By: Shuhaida Mohd Said
ALOR STAR, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- By having education, an individual could shape his or her own objectives apart from being able to utilize whatever resources available.
That is why government has spent so much on education for Malaysians as well setting up many tertiary-level academic institutions in the country.
Hence, the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) was established with the aim of becoming the leading private university in the north of Peninsular Malaysia, offering world class education in a research-rich environment.
AIMST is the effort by the Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED), the education arm of MIC.
It took shape on March 15, 2001 and was accorded university status on April of 2007.
AIMST set up its initial campus in Aman Jaya, Sungai Petani where the institution occupied 24 units of three-storey shop lots.
It has now moved to a new campus in Semeling, Bedong near Sungai Petani, Kedah.
EXCITING CAMPUS LIFE
AIMST Chairman, Tan Sri Dr K. Ampikaipakan recently said that other than providing tertiary education, the university also strives to create an enjoyable and exciting campus life.
This university's education strategy is to instill social and corporate values among its graduates apart from encouraging young professionals to understand the present-day problems faced by the society, he said.
"This would be an avenue to create the sense of social awareness of living in a multi-racial society. We hope to create good human beings", said Dr Ampikaipakan.
VISION, MISSION
University of AIMST, which is officially opened by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in August last year has the vision of "Educating the Leaders of Tomorrow".
Meanwhile, its mission is to become one of the country's premier universities for the study of medicine and health sciences, engineering, computer technology, applied sciences, business and management.
University of AIMST also aims to offer high quality accredited undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to meet the manpower needs in line with the national educational philosophy.
To be a centre of of excellence for research and innovation in frontier disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas of science and technology of relevance to the country is also included in the university's mission.
Further information on programmes are available at www.aimst.edu.my .
IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN
The university has a system of faculty Advisors, External Examiners and Internal Advisory Board comprising scholars, eminent educationists and industry peers from local and abroad to ensure academic excellence.
It has gained international acclaim for its teaching and research programmes and the curriculum for most of the degree programmes are drawn from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom.
University of AIMST's programmes are delivered by a multidisciplinary teaching team with an extensive research experience, incorporating a synergy with the industry and other organizations in both the private and public sectors to create a skilled workforce.
This university also focuses on building students' interpersonal and communication skills including their command of English.
The medium of instruction for all courses is English but the national language is also used in all of the university's activities.
COLLABORATION
The Prime Minister had suggested that University of AIMST collaborates with leading ICT companies in the Kulim High Tech Park and tailor its curriculum to meet the industry needs.
He hoped that the AIMST would be able to build a reputation in producing software engineers and business professionals which the nation needed urgently.
"I am confident that the university would live up to its potential and play a leading role in developing skilled human capital in the medical, scientific and technological fields for the benefit of Malaysia and the wider world", he said.
-- BERNAMA
