Accreditation Results 2019

I. The ABEST21 Comprehensive Review

1. ABEST21 Accreditation Result

“ABEST21 (THE ALLIANCE ON BUSINESS EDUCATION AND SCHOLARSHIP FOR TOMORROW, a 21st century organization) hereby certifies that MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM, UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR BUSINESS SCHOOL, UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA has generally met ABEST21 Management Accreditation Standards and the quality maintenance and improvement of education and research in the aforementioned program are promising and good. Accreditation commences April 1, 2019 for a five-year period.”

2. Comprehensive Review

Generally, all the criteria in the respective Chapters are satisfactorily met by the School. However there are certain areas that the School needs to improve:

• ……Increase the number of local and international students
• ……Seek alternative funding
• ……Encourage lecturers to be part of professional bodies.

3. Good Practice in Management Education

1) Title of Good Practice in Management Education

Student-Centered Learning

2) Reason for selecting the title stated above

• In general, the School has a good educational system – high emphasis is given to hands-on experience and a wide range of Student Centered Learning (SCL) approaches is employed.
• The School as well as the University, has been funding research and the output of research is tangible.
• There is big emphasis on internationalization with a couple of notable programs such as Exchange mobility program, Erasmus program, etc.
• The School has been in operation since 2008/2009 and quite a number of continuous improvements were deployed since then.

4. Matter to be noted

Among the matters to be noted are:

• The School needs to develop aggressive promotion to increase the number of students both at national and international level.
• The number of teaching hours is too high, there is a need to reconsider this.
• Sabbatical leave should be implemented.
• The School needs to have a structured PDCA cycle in the system.
• There is a need to align the 5 year-plan and business plan for UniKL Business School with its ABEST21 Action Plan II and II.
• So much of emphasis is given to Entrepreneurship but it’s not reflected in the Learning Outcomes.
• The School needs to increase the number of administrative staff.
• h. The School needs to have 1 dedicated staff for research.

5. The Peer Review Team

6. The Peer Review Schedule

II. PRT Comments on the Self-Check/Self-Evaluation Analysis

1. The School’s Mission Statement and Strategies

1) The School’s Mission Statement

The School’s mission is:

• To produce top-notch graduates who are committed and dedicated in the field of business and entrepreneurship.
  The development and refinement of the mission and goal is done via:
• Annual management review at University level that is conducted to evaluate and review the university achievement.
• The input comes from all campuses under UniKL, the outcomes are being shared with all campuses.
• The quality of program delivery is monitored through the Board of Study, appointed experts from industries, Program Advisor and External Examiner, and Centre of Quality Assurance.
  To ensure that the graduates’ attributes correspond to the competencies required of the future employers and community, inputs are gathered from the following sources:
• Industrial Advisor and External Examiner for program evaluation;
• Feedback from companies during business project presentation or report.

The mission statement is clear but there are no courses related to Entrepreneurship in the General MBA program.

2) The School’s Strategies for Quality Improvement

PRT found that in regard to this section, Center for Quality Assurance (CQA) is set up at the university level and this is supported by QA unit at institute or campus level.
Specifically the functions of the CQA are:

• Ensure UniKL Business School complies with quality management system and regulatory requirements.
• Advise UniKL Business School on best practices for quality improvement.
• Keep UniKL Business School updated on the changes in MOE policies and regulatory framework.
  The program success is evaluated based on the external assessment and student feedback. These inputs are then tabled during the School academic meeting, university research and postgraduate committee (URPC), and corrective action measures are structured before being endorsed by the Senate for implementation at postgraduate level.

The development of the curriculum is based on market and societal demands. The process involves:

• Conducting market survey and document research (for example Malaysia Five year Plan document, Industrial Master Plan, and etc.)
• Appointment of Board of Study comprising experts from academia with a doctorate degree and experienced industry members who have been in the industry for 5 years.

Academic staff members are exposed to Pedagogy Training comprising 4 modules to ensure that they are in touch with the development of new teaching and assessment methods. The 4 modules are:

• Module 1: Outcome-based Education
• Module 2: Effective Teaching
• Module 3: Assessment
• Module 4: Microteaching within 6 months after employment to ensure that they are equipped with the latest innovative teaching and learning and assessment methods.
  The delivery methods are focused on Student-Centered Learning (SCL):

• Face to face delivery
• Collaborative learning
• Self-directed learning (i.e. inclusive Non-Face-to-Face activities)
• Cooperative learning techniques
• Problem-based learning and Project-based learning
• Technology-based delivery, such as online methods and mobile system
• Experiential learning methods such as fieldwork, project-based learning, and on-site learning visits

The delivery methods used must be appropriate to the PLOs and CLOs.
The School has clear strategies for quality improvement.

3) Humanizing the School’s Management Education

The School humanizes its MBA program by not only developing people skills, but also promoting ethics and values that will empower the community, society, and the environment.
In sum, the School attempts to produce the MBA graduates who are socially conscious. Apart from that, students and staff are encouraged to join various CSR programs conducted by the Student Development and Campus Lifestyle (SDCL) Division. Some examples of the activities conducted were feeding the homeless, donation drive for orphans and children of the poor, helping to repair and renovate dilapidated houses for the poor etc.
UniKL care is formed to promote university activity in community engagement. One of the activities conducted by this unit is to help the flood victims in north Malaysia. Malaysia experiences monsoon season each year with some parts suffering from major floods.
Most of these activities are organized at University level. It’ll good if the School can organize more relevant CSR initiatives at the School level itself. The aspect of “humanizing” can also be embedded at the course level.

4) Collaborating with Industries in Management Education

The School has engaged with strategic industrial partners. The objectives of these collaborations are to leverage on the latest technology development and to gauge the resources and skills needed. Among the industry collaborations are:

Comments: Although such industry collaborations are claimed by the School, it would be nice if evidences are provided to see to what extend these activities benefit the MBA students as well as the teaching staff. The School should also look into increasing the number of industry partners. There is an opportunity for the School to develop joint cases and conduct action research with the industry.

5) Globalizing the School’s Management Education

Several attempts have been made by the School to globalize its program. These are:

• Co-hosting an international conference with Australian Academy of Business Leadership (AABL) and Society of Inter-disciplinary Business Research (SIBR) for the last few years until now. The conference provides networking opportunities and exchange of research ideas with academicians from other countries.
• Appointment of external examiners from other universities and establishment of the program assessor committee including industry representatives to evaluate all programs in UniKL Business School.
• Experts are also invited to UniKL Business School to evaluate Business Project 2 supervised by the lecturers.
• Encouraging UniKL Business School academic staff members to attend international seminars, conferences and trainings and organizing knowledge sharing session to share the knowledge gained.
• Invitation of local and foreign Professors as keynote speakers for the conferences organized by UniKL Business School.
• Encouraging staff mobility program with other partner universities where international lecturers from various countries such as Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Bangladesh, Syria and Yemen are invited as teaching staff.
• Engage in inbound and outbound Erasmus project where MBA local students are given the opportunity to undergo exchange program with universities such as UTS, Australia, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia, Masaryk University, Czech Republic etc.
  Comments:
  The activities developed by the School to cater for globalization are commendable. Such activities will enrich the student learning and help the students to understand diverse cultures. Student mobility program is more applicable for undergraduates, so the School can look into the opportunity to increase postgraduate student mobility.

2. The School’s Educational and Research Activities

Chapter 1 Internal Quality Assurance

Standard 1: Administration and Governance

Criterion 1.1: From Chart 1, administrative system for operations is in place. Although the School has mentioned earlier that Center of Quality Assurance (CQA) is set up at university level and this is supported by QA unit at institute or campus level, however it is unclear how QA tickles down to MBA program. It is highlighted by the School that they are shorthanded since only 2 staff members are assigned to the postgraduate office. The top management should look into this issue to make sure a proper quality assurance is maintained.
Criterion 1.2: There are mechanisms established to meet this criterion. Regular monthly meetings are held to handle routine matters such as timetable scheduling, new applications, exam results and other matters are discussed for recommendation by the Postgraduate Committee members within the School. Any non-routine issues are also discussed and solutions proposed. These issues will then be escalated to Institute for Postgraduate Studies (IPS) for approval by University Research Postgraduate Committee (URPC) meeting and sent to the Senate Meeting for endorsement by the Senate members. The School has 3 main meetings on a monthly basis – Management, Academic and Postgraduate Studies. These meetings should be done in a consistent manner to ensure issues are discussed and resolved in a timely manner.
Criterion 1.3: It is a good practice that every meeting is recorded in minutes by the postgraduate executive, and then distributed to relevant parties in postgraduate school, IPS and campus research institute.
Criterion 1.4: Not applicable.
Criterion 1.5: There are proper administrative and governance systems in place. The Dean of the School manages the human resources, finance, procurement, information technology, administration & facilities management and quality assurance. On the other hand, the academic services report to the Deputy Dean of Academics. The postgraduate school has a head of section who reports directly to the Deputy Dean of Academics.
Criterion 1.6: The University has appointed a panel of assessors to carry out the audit function of overseeing its education and research activities. The panel assessors for UniKL Business School are partners from an international audit firm (Ernst & Young) and local audit firm (Salihin & Co).
Criterion 1.7: Senior Manager of Finance and Administration conducts monthly meetings where issues are discussed and solutions provided. Meetings are recorded in minutes and outstanding issues are followed up in the following meeting. The School undergoes an internal audit of its administrative operations to ensure standard operating guidelines are adhered to. The internal auditors of UniKL will present and discuss the results of the audit with the Dean of the School. The last audit report was dated 28 February 2018. It’s a good practice that should be continued.
Criterion 1.8: The human resource component is managed by People Management and Team Culture (PMTC) unit. Administrative staff will be sent for training from time to time to enhance their skills. Infrastructure Development Training, Counselling – 5S (workplace organization method), Site maintenance, construction and site security, Video conferencing, Customer service, new staff on board training are some of the training opportunities provided.
The performance management systems (PMS) are in place to monitor staff performance. Every staff member has KPI to achieve. The immediate supervisors are required to discuss the ratings with the staff whereby a final evaluation marks are agreed on before the evaluations are escalated to higher management. The annual performance review helps to highlight areas for improvement for the staff.

Standard 2: Self-Check/Self-Evaluation

Criterion 2.1: The students are required to evaluate the lecturer and the course at the end of the semester via ECITIE, an online application for academic matters. Electronic Campus Information Exchange (ECITIE) is designed to support and improve education management by providing a comprehensive and integrated system for the entire community. Students will use this system to evaluate the lecturers and the courses taken at the end of the semester. The areas of evaluation include the lecturer’s commitment, teaching capabilities and interaction. Other areas of evaluation are course assessment and course content. Other complaints will be handled on an ad hoc basis by the Head of Section and support staff. However the School has no peer review assessment in place.
Criterion 2.2: The students’ evaluation on ECITIE can be viewed by the lecturer, head of section, quality assurance, deputy dean of academics and the dean. There is no mechanism to discuss with the lecturers on how to improve their teaching based on the students’ evaluation.
Criterion 2.3: Students’ complaints about the lecturers or courses are investigated by the Head of Section and appropriate actions are taken. The Head of Section will report the results of the investigation during the Postgraduate Committee meetings or during the monthly School Academic Meeting. As highlighted by the School, it is important if the management can provide a formal form for students’ complaints. Comments: There is no clear indication as to the use of self-analysis to improve education quality.
Criterion 2.4:

• The principal stakeholders are Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKLW).
• The involvement of the major stakeholders in the formulation and renewal of the mission and educational programs is through the University Council and Board, comprised of representatives from the principal stakeholders, authorities, industry and education fraternity.
• The results of self-check and analysis are disclosed during the meeting with the principal stakeholders.
• Inquiries from students, parents, companies are handled via emails or letters as appropriate. Authority bodies – Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA)/Ministry of Education (MOE) are involved through consultation and compliance to requirements.
• The Dean of School on a periodic basis shares the results of the School with the staff.

Comments: The School should look into systematic monitoring of the stakeholders’ feedback.

Standard 3: Improvement of Education and Research Environment

Criterion 3.1: Currently the School has only informal process based on ad hoc self-evaluation. PDCA system has yet to be introduced and implemented.
Criterion 3.2: Since there is no PDCA system, issues are raised during monthly meetings.
Criterion 3.3: No plan is established to solve the issues for improvement.
Criterion 3.4: There is no formal checking system. This is only done during postgraduate meetings.

Chapter 2 Mission Statement

Standard 4: Mission Statement

Criterion 4.1: The School has stated its mission to be the leading entrepreneurial technical university with a vision to produce more entrepreneurs from the university.

• Master of Business Administration was offered by the School to produce highly qualified graduates ready to face the challenges in managing local and international business.
• The program offers several electives in the field of entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, organizational behavior and general business management with the aspiration to equip students with relevant knowledge to successfully run business ventures and support economic growth.

Comments: The above is very much relevant to MBA with Entrepreneurship specialization. The General MBA program does not have any core or elective courses related to Entrepreneurship. The mission statement should be considered at all the program level.
Criterion 4.2: In an attempt to align its mission and vision with the aim of nurturing highly skilled professionals in management who are able to meet the needs of globalization, the curriculum is designed by:

• Embedding entrepreneurship elements in technical subjects
• Introducing professional certification in the program structure, where applicable
• Enhancing research activity
• Intensifying globalization through “We for Asia” program and ISEM/Erasmus Mundus (Outbound and Inbound).

Criterion 4.3: Generally the mission statement is in line with the views of its stakeholders.

• Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and the Ministry Responsible for MARA are the main principal stakeholders of UniKL.
• University Council and Board, comprised of representatives of the principal stakeholders, authorities, industry and education fraternity are involved in the formulation and renewal of the mission and educational programs.

Comments: Besides the above stakeholders, it would be ideal if alumni and current students are included.
Criterion 4.4: Not applicable.
Criterion 4.5: The appropriate dissemination of the mission statements is seen. It is done through posters, UniKL Diaries, staff handbook,
induction programs for new staff, engagement with new students, UniKL program information booklet, UniKL Websites, prospectus, and annual reports.
Criterion 4.6: University achievement is reviewed and evaluated annually where the input comes from all campuses under UniKL, and the outcomes are shared with all campuses.

• The quality of program delivery is monitored through the Board of Study, appointed experts from industries, and Program Advisor and External Examiner.

Standard 5: Mission Imperatives

Criterion 5.1: The MBA program is offered to students with diverse cultural and ethnic background. In addition, international students are also allowed to embark on this program. International students that have taken the MBA program are from Syria, Morocco, Bangladesh, Japan, Algeria, Poland and Uzbekistan.
Criterion 5.2:

• The School’s mission supports that of the parent university by embedding entrepreneurial elements in its syllabi and encouraging the students to participate in entrepreneurial activities organized by Technoputra, a special unit set up to organize seminars, workshops and talks by entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial bodies.
• In addition this unit also organizes booth sales, competitions related to entrepreneurship. Postgraduate students are also involved in cultural activities organized by University International Office (UIO).

Criterion 5.3:

• To embrace the mission statement, the School has incorporated components in the courses for real interaction with industry players by giving assignments such as:
  • Designing business plans
  • Set up a virtual company and sell products
  • Prepare the financial statements for the virtual companies.
• Additional projects are given by lecturers that require students to interact with the industry in order to complete their projects. E.g. students are required to collect data and perform Cost Volume Profit Analysis using real company data. The students are required to prepare and present the report on the analysis, which includes study on fixed and variable costs, break-even point. The company owners, especially from the small companies, appreciate the data presented. As part of program requirement, the students have to prepare and present a real business model under two specific courses “Business Project 1” and “Business Project 2” undertaken for a period of 14 weeks each. Business Project 1 requires the students to pick a real company; prepare and present a report on the company’s background, main businesses, and do SWOT analysis. In Business Project 2, students are required to think of solutions and recommendations for the weaknesses identified in the Business Project 1 paper.
  The students are then required to present their findings and recommendations to company representatives either on campus or at the business office.
  Comments: These are some good approaches of the School.

Criterion 5.4:

• In developing the Program Objectives and Program Outcomes that are supportive of the University’s mission and vision, the School ensures that the objectives and outcomes would focus on more hands-on competency, utilizing experienced industry resources, adhering to industrial standard equipment and facilities.
• Selected courses are designed and developed as per the university’s academic requirements of having the entrepreneurship element.
• Students are exposed to business practice through the entrepreneurship activities and Business Project 1 and 2.
• Team building activity is organized by the MBA club.

Comments: The above can be further improved by having more clear and tangible emphasis on entrepreneurship.
Criterion 5.5: In promoting educational and research activities of its faculty members, the UniKL Business School offers the following activities:

• Designing business plans
• Publications both local and international
• Research colloquium
• Participating in local and international conferences
• Graduate Assistance Scheme
• Internal, external and international grants

• Furthermore, lecturers are provided with sufficient time for research and development in their areas of expertise.
• University Research and Postgraduate Committee (URPC) is the platform for all academic issues to be discussed and resolved.

Comments: More budget should be allocated to research to encourage more academic staff to do research.

Standard 6: Financial Strategies

Criterion 6.1: The School generates revenue from academic tuition fees and also receives special grants from government (capital expenditures) for infrastructure development and maintenance. Since its inception in 2010, the School has been performing well and its retained earnings are the alternative source of financing. Nevertheless, the School realizes that its MBA student enrollment is slightly below the set target and to address this issue, it plans to offer offshore MBA program in Indonesia and Thailand.
Criterion 6.2: Currently, some students are financed through MARA loans, a major stakeholder of UniKL. The School is moving towards full tuition fees status by 2020. Other alternative financial assistance is through MYBRAIN (a government incentive specifically for postgraduate studies).
Other financial strategy developed is providing executive programs for the companies. Over the past 10 years, income from industrial training and consultancy has been contributing significantly to the University’s revenue streams.
Comments: The University found that generating income and ensuring consistent income growth ha
s always been a challenging issue. Appropriate measures should be taken to ensure effective cost management strategy and also to explore new sources of income for the School and University. In the pipeline is to collaborate with other bodies like banks to provide funds for the students.
Criterion 6.3: It is found that the School has taken steps to secure adequate budget to realize its mission statement. Head of Campus, Institute, Center and Division are responsible to submit the budget and resource requirements to Finance, Human Capital and Corporate Planning for moderation and consolidation. The School’s budget shall be tabled to Finance Committee for recommendation, and final approval from Board of Directors is sought.
Comments: Having an adequate amount of budget is vital to support University activities. Nevertheless, the speed of budget disbursement is equally important and also needs to be improved.

Chapter 3 Educational Programs

Standard 7: Learning Goals

Criterion 7.1: The development of MBA program learning outcomes is according to the domains of Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF). The stated MQA’s Learning Outcomes are effective, ethical and dynamic managers and entrepreneurs who will have the prerequisites to manage various business activities in the industry, work in teams to solve various business and management problems, and have the required foundation to embark in continuous learning for self-improvement.
Criterion 7.2: Several parties are consulted in the development of the learning outcomes. They are:

• Dean, Head of Section (HoS) (Postgraduate), School Curriculum Committee (SCC), URPC and QA, Senate
• Board of Studies (BoS) (representatives from industry and academicians from other HEP)
• SCC, URPC, QA, Senate
• MQA Audit (to get approval and accreditation on the program)
• MOHE Audit (to fulfil the requirements of the higher educational standard).

Comments: Stakeholders’ feedback is taken into consideration in developing learning goals, but there is also a need to include students and alumni opinion.
Criterion 7.3: As mentioned in 7.2, this process has been taking place, where stakeholders’ feedback is gathered to assist in setting the learning goals.
Criterion 7.4: Learning goals for the MBA program are disseminated in various forms. Among them are:

• Full day briefing with the postgraduate students attended by the Dean, Head of Postgraduate section and lecturers.
• Class meeting at the beginning of the semester
• Learning goals are available to view online on the “Virtual Learning” portal accessible to the students taking the program.

UniKL has yet to publish the summary for each course offered on the website.
Criterion 7.5:

• The quality assurance unit (QA) conducts periodic program review workshops with the academicians to update the learning goals and syllabi.
• The results of the review are cascaded to Centre of quality assurance (CQA) at university level who will collaborate with Centre for Instructional Technology (CITC).

Criterion 7.6: This is achieved through:

• Course structure provided during the registration day.
• System of ECITIE (electronic campus information exchange) that provides the students with a study plan to guide them.
• Academic advisor assigned by Head of section.

Criterion 7.7:

• To enhance communication among students, faculty, and staff, and provide academic assistance to students to help them achieve their goals, the School has set up social media accounts for easy interaction with the staff and lecturers.
• Under “students development and lifestyle” department, the students may obtain counselling services, education financing loans or scholarships, health insurance, accommodation.
• Support staff assisting in postgraduate academic matters is located at Gurney Campus office to assist students with possible issues. From time to time the postgraduate section will send emails to inform students of seminars, workshops and competitions related to their program.

Standard 8: Curriculum Policy

Criterion 8-1: The curriculum policy is defined by Centre for Instructional Technology and Curriculum (CITC) at the university level. The policy is available at the staff portal.
Criterion 8-2: The mechanisms are established to review the curriculum by appointment of subject experts and Program Evaluation by BoS and students’ feedback. Specifically:

• An external examiner is appointed and is responsible to monitor and evaluate the program’s quality and relevance.
• A panel of advisors (BoS) from relevant industries is formed to review the program.
• Syllabi are reviewed by the department staff to ensure the curriculum is up-to-date
• Student evaluation of staff is conducted every semester to enhance teaching effectiveness
• Curriculum Review Committee discusses and implements measures to improve and develop the program and faculty.

Criterion 8-3: The curriculum policy takes into consideration opinions and feedback from representatives from the relevant industries, academia as well as the government agencies.
Criterion 8-4: The policy is reviewed from time to time. The policy can be viewed on staff portal and updated policies are uploaded in the shared documents folder on the portal.

Standard 9: Management of Curriculum

Criterion 9-1: UniKL’s Curriculum is designed in accordance with the University’s SOP-04 New Program Approval which is developed by the Centre for Instructional Technology & Curriculum Development (CITC).

• The process of the Curriculum design encompasses activities at various levels at the branch campuses committee that includes representatives from the relevant industries, academia as well as the government agencies.
• The curriculum will then be tabled to the URPC and University Senate that will give its approval for CQA to submit to MQA (Malaysian Quality Assurance).

Criterion 9-2: As shown in Appendix E, it is found that the curriculum of MBA program has incorporated both the theoretical and practical aspects and they are in line with the School’s mission statement and follow the current trends in management education and research.
Criterion 9-3: In ensuring that the students acquire expertise, advanced professional skills, advanced levels of scholarship, high ethical standards, and a broad international perspective which are necessary for management professionals, the course content of the respective subjects embeds these required skills as shown in Appendix F.
Criterion 9-4: Appropriate core courses are identified to provide a foundation necessary for management education and research at the MBA program.
Criterion 9-5: There is a process in place to review the curriculum systematically and update it periodically. The School reviews its curriculum every 3-5 years. Self-review process at UniKL Business School is as follows:
a) School level – Curriculum Review Committee and Board of Examination (involving External Examiners)
b) University level – Centre for Quality Assurance (CQA).
A periodic review of assessment on MBA program is conducted to identify shortcomings of the program and to devise corrective measures. Outcome of the review will be forwarded to IRPS and presented at URPC meeting for endorsement and necessary action.
CQA will:

• Ensure that UniKL Business School to complies with quality management system and external regulatory requirements
• Advise UniKL Business School on best practices for quality improvement
• Keep UniKL Business School updated on the changes in MOE (Ministry of Education) policies and regulatory framework.

Criterion 9-6: Dedicated lecturers are assigned to core, major and elective subjects offered by the MBA program. However, no credit transfers are allowed. No internship duration is required. Attempt has been made by the University to apply for APEL C from the MQA, so in the future there might be credit transfer for the MBA program.
Criterion 9-7: Each faculty member in charge of each course is responsible to have case studies, discussions, debates etc. in accordance to the syllabus given. The students are required to do field work for data collection in order to complete their course. The lecturers are required to prepare a coursework file where they will document activities and samples of the students’ work. At the end of each semester, the Quality Assurance will collect these files for record purposes. The program has a good blended teaching and learning approach.
Criterion 9-8: No distance education is offered, however, plans are in the pipeline to collaborate with overseas universities on this matter.
Criterion 9-9: The School has taken necessary measures to ensure that the curriculum design and review processes include comments and feedback from relevant stakeholders. In designing the curriculum, Board of Studies was created to provide the relevant feedback. For the MBA the Board of Studies includes the following members:

Criterion 9-10: The School acknowledges the need to have its curriculum to be reviewed more frequently to ensure the syllabi follow the current trend.

Standard 10: Improvement of Educational Quality

Criterion 10-1: The School has designed a study planner for each program offered where the students can view the core, major and elective subjects they are required to complete before graduation. In research-based studies, each student will be assigned an academic supervisor to guide them with the academic matters. It is proposed that student is given a choice to select the academic supervisor.
Criterion 10-2: The School assigns 42 face to face contact hours for every course under MBA, and there are 6 consultation hours per week.
Criterion 10-3: Table 10-3-1 shows time schedules and credit limits per semester. They seem to be in line with those proposed by other local universities.

Criterion 10-4: The standards for calculating grades and evaluating academic performance are outlined in the “Postgraduate Rules and Regulations” book and complemented by “Course Design & Delivery Handbook” by CITC (Centre for Instructional Technology and Curriculum). The course grading system is based on the following table:

Criterion 10-5: Once results from the course are obtained through exams and coursework, they will be keyed in by the lead lecturers. The results will be tabled by the Head of Section during the postgraduate meeting at the School level. These results will be cascaded upwards to URPC meeting and finally approved by Senate members. There is no system provided where the results are moderated by the subject matter experts before being keyed in in the system.
Criterion 10-6: Quota on the number of students registered to a course set by the School is 30. This is to ensure that quality level of education can be delivered to the students.
Criterion 10-7: The School has prepared a detailed syllabus for each course taken in the program.
Criterion 10-8: The quality assurance will ensure that the syllabi are reviewed every 3-5 years under program board review exercise. This exercise will include all relevant academicians and quality assurance staff.
Criterion 10-9: The Postgraduate Rules and Regulation book outlines the guidance needed by the students. The Postgraduate Rules and Regulation book is provided to the students during registration time. The book and all materials given to the students are prepared in English for ease of use.
Currently, there are no distance learning students under this program.
Criterion 10-10: The students’ attendance records, marks, credits completed and academic grades are available on ECITIE student portal by course taken and segmented by semesters.
Criterion 10-11: Currently there are no shortened programs offered by the School.

Standard 11: Diploma Policy

Criterion 11-1: Student must achieve the minimum grade and complete all the courses required as per the guidelines set by MQA.
Criterion 11-2: Policy is defined in Postgraduate Rules and Regulation.
Criterion 11-3: Diploma policy is established in Postgraduate Rules and Regulation.
Criterion 11-4: The School has considered the stakeholder opinions together with Board of Studies in setting the policy.
Criterion 11-5: There is no system for the School to review its diploma policy periodically.

Standard 12: Learning Outcomes’ Review

Criterion 12-1: Formal continuous assessment during the semester which includes quizzes, assignments, mid semester exams and final semester exams are done by lecturers. Formative assessment is also practiced during the learning process whereby the students are encouraged to be interactive in class.
Criterion 12-2: The School has incorporated a “Learning Outcomes Attainment System” (LOAMS) in the staff portal where at the end of each semester grades obtained in all assessments are analyzed. Reports can be generated which shows the attainment percentage of the learning outcomes. At the moment it is available for undergraduate programs. The School is planning to incorporate LOAMS for postgraduate programs as well. However the LOAMS system has yet to be utilized by the MBA program.
Criterion 12-3: At the moment, the School has only informal channel for feedback from students and alumni. There is a need to have a formal system to capture this. The School proposed to do tracer studies for the alumni.
Criterion 12-4: The School has yet to review the learning goals systematically based on the results of examination of the learning outcomes.
Criterion 12-5: There is no system available to review the educational program systematically based on the results of examination of the learning outcomes.

Standard 13: Globalization of Educational Programs

Criterion 13-1: There is high emphasis on internationalization with a couple of notable programs such as Exchange mobility program, Erasmus program, etc.
Criterion 13-2: The School has invited several foreign lecturers/researchers to give talks. The details are in the Table below:

The School hopes that in the future this could be carried out via virtual learning and/or webinar should be carried out and practice.
Criterion 13-3: Through Erasmus+ program and collaboration project with the partner universities, a number of visiting lecturers, professors and non-academic staff have come to UBIS for job-shadowing activities, and special lectures and/or classes have been conducted. For example in 2018,
there were 2 visiting professors from University of Dimitrie Cantemir, Romania who delivered 8 hours of teaching and special class sessions.
Similarly, 6 academic staff members from the School had taken an 8 hours’ teaching and staff training – 2 in Poland, 2 in Denmark, and 2 in Romania. Secondly, there were 26 students and 2 lecturers from Denmark, who came to the School for sit-in lecture session with existing students.
Thirdly, 3 universities from Indonesia had visited and conducted special seminar sessions with undergraduate and postgraduate students. One of the special seminars was for the academic staff on teaching methods, i.e. problem-based learning. Fourthly, 47 students from STIE Multi Data Palembang (MDP Business School) visited Gurney Campus. There was knowledge sharing session on Entrepreneurship Opportunities and Postgraduate Studies with Dr. Morni Hayati. However, in the future the School would like to improve on this section. An appropriate number of committees is to be involved for the project, and it needs close ties, stewardship and enforcement on the part of the academic staff in order to make them aware of the partnership opportunities and to create/maintain good rapport.
Criterion 13-4: Foreign students obtain all information prior to their arrival from the University International Office, City Campus (Chancellery). Upon arrival, transportation and lodging will be arranged by the University International Office (UIO) and UBIS assisted by the local students called International UBIS Buddies. The foreign students’ academic matters will be arranged by the Head of Section of International Partnership, UBIS assisted by the School’s academic and administrative support. During the foreign students’ stay in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, these buddies will help them with academic, lodging and transportation matters. Nevertheless the School found that the number of local students who volunteer to be buddies is limited due to their low self-esteem and language barriers.

Chapter 4 Students

Standard 14: Student Profile

The table below shows the breakdown of the number of full-time and part-time students enrolled. Generally the number of full-time students has declined from 70 in 2016 to 46 in 2017. However the enrollment of part-time students appeared to increase.

Attempts are being made to increase the number of students, especially from neighboring countries.
Criterion 14-2: No entrance exam is required.
Criterion 14-3: Malaysian Quality Assurance (MQA) body determines the entry requirements (following the program standard) and which institutions are accredited. The University’s Centre of Quality Assurance (CQA) based on the information from MQA periodically updates the list of institutions accredited.

Standard 15: Admission Policy

Criterion 15-1: The admission policy requires that the applicant has obtained at least a CGPA of 2.50/4.00 at the first degree level or equivalent from recognized institutions.
Criterion 15-2: The admission policy is clearly defined in the university website and brochures.
Criterion 15-3: The admission policy and selection criteria are clearly stated in brochures and marketing materials.
Criterion 15-4: The admission policy is reviewed by Marketing, Student Recruitment & Admission Department- MESRA (Headquarters) from time to time.

Standard 16: Student Selection

Criterion 16-1: Interested students are required to complete the application forms online which will be filtered by the University’s Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPS). The filtered applications will be sent to the School. The School will table the application in the Postgraduate meeting for approval. Once approved, the postgraduate office will issue the offer letter to the successful students.
Criterion 16-2: The students that have been selected must meet the required criteria. These students will be given an offer letter.
Criterion 16-3: The School accepts all qualified applicants regardless of gender, race and nationalities.
Criterion 16-4: No entrance exam or interview is conducted.
Criterion 16-5: All qualified applicants are accepted.
Criterion 16-6: Upon advice from Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education and Malaysian Quality Assurance body, the University’s Centre of Quality Assurance (CQA) will update the admission policy through MESRA department.

Standard 17: Student Support

Criterion 17-1: The students may obtain a list of financial sponsors from the Student Development, Culture and Lifestyle (SDCL) department and seek their assistance to apply for study loans or scholarships. The postgraduate office also offers work-study scheme for interested students.
Criterion 17-2: The School has dedicated 2 full-time staff members and assigned academic advisor to each student in order to handle the inquiries regarding academic matters, career guidance and studying abroad. Additionally the students may seek consultation from the University’s Institute of Postgraduate Studies for options to further their studies.
Criterion 17-3: Support services available for students under the SDCL unit are:

• Counselling (personal, family, psycho-social, etc.) and Career Guidance
• Health Services – Insurance
• Welfare services – Loan applications
• Sports activities – intercampus sports competition.

The School has a counselling unit under Students’ Development, Culture and Lifestyle department (SDCL). Three counsellors are available (2 men and 1 woman). The counselors have professional training and maintain professionalism and ethics. Private counselling rooms are available complete with sufficient assessment tools and inventories. Services include academic, financial, career and personal issues. The University International Office Services also support application / renewal of student pass and provides consultation on academic and non-academic matters.
Criterion 17-4: The University has set up University International Office (UIO) to assist international students in matters related to application / renewal of student pass, academic and non-academic issues. The School’s Student Development, Culture and Lifestyle unit also provides the support.
Criterion 17-5: The Student Development, Culture and Lifestyle (SDCL) unit is headed by a Deputy Dean. The SDCL unit has regular meetings to address issues and find solutions.

Standard 18: Student Incentive

Criterion 18-1: Each semester, a student can be nominated for the President’s award. The nomination must be from the Postgraduate Committee Meeting members and presented to the University Research and Postgraduate Study (URPC) for approval before being cascaded upwards to the Senate for final approval. The criteria for this award are outlined in the senate paper 2/2005.
Criterion 18-2: Students involved in social activities are given certificate of participation from the School.
Criterion 18-3: The Head of Section acts as the academic advisor for postgraduate students. Alternatively, the students may book an appointment to meet the School counsellors.
Criterion 18-4: International students will be introduced to the academic programs offered at the institutes during the Welcome briefing Session of programs from UIO (UniKL International Office), Head of Sections and IPS (International Postgraduate Studies). All students have to attend briefing session by the Dean and HOS (Postgraduate) during the registration day. The students also get a full briefing by the librarian to familiarize themselves with the information resources available and how to use the facilities.
Criterion 18-5: The reward system is not within the School’s responsibilities.

Standard 19: Student Diversity

Criterion 19-1: The School has experienced an increase in the enrollment number of foreign students – from only 2 students in 2016 to 12 students in 2017.

The percentage of international students as compared to local is increasing.
Criterion 19-2: The marketing department together with some lecturers will market at local international education booths from time to time. The School also plans to negotiate collaboration with universities from China and Indonesia to attract more foreign students.
Criterion 19-3: Support is given through the postgraduate office (full-time staff) and UniKL International Office. Financial support is only available to local students via MARA loan and MYBRAIN – a government initiative.
Criterion 19-4: The School has student exchange program ERASMUS or UniKL’s “International Student Exchange Mobility” (ISEM) where students are given a chance to study at partner universities for one semester. ERASMUS is a sponsored program whereby ISEM is either self-sponsored or local students can obtain sponsorship from MARA provided they meet the eligibility criteria. However the School found that there is a need to intensify efforts to seek funding from alternative channels.
Criterion 19-5: The program is managed by the Head of Section who together with the campus coordinator under “International, Industrial and Institutional Partnership” unit provide support for students who want to embark on the university exchange program.
Criterion 19-6: The foreign partner universities are reviewed by the University’s top management together with International, Industrial and Institutional unit.

Chapter 5 Faculty

Standard 20: Faculty Structure

UniKl Business School is keen to hire qualified faculty members by selecting members who have real industrial experiences, have an ethical and innovative teaching capacity and adequate academic qualifications. This is the continuous effort for the School to achieve overall educational outcomes and objectives.
Criterion 20-5: Majority of the participating faculty member is aged between 30 and 40 years. In addition, there are more male faculty members than female. There are only 7 foreign participating faculty members out of 119.

Standard 21: Faculty Qualifications

Criterion 21-1: The School ensures that the above criterion is achieved by securing a sufficient number of faculty members. UniKL Business School hired a sufficient number of full-time members in order to deliver the educational programs as per the mission statement. These full-time members are employed to teach core subjects and some possess professional qualifications. UniKl also maintains a reasonable number of part-time members to ensure diversity.
Criterion 21-2: The University’s “People Management and Team Culture” unit has set up standard operating procedures on employment of qualified faculty members.
Criterion 21-3: UniKL Business School’s “People Management and Team Culture” is responsible for ensuring all promotion exercises are in accordance with the promotion policy. All performance matters are reviewed based on Performance Management System, where the academic leadership and scholarship is accessed via sets of Key Result Areas (KRA).
Criterion 21-4: Academic staff is actively involved in developing themselves through research and publications. This can be seen from table 21.4 presented in the document submitted. The School will continue to organize international conferences with SCOPUS-indexed journals. In addition, the School is also actively establishing research collaborations with other research- active and intensive universities. In addition, the University also provides funded programs for staff to pursue their PhDs. There are several faculty members who have completed their doctorates and rejoined the School and have increased the output in order to create a larger talent pool for research-active academics.
Criterion 21-5: Current output per academic staff is estimated to be about 0.25/ paper per year in SCOPUS-indexed journals. UniKL Business School has taken measures such as organizing professorial talks, international academic conferences, grant application workshop as well as others in order to increase the output to 0.50 in the short-term. Long-term target is 1 per academic staff. However, as the School pointed out, there are issues arising under this criterion.
Criterion 21-6: UniKL Business School has several professionally-qualified academics. It is expected that about 25% of academic staff will be both AQ & PQ. At the end of each semester, each lecturer will be evaluated by their students based on their knowledge of the subject matter, delivery skills and other attributes such as punctuality. The School found that many academic staff members are not aware of the importance of being fully registered members of professional bodies as well as active members. A memo is to be released soon to ensure more qualified staff members are registered with various professional bodies as well as engage in continuous professional development. It is expected that about 25% of academic staff will be both AQ & PQ.

Standard 22: Maintenance of Education and Research Environment

Criterion 22-1: The HR policy for the faculty members is a maximum of 36 teaching credit hours for Associate Professor, Senior Lecturers and Lecturers. Professor gets a maximum of 30 teaching credit hours per year. The workload is deemed heavy by the Lecturers.
Criterion 22-2: Avenues are provided for promoting faculty members’ educational and research activities. Among the grants that are secured are: FRGS, Ministry of Education Malaysia, MTDC Mini Social Research Grant, Korean Grant, GABEM, UniKL Short Term Research Grant.
Criterion 22-3: The School has set up Centre of Research Institute (CORI) to manage the research component. The School also has Centre of Instructional Technology and Curriculum Development (CITC) to manage the educational component. At the School level, there are quality assurance unit and research unit to manage these components.
Criterion 22-4: UniKL Business School actively organizes international conferences which are linked to publications in SCOPUS-indexed journals. There are also large numbers of PhD candidates actively conducting research in various areas. The School hopes to be able to increase research grant allocations to academic staff and provide greater levels of funding for attending international conferences.
Criterion 22-5: The faculty members are given a maximum of 36 teaching hours per year (Professor has a maximum of 30 teaching hours per year). The School has 2 long semesters and 1 short semester. The faculty members have the option to focus on research during the short semester by not teaching any classes, or they can teach lesser hours during the long semesters so they can conduct research activities. The assessment on research output is done on a quarterly basis to the TMM as well as on bi-annual basis to MYRA. In addition, full-time academics who are research active are not teaching during the period of May-August, especially those with research grants.
Criterion 22-6: Currently there is no specific sabbatical system.
Criterion 22-7: The School is currently using the University-wide reward system for research output. Each paper in a SCOPUS-indexed journal is given a reward of RM 500, whilst a Q1 article is given a reward of RM 1,000.00. Research component is included in the annual Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for each lecturer. Lecturers who meet the research target or exceed the target will be given higher evaluation marks which in turn contribute to salary increase and promotion. Currently the KPI set does not reflect actual research output rather is based on arbitrary judgements.
Criterion 22-8: The School emphasizes the need for problem-based learning as well as outcome-based education.

Standard 23: Responsibilities of Faculty Members

Criterion 23-2: The School gets access to the educational expertise from the internal and external parties by:

• Organizing International Conferences
• Co-hosting an annual international conference (IMCOM) with SSKU since 2012, where academic staff can develop networks and exchange research ideas with other academicians from other countries
• Experts from other universities (i.e. external examiners) and industries (i.e. program assessor committee) help evaluate all programs offered by the School.

Criterion 23-3: Academicians are recommended to be in office between 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, and minimum office hours required per week are 39 hours. Lecturers must assign a minimum of 6 consultation hours for their students. For support staff, they are required to report for work between 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, Mondays to Fridays.
Criterion 23-4: The University has designed many in-house training for the academicians to improve their knowledge and skills. The training includes: Pedagogy P1: Outcome-based education; Pedagogy P2: Assessment and evaluation; Pedagogy P3: Effective teaching; Pedagogy P4: Microteaching – E-learning. The academic staff have also attended many external training conducted by professional bodies such as Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) and International Centre for Islamic Education (INCEIF). The School from time to time conducts professorial talks by the faculty members.

Standard 24: Faculty Diversity

Criterion 24-1: Seven foreign lecturers are employed to supplement the academic staff for the purpose of diversification and globalization.
Criterion 24-2: Academic staff from the School had undergone 8 hours of teaching and training through Erasmus+ program and collaboration project with the partners. In May 2017 and December 2017, 5 academic lecturers participated in the Erasmus plus program and collaboration project with the partners.
Criterion 24-3: Currently there is no system available to invite visiting teachers with excellent academic performance/special expertise.
Criterion 24-4: This section is not clearly explained by the School since it only mentions that the system is reviewed by the University’s management.

Chapter 6 Educational Infrastructure

Standard 25: Educational Infrastructure

Criterion 25-1: The classrooms are adequate and equipped with smartboards and whiteboards.
Criterion 25-2: Each faculty member is allocated a room or cubicle, complete with desktop computer or laptop equipped with shared internet access and printers. The lecturers are also provided with private telephones.
Criterion 25-3: The faculty members can use any of the available meeting rooms or postgraduate classrooms for research purposes. There’s no specific research room available.
Criterion 25-4: There are 2 libraries available.
Criterion 25-5: The School maintains an office equipped with telephones, fax and printers for support staff. Two dedicated staff members manage the students’ documentation and inquiries and there is one employee each for maintenance and IT management.
Criterion 25-6: Postgraduate students are provided with a specific study/computer room and lounge for discussions and group study. This room is also equipped with 3 computer terminals with internet connection. Besides the sitting facilities provided in the libraries, the campus is also equipped with tables and chairs outdoors for discussion purposes. The café area can also be used for discussion purposes. A photocopy facility is available on the ground floor of the Gurney campus. Other infrastructure includes prayer rooms for both male and female students, on-site cafe and free parking for the students.
Criterion 25-7: The tech support staff performs regular maintenance on the internet facilities and smartboards. The administrative staff ensures maintenance of other physical facilities such as classrooms and all its fittings and furniture.

Standard 26: Globalization of Educational Infrastructure

Criterion 26-1: Facilities provided for both local and international students are adequate and appropriate.
Criterion 26-2: Accommodation is not provided for postgraduate students. It is available for undergraduate students only.
Criterion 26-3: The School has provided prayer rooms for female and male Muslim students to facilitate observance of their prayer times. The prayer rooms are equipped with ablution facilities.

III. “The School’s Quality Improvement Plan” Review

1. The School’s Quality Improvement System

Through the SWOT analysis the School has developed a plan to be among the top 250 Business School in Asia (QS ranking) by 2022, which is also in line with the University’s overall aim of being in the top 200 in Asia by 2020. As of 2018, UniKL’s standing is expected to improve further as internal assessment shows improved performance across the board from the rank of 350 – 400 in Asia in 2017. The School is currently awaiting official announcement for full details.
The School’s strategy is to achieve this goal through:

• increasing international presence (reputation) through research collaborations, student & staff outbound mobility/exchange, international student enrolment and organizing conferences with international universities
• membership and accreditation by international bodies (FAA, AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA, ABEST21)
• increase in SCOPUS-indexed publications.

The School is also working towards creating a significant branding by offering a unique differentiation in terms of program offerings and teaching approach. The School is using HTVET (higher technical, vocational educational and training) approach as its branding strategy.
In realizing its aspiration, the School aims to be the fulcrum of UniKL for entrepreneurship and the preferred school for working students and international students. By applying the improvement initiatives, the School hopes to produce competent professionals, well-rounded industry leaders and global entrepreneurs.

2. The School’s Improvement Issues

Chapter 1: Internal Quality Assurance
As mentioned by the School, financial constraints have affected its manpower planning.
Chapter 2: Mission Statement
In achieving the School’s mission and vision, proper measurement methods should be in place. Some suggestions are to develop employer satisfaction index and graduates’ employability.
Chapter 3: Educational Programs
The School needs to keep abreast of the dynamic education environment and expectations. The School will need to organize seminars and develop courses on pedagogical teaching methodology in collaboration with Centre for Instructional Technology and Curriculum (CITC) UniKL.
Chapter 4: Students
Efforts are made by the School to do the following:

• Increase the number of foreign students
• Provide foreign students with more options for study loans or scholarships
• Develop systematic communication with the students, not just informal and on ad-hoc basis
• Assess students’ satisfaction on continuous basis.
  Chapter 5: Faculty

Faculty members have a heavy teaching load of 36 hours/year that limits time for research and book publications. In addition, each lecturer must include at least 1 problem-based learning activity per year.
Chapter 6: Educational Infrastructure
The School has limited IT facilities and library resources. The School must increase smart classrooms equipped with smartboards. Internet speed must be improved.

3. The School’s Improvement Initiatives

Several improvement initiatives for each of the chapters have been laid out by the School to address the above improvement issues. These are:

• Improve marketing strategies in order to attract local as well as foreign students by providing access to more study loans and scholarships. Some initiatives that have been introduced are:
  • “Adopt a school” initiative where each lecturer is required to adopt a school from the list of targeted schools and conduct career talks and promote UniKL to the students.
  • Being accredited by Malaysian Quality Assurance body, under Ministry of Education of Malaysia. UniKL Business School’s Master of Business Administration received its accreditation from MQA in May 2012. MQA will review its accreditation from time to time. UniKL’s Centre for Quality Assurance (CQA) arranges for the review date with MQA.
  • Working on international accreditation from ABEST21, FAA (Finance Accreditation Agency) and AACSB.
  • Offer a unique MBA program designed for entrepreneurs, and those involved with human resource and Islamic finance and also for those who wish to take up entrepreneurial path in the future. The program aims to develop strategic thinking skills for entrepreneurs or corporate leaders.
  • Hire new faculty members that possess both relevant academic and industrial experience.
  • Commit to providing High Technical and Vocational Education and Training (HTVET) which serves as the fundamental basis of UniKl’s direction in the development of skills for productivity and sustainable competitiveness in a global economy.
• Design program that ensures that UniKl’s graduates have following attributes:
  • Knowledgeable, competent and innovative
  • Effective leaders with team work skills, as well as verbal and non-verbal interpersonal communication skills
  • Committed towards the importance of lifelong learning and continuous improvement
  • Professional, ethical and socially responsible
  • Capable of embarking on business technopreneurial activities.
• Emphasize on innovative teaching and learning to address the various learning needs of the digital generation and support the aspiration of the School to have graduates with the above attributes. The innovative teaching and learning consists of Teaching Factory, E-learning, Online assessments, Experiential Learning, Active learning – Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Project-Oriented Problem-Based Learning (POPBL) & Cooperative Learning (CL) and Blended Learning.

4. The School’s Action Plans for three years

The School has established three years’ action plan as follows:

• Action Plan I (April 2019 until March 2020)
• Action Plan II (April 2020 until March 2021)
• Action Plan III (April 2021 until March 2022)

In addition, the School has also developed its 5 year-plan. This 5 year plan implies the following:

• The School operates as a business entity and is expected to generate revenue to be financially sustainable and remain relevant through consultancy, conducting short courses and specialized trainings. In addition to securing grants, funds and development projects would also strengthen the existence and reputation of the School.
• Position the School to be among the top 250 Business School in Asia and Asia Pacific in 5 years’ time (QS ranking), by benchmarking other institutions such as INSEAD, HKUST Business School, NUS Business School, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. In addition, provide unique differentiation in terms of programs’ offering and teaching approach (HTVET). Hence, the business model has to move from traditional academic setting into industrial-driven riding on technology and globalization.
• Additionally, every aspect of the campus operations has to be aligned with the strategic planning of UniKL as a whole and supporting the We4Asia aspiration. In this line of thought, UniKL Business School must operationalize strategies, coordinate activities, develop talent and establish monitoring mechanism to keep track of its operations in order to achieve its KPIs.

In line with the four pillars under We4Asia, UniKL Business School has envisioned differentiating itself as the higher TVET provider that focuses on hands-on approach and problem-based education. This is important because it aims to be reputable in producing graduates who are professionally competent and successful entrepreneurs not only in the country but most importantly at international level.
A transformation plan has been developed to focus on four strategic domains:

1. Academic Excellence

• Offer the program that is industry-based specifically to attract working adults, international students and self-paying students. Hence, the School will focus on offering part-time and weekend classes besides the current full-time programs.
• Implement hybrid approach to teaching that comprises of face-to-face, e-learning and business simulation activities.
• Include professional certification by collaborating with professional bodies such as Islamic Banking and Financial Institute of Malaysia (IBFIM), Chartered Marketing Malaysia (CIM), Malaysia Insurance Institute (MII) and Malaysia Institute of Human Resource Management (MIHRM).
• Secure International Accreditation like ABEST21 (Japan) and AACSB (Singapore).
• Offer modular mode to allow students to concentrate on one subject at a time. This modular structure would be a good selling point especially for self-paying and working students. By working closely with the industry, UniKL Business School would be able to become the preferred choice among the working people. The School plans to differentiate itself with the focus on hands-on approach coupled with its strategic location and APEL A and C.
• Activate research and publications by establishing in-house own journal and converting theses as well as project papers into publications. UniKL Business Schools intend to have weekly columns in the printed media (newspapers), providing perspectives on current issues nationally as well as internationally.

2. Student Experience and Capacity Building

• Produce competent professionals and entrepreneurs. Some measures taken are to require students to register a company (such as an enterprise with SSM) during their candidature with the School.
• Become the fulcrum of UniKL for business and entrepreneurship ventures in which the School will be the center (‘hub’) for all entrepreneurship initiatives and programs including consultancy and training for UniKL.
• Widen the opportunity for international exchange among students and staff through collaborations with foreign universities particularly in Asia, and magnify the School’s existence in the industry and international arena.

3. Industrial Engagement and Partnership

• Work closely with industry partners to incorporate hands-on elements in the teaching and learning approach. For example, the setting up of teaching factory and EduBiz Park at Gurney campus alongside with talks and seminars by renowned corporate figures.
• Commercialize the facilities by getting sponsors from the industry in order to generate income. For example, important rooms will be named after the sponsors for certain period of time. In fact, the logos and brands of industrial partners which team up with the School, especially in Teaching-factory concept and Industrialization, will be displayed around the buildings. Students are encouraged to carry the partners’ logos as advertisement on their shirts or equipment.
• UniKL Business School intends to have its own Industry advisory board to provide the guidance and industry update so that all the programs remain relevant at all times. Captains of the industry will be selected and nominated to the advisory board, which would also conduct leadership speaking engagement series. This would propel UniKL Business School as a prominent contributor to the industry.

4. Employees relations and competency development

• Reinforcing appropriate work culture and relationships building among staff through inter-department projects and recreational programs. The work culture must reflect UniKL’s values – CITIE. However, at this juncture, there is still a lot to be done.

Competency development is required to ensure a high standard of service quality. The School must strengthen its customer service capability, especially with regard to the front-liners.