Nine private colleges to undergo sustainability review

The Higher Education Ministry has identified nine private higher learning institutions (IPTS) to undergo a sustainability review this year, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said today.

The nine IPTS identified are Selangor Industrial University (Unisel), Insaniah University College (KUIN), Malaysian University of Science and Technology, Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST), Selangor International Islamic University College (KUIS), Twintech University College of Technology, Linton University College, Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University College and Lincoln University College.

Mohamed Khaled said, sustainability review was a kind of 'health check' on IPTS in the country to monitor its administration, services and programmes offered.

"A committee comprising representatives from public higher learning institutions and IPTS will conduct the review which is expected to begin next month.

“It is up to the committee as to when the review could be completed. The review will then be revised by the ministry's private higher learning institutions sector," he told reporters after launching the University Malaysia

of Computer Science and Engineering (UniMy), here today.

He said the IPTS were selected based on weakness or complaints received from the public, related to the university's services and performance or based on random selection.

Mohamed Khaled in his New Year 2013 message on Tuesday announced that the ministry would introduce the sustainability review on 10 IPTS yearly, in efforts to identify risky institutions, so that improvisation efforts can be undertaken by the respective institutions.

He said, such a review was necessary to ensure Malaysia's target to be an education hub in the region could be accomplished.

Currently there are 70 private universities and university colleges nationwide, according to Mohamed Khaled.