UiTM halts international undergrad intake to prioritise Bumi B40 students

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has halted international undergraduate admissions for two consecutive years, redirecting its focus to the Bumiputera community, Orang Asli, and Sabah and Sarawak residents. Vice-Chancellor Shahrin Sahib @ Sahibuddin explained that this decision prioritizes access to higher education for the B40 class and aligns with the institution's goal of maintaining the lowest tuition fees.

Despite the absence of international students, UiTM remains committed to ascending the global rankings from 549th to within the top 300 universities as per QS World University Rankings. The UiTM2030 Strategic Plan, unveiled by UiTM board chairman Kamil Jamil, outlines the university's five-year objective of elevating academic excellence, financial sustainability, and digital transformation, with a focus on producing high-caliber Bumiputera graduates.

The plan aims to generate 25% of UiTM's revenue through postgraduate, professional preparatory, and adult education programs, as well as leveraging the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for the Award of Qualifications (Apel.Q) and work-based learning. Additionally, more than 200 military personnel are currently pursuing diploma studies remotely, working from their workplace locations.