital Transformation

Digital transformation is a core pillar of UMT’s future. We have started building a Smart Campus ecosystem, enhancing Wi-Fi connectivity, digital student ID systems, and integrated e-services for academic and administrative functions. A comprehensive Digital Strategic Plan is currently in development, to serve as a roadmap to align digital initiatives with the university’s mission and Vision 2030 goals, focusing on teaching and learning innovation, data governance and cybersecurity frameworks, digital infrastructure modernization, automation of student services and academic operations and digital skill development for staff and students This plan will be developed collaboratively with university’s stakeholders to ensure it is inclusive, realistic, and forward-thinking. My goal is to establish a digital ecosystem that supports academic excellence and enhances operational efficiency, decision-making, and stakeholder engagement.

We acknowledge ongoing challenges, including unequal digital tool adoption across departments and limited student and staff engagement in community-based industrial placements. So, we are introducing targeted training programs, incentives, and awareness campaigns, prioritizing on scaling up industry R&D partnerships, strengthening community resilience programs, and implementing our Digital Strategic Plan. These align with UMT’s ambition to be a model university that blends tradition with innovation.

We are shaping a future where academic excellence, societal impact, and digital innovation work harmoniously. I invite academic and administrative units to contribute to our digital strategic plan development. We can position UMT as a national leader in transformative education, research, industrial partnerships and community engagement.