Open University Malaysia (OUM) and Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) will embark on academic collaboration and teaching. The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday, 19th January 2005 at UNITEN, Bangi.

Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) was represented by Prof Dr Ir Zainul Abidin Md Sharrif, Vice-Chancellor of UNITEN and Open University Malaysia (OUM) by YBhg Prof Tan Sri Datuk Dr Anuwar Ali, President/Vice-Chancellor.

Areas of cooperation will include:

• Credit transfer to UNITEN registered MBA students on some of the specialized elective courses either in Marketing or Human Resource Management or Finance and Investment.
• Development of course guides for e-learning/personalised learning mode for some of the elective courses.
• Possibility of offering a double major programme.
• Use of blended personalised mode of delivery of Bachelor’s Degree courses to undergraduate students at UNITEN’s branch campus (Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Campus, Muadzam Shah, Pahang).
• Utilization of UNITEN’s lecturers as OUM’s part-time tutors.

The Institute of Professional Development (IPD),OUM held its first certificate presentation ceremony for Executive Diploma students for 2005. The presentation ceremony was held on Friday, 28th January 2005 at the Open University Malaysia (OUM) main campus and was officiated by YBhg Prof Tan Sri Datuk Dr Anuwar Ali, President/Vice-Chancellor, OUM. Formed in 2002, IPD is responsible for providing quality adult education and training for the public and private sectors.

The programmes offered encompass a variety of themes and areas of interest, from information

technology to business and human resource management.

A total of 107 students were presented with executive diplomas and certificates of completion with 30 students receiving the Executive Diploma in Business Management and 77 students the Executive Diploma in Human Resource Management.

The Executive Diploma in Business Management (EDBM) and Human Resource Management (EDHRM) programmes covered a duration of 15 months and combined management theories and practical applications in a series of engaging modules and project papers.

Participants were exposed to various schools of managerial thought and human resource perspectives. This basic grounding can be further enhanced by continuing with the Bachelor of Management or Bachelor of Business Administration degree programmes offered at Open University Malaysia.