Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed was conferred the Honorary Doctorate in conjunction with the Asia e University (AeU) 12th Convocation Ceremony today.
He received the honorary doctorate from AeU Chancellor Tan Sri Dr Syed Hamid Albar as a recognition of his outstanding service to the country and the university.
AeU vice-chancellor Professor Tan Sri Dr Nik Mustapha Raja Abdullah said Mustapa served as the Higher Education Minister from 2006 to 2008 and played a pivotal role in championing the establishment of AeU in 2007 under the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996.
“His signature is imprinted on AeU’s founding document, signifying his integral role in our institution’s inception,” Nik Mustapha said.
Meanwhile, Mustapa said this honorary doctorate stands as a testament not only to his personal efforts but also to the transformative potential of education in the country’s dynamic and uncertain landscape.
“A bit of history, I have been associated with AeU since July 2006 when I held the position of Higher Education Minister. That year, Professor Datuk Dr Ansary Ahmed (founder president of AeU) briefed me on the proposed establishment of the university.
“This proposal paper was earlier accepted by the 5th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Ministerial Meeting in Doha, Qatar in May and was presented by Foreign Affairs Minister Tan Sri Dr Syed Hamid Albar, who is now the Chancellor of AeU. The official invitation letter of the establishment, signed by me, was handed to Professor Datuk Dr Ansary in January 2007,” he recalled.
Mustapa expressed his sincere gratitude to Ansary and his team for their foresight and vision to establish a digital university in 2006. After 16 years of existence, more than 15,000 students from over 35 countries have graduated from the remarkable achievement.
At the convocation ceremony, a total of 1,919 graduates received their scrolls, comprising 30 doctoral degrees, 18 doctor of business administration degrees, 922 master degrees, three executive masters, 507 bachelor degrees, 56 diplomas, and five from international foundation programmes.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency