Educating leaders of the world
ASIA e University (AeU) recently held its fourth convocation ceremony at the Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
Attendees included graduates from around the world as well as ambassadors and representatives from foreign embassies, particularly from the 33 Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) countries.
More than 1,200 graduates from around the world received their scrolls and celebrated their success with their families and friends.
Among AeU’s convocation highlights was the conferment of a doctor of philosophy degree to the honorable Dr David Richard Namwandi, minister of education of the Republic of Namibia.
A notable figure who has received many awards for his efforts in advancing higher education systems in Namibia, Dr Namwandi believes wholeheartedly in equality and quality education for all Namibians.
Born in Okapya village of the Ondangwa District, Oshana Region, Namibia, Dr Namwandi was elected as a member of national assembly at the age of 60 and appointed as the deputy minister of education of the Republic of Namibia in March 2010.
In addition, he was a central committee member of the ruling SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organization) Party in Namibia. He was officially appointed as the minister of education last year.
Dr Namwandi has been a PhD student of AeU since 2007. His thesis, Implementation of the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Education and Training and its Impact on Economic Development: A Case Study of Namibia and Zimbabwe, studied the reasons behind the failure to implement the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Education and Training (SADC-PET).
The study revealed the significant factors that hampered the implementation of SADC-PET despite its clear goals of developing comparable and harmonised education and training policies across all SADC countries.
Dr Namwandi is convinced that AeU’s PhD programme has enhanced his learning aptitude and knowledge about Asia, the northern and Sub-Sahara African regions and beyond.
“The programme has changed my outlook in life. I have learned a great deal about the research in education administration that I find very useful.
“In a PhD course, always give yourself a chance to pursue a lifelong learning experience and find a balance between your work, studies and family,” says Dr Namwandi.
Another distinguished PhD recipient at the event was Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Syed Hamid Syed Jaafar Albar.
Dr Syed has been a student of AeU since 2011 and strongly believes that the PhD degree has given him a better intellectual insight and is an achievement that he did not expect to gain at the age of 70.
His thesis entitled National Interest in the Foreign Policy of Malaysia: The Mahathir Era (1981-2003) showed how Malaysia was allowed to play a leadership role among the countries in the South-South Cooperation, Islamic Ummah and East Asia (including Asean).
His research findings indicate that domestic factors had influenced the foreign policy of Malaysia.
As a leading provider of open and distance learning universities in Asia, AeU provides working adults with the opportunity to further their studies at different levels from diploma to postgraduate through a flexible mode of learning.
The programme has changed my outlook in life. I have learned a great deal about the research in education administration that I find very useful. In a PhD course, always give yourself a chance to pursue a lifelong learning experience and find a balance between your work, studies and family.
— Dr Richard Namwandi
Raising excellent graduates
Established in 2007, AeU has grown to become one of the leading providers of open and distance learning (ODL) in Asia. As an ODL institution, AeU’s focus is to provide accessible and affordable higher education for all.
AeU has garnered several awards such as the BrandLaureate Award 2010 for Best Brand in Education – e-Education and the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award 2010 in the Most Promising Entrepreneur category.
Additionally, in 2012, the university was announced as the best ACD Project during the ACD Meeting in Kuwait.
It offers more than 40 academic programmes at all levels through five schools – the School of Management, School of Education & Cognitive Science, School of Information & Communications Technology, School of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences and School of Graduate Studies.
All academic programmes are internationally benchmarked, approved by the Malaysian Ministry of Education and accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency.
In addition, AeU’s academic programmes are recognised by several ACD countries as well as non-ACD countries.
The university also offers more than 200 executive and professional programmes through the School of Professional & Executive Education and School of Technical Education, Engineering & Re-skilling.
AeU is one of the first few institutions in Malaysia to implement an open entry system that allows entry for individuals who wish to pursue their tertiary education with minimal formal credentials. This is done by assessing their prior learning acquired through formal and informal training as well as work experiences that can compensate for the lack of basic paper qualifications.
Apart from its main campus, AeU has established a strong network of learning centres, which are strategically located in major cities, towns and rural areas throughout Malaysia.
AeU believes that collaboration with renowned partner institutions abroad is the best strategy in propelling its programmes into the global arena.
In line with its mission, the university collaborates with numerous universities, institutions and corporations located in ACD countries and non-ACD countries.