Vision 
To be a renowned centre of excellence for continuing education programmes in the country.
 
Mission 
To provide learning and training opportunities to the working public in order to upgrade their knowledge and skills towards the development of human capital and the nation.


UMCCed : Promoting lifelong learning towards the growth of k-Economy
In this era of knowledge and technology, education is no longer the prerogative of students but it has become a lifelong process for individuals of all ages and backgrounds to upgrade their knowledge and skills beyond basic compulsory education and the current work environment. The constant re-education and gaining of new skills and competencies have become a benchmark of the caliber of a country’s citizenry to respond to new challenges and demands posed by a highly competitive and fast advancing global market. The rapid transition of our country (and the entire world) to a knowledge-based society and the challenges from competing economies all over the world necessitate a new approach to education and training that is adaptable, flexible and attune to the need of lifelong learning. 

To this end, the country’s pioneer university, University of Malaya, believes that it can become a significant contributor and a major player in the development of a knowledge-based society. It is through education via knowledge and skills acquisition that the people can progress ahead economically and thus achieving stability and social justice. University of Malaya believes that the concept of lifelong education will certainly help in continuously producing and developing skilled human capital in order to upgrade the competence of Malaysian industries to global eminence. It is not only in line with the university’s philosophy of providing continuous or lifelong learning to society, but also in tandem with the government’s Vision 2020 where knowledge is the forefront in a knowledge-driven economy. 

Due to this, UM has taken the lead in enabling the growth of k-economy by establishing the University of Malaya Centre for Continuing Education or better known as UMCCed in 1998. Through UMCCed, UM has established an alternative for adults or working people to further their education since they are not able to follow the regular semester programmes. The centre provides opportunities for individuals, particularly working adults, to pursue part-time higher education which can help them in career progression. This is in line with UM’s aspiration to become a world-class university which offers higher education with distinctive features to people of all ages and from varied background. 

UMCCed recognizes the importance of lifelong learning as prerequisite to the knowledge-based economy. Under this new approach of learning, efforts are currently undertaken to make education and training to be flexible, more participative, personalized and dedicated to the learners’ needs and interests. UMCCed, dedicated to the ideals of lifelong education, offers numerous programmes to the working adults to acquire additional knowledge and skills related to their vocation for career advancement. The centre is in fact a convergence of academia and industry, drawing the expertise of qualified lecturers from UM and practitioners in the industry to provide well-mixed instructions required by k-economy workforce. 

With the expanding number of university educated job seekers, it is only rational that potential employers choose the best. The best means a well-rounded excellence: high intellectual prowess, good mastery of the working skills such as communication skills, management ability, teamwork, and social skills. Responding to the above mentioned conditions, UMCCed has produced a curriculum that is relevant to the market needs. In other words, UMCCed’s student profile shows a person who is highly knowledgeable in his field and one or more other fields of interest to him. He is a team player who is competent and confident in his ability to address problems at work and in life. 

Industry-Driven Programmes

All programmes at UMCCed are designed to meet the needs of our rapidly developing country, providing it with a defined competitive edge by having well-trained workers. Since its establishment until present, UMCCed has trained about 11,000 participants in numerous programmes at Certificate and Executive Diploma levels.

The programmes are designed based on several factors. These include the relevance of programmes to the needs of the country and types of human resource re¬quired, how marketable the programmes are in light of current and future developments, and how functional the programmes are. 

The programmes also allow students to review their knowledge of subject areas and develop strategic thinking, apart from helping them to build abilities in identifying and analyzing issues and foster skills in solving various work-related problems. In other words, it provides learning opportunities which introduce, develop and reinforce academic and occupational knowledge, skills and attitudes required for job acquisition, retention and advancement. On completion of the programmes, students are prepared for employment in their respective fields.

The courses offered reflect the focus of UMCCed on industry driven programmes. It keeps abreast of developments in industry and the community and stresses extensive synergistic links with both sectors in the teaching and research domains. All curricula and teaching materials are developed under the supervision of well-qualified lecturers and practitioners in the respective fields. The continuous interaction between the academics and the professionals provides invaluable input to all programmes developed and implemented by UMCCed. Classes are usually held in the evenings or during weekends for the convenience of students. Teaching methodology is varied; from lectures to seminars, workshops, case studies and multi media presentations to facilitate effective learning.

To maintain credibility in UMCCed certification, all examinations are conducted under strict university regulations. Besides the examinations, students are given assignments and in most cases, are required to make presentation of their projects to a panel of evaluators. 

“We want to provide quality training programmes to meet the ever-changing needs of society through knowledgeable and skilled workforce in the context of lifelong education. Students must also be nurtured to become life long learners and the curriculum should provide the foundation knowledge and skill and inculcate the love for learning in them,” 

Excellent Learning Environment

At University Malaya City Campus in Kuala Lumpur, UMCCed occupies Block A of the former Public Services Department Complex which is strategically located at the main road leading to both entrances of the campus. Shielded from the hustle and bustle of the city by a belt of forest, and yet within 15 minutes’ walk from the Shopping Mall, the Putra World Trade Centre and the Commuter Station, UM City Campus provides a serene and peaceful surrounding that makes learning an aesthetically pleasing and pleasurable experience. In addition, availability of comprehensive facilities and current ICT hardware and software, extensive library resources and professional staff help equip UMCCed students with the best training and skills possible. 

UMCCed focuses on professionalism and a continuous learning environment complemented by experienced and capable academic staff and practitioners from the industry with curriculum and teaching approach tailored to the industry needs. The formula for the university’s success is simple: excellent programmes which are constantly reviewed and updated to cater to challenges of the new era. Participants will have excellent opportunities to enhance and enrich their knowledge and skills, and to benefit from the vast database of resources and expertise available at the university.

“The perspective of education has changed and will change even more in the years to come in order to meet the challenges of Malaysia’s vision of becoming a developed nation in the year 2020. The biggest challenge will be the global shift to knowledge society where people become the centrepiece. The pressure will obviously be on education to produce skilful and highly capable human capital to power the change,”.