Unimas targets to enroll 18,000 students in five years

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) has set an enrolment target of 18,000 students for the 2021-2025 period, said its vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi.

He said Unimas which currently has about 16,000 students enrol some 4,000 new students each year.

“Our campus can accommodate up to 18,000 students and we will focus on enroling more postgraduate students,” he said in a press conference here yesterday

Earlier, he attended the launching ceremony of the Unimas 2021-2025 Strategic Plan and the University Sustainability Initiative which was officiated by Unimas Board of Directors chairman, Tan Sri Sulong Matjeraie at the campus’ Arena Gemilang here.

Mohamad Kadim said currently there are more 2,000 post-graduate students pursuing their master’s and doctoral degrees at the university.

He said out of the total number of Unimas students, about 1,600 students were currently on campus and they comprised those who are in the final year of medical, nursing, engineering, built environment and counselling programmes.

“They are required to be physically present on campus for learning purposes however, we have taken all the preventive measures (against Covid-19),” he said.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Kadim said under its Bantuan Unimas Prihatin programme, the university has contributed laptops and provided free internet data for three months to its 77 needy students, as well as a one-off RM100 assistance each to 1,600 students who are still on campus.

“We have also exempted them (students on campus) from paying residential college fees for October,” he said adding that less fortunate students were also allowed to continue with their studies even though they have yet to pay the tuition fees. - Bernama