Former Mosti Sec-Gen, Siti Hamisah appointed as UCSI University’s Vice-Chancellor
30 Sep 2021
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 - Professor Datuk Ir. Ts. Dr. Siti Hamisah binti Tapsir has been appointed as the fourth Vice-Chancellor for UCSI University. The appointment of Dr Siti Hamisah takes effect tomorrow (October 1, 2021).
A former civil servant with over 34 years of service in various portfolios within the government under six different ministers, with a longer stint with the Higher Education Ministry, Dr Siti Hamisah is nevertheless a charismatic leader with an envisioning future.
“UCSI University is an established University with great quality of education. I am humble and proud to helm the University towards attaining greater achievements and milestones,” she said.
Dr Siti Hamisah’s last position in the civil service was secretary-general at Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) after spending over three decades in the Higher Education Ministry and a short stint at the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (Mestecc).
Her greatest, and also the most recent, achievement to date was the National Immunisation Programme where she was instrumental in achieving an inoculation rate of 80% amongst Malaysian adults.
Dr Siti Hamisah completed her Diploma in Civil Engineering in Institute Teknologi Mara (now known as University Teknologi Mara) before obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in New England College in the United States. She then worked in the Public Works Department.
She subsequently completed a Masters of Science in Engineering at the University of Lowell, Massachusetts, United States, before obtaining a PhD in Civil Engineering from University of Leeds in 1994.
Siti Hamisah started her career as a lecturer at University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in 1987 before being made dean, and subsequently deputy vice-chancellor in charge of academic matters and internationalisation, in 2006.
In 2009, she took on the offer to be the Deputy Director-General at the Ministry of Higher Education. Over three decades in higher education saw her rose to the role of Higher Education Ministry Director-General.
Some of her initiatives with the Higher Education Ministry include introducing the Malaysian Quality Evaluation System for Private Colleges or MyQuest rating system to evaluate and subsequently improve the performance of private higher education institutions of college status in the country.
She was also instrumental in the implementation of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education). Some of her contribution in the blueprint include introducing the iCGPA, CEO@Faculty programme, and 2u2i programme, among others.