International Islamic University Malaysia

International Islamic University Malaysia
Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia
Logo of the International Islamic University Malaysia
Motto	Taman Ilmu dan Budi (Malay)
Motto in English	The Garden of Knowledge and Virtue
Established	23 May 1983
Type	Public
Chancellor	HRH Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah
President	Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan
Rector	Professor Dato' Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin
Undergraduates	28,065 (2007)
Postgraduates	10,767 (2007)
Location	Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Mascot	athletics =
Affiliations	ASAIHL, ACU, AUAP, FUIW
Website	http://www.iium.edu.my/

The International Islamic University Malaysia (Arabic: الجامعة الإسلامية العالمية ماليزيا‎), also known as IIUM or UIAM, is a public publicly-funded university in Malaysia. Its main campus is located in Gombak, Selangor with its Centre for Foundation Studies situated in Petaling Jaya / Nilai and its medical-centric branch in Kuantan, Pahang. The university is sponsored by eight different governments from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). It is completely distinct from the International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan and International Islamic University in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

The University was established in 23 May 1983, founded on Islamic principles with the aim to become the premier Islamic university in the world. It was meant to be a comprehensive international high education institution, "inspired by the world-view of Tawhid and the Islamic philosophy of the unity of knowledge as well as its concept of holistic education". Islamic values are inculcated into all disciplines. At present, the University offers various bachelor, master's degree and Phd courses at its 13 faculties, also known as kuliyyah.

History

The idea of an international Islamic education institution was first conceived in 1982 by the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad during a special meeting between OIC leaders to establish an international institution for tertiary education based on Islamic principles, known as the Islamization of knowledge. It was then shared with the then Minister of Education, Dato' Amar Dr. Sulaiman Daud; the Director-General of Education, Tan Sri Dato' Hj Murad bin Mohd. Nor and two other persons. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kamal bin Hassan, then of the National University of Malaysia, a senior academic official who attended the meeting, was entrusted with preparing the first working paper on the concept of the university.

IIUM was officially established on 23 May 1983 when the University received its 'Establishment Order' from His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah, after an exchange of Diplomatic Notes of co-sponsorship between the Government of Malaysia and a number of Muslim Governments as well as the OIC. On 1 July 1983, Ahmad Shah was appointed as the first Constitutional Head of the IIUM.

The university's language of instruction was to be English and Arabic, and many of its students would have to come from overseas. As Malaysian law did not allow for this, IIUM was incorporated under the Companies Act of 1965. Thus it became the first international university and the first university in Malaysia to use English as the medium of instruction and administration.

It was officially opened at Petaling Jaya, with the Allahyarham Tun Hussein Onn elected as the first president. The University operates under the direction of a Board of Governors with representatives of the OIC as well as eight sponsoring governments, namely; Malaysia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Libya, Maldives, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Nevertheless, the Constitutional Head, President and Rector of this international university are all Malaysians.

The first batch of 153 students from Malaysia and abroad were enrolled for the first academic session, which started on 8 July 1983. Courses were conducted under the Faculty of Economics, the Faculty of Laws, the Center for Fundamental Knowledge and the Center for Languages. These first batch received their degrees and diplomas during the First Convocation held on 10 October 1987. 68 graduates were conferred Bachelor of Economics (B.Econ) degrees, 56 Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degrees, and 29 Qadis were conferred Diploma in Law and Administration of Islamic Judiciary.

Campus

A view of the main campus

Presently, the university has moved to a sprawling 700 acre (2.8 km²) campus at Gombak, Selangor. The original campus in Petaling Jaya has been converted to a matriculation centre and now known as Centre For Foundation Studies (CFS) for Science and Laws students. IIUM also has newly opened a CFS new campus at Bandar Baru Nilai, Negeri Sembilan for Art students such as BEN, HS, IRK, BAR and ECONOMICS. Apart from these two campuses, IIUM has another two campuses—the Kuala Lumpur Campus at Persiaran Duta, Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan Campus, about 250 km to the east in the state of Pahang. On September 2010, IIUM reported to open new faculties at a new campus in Pagoh, Johor.

IIUM has 13 faculties, called 'kulliyyah' in the University from the Arabic word meaning the same. Two faculties unique to IIUM are the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws (AIKOL) and the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (KIRKHS). Other courses offered include various disciplines of Engineering, Dentistry, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, Architecture, Information Technology, Biomedical Science, Biotechnology, Economics and Management Sciences.

The faculties (kulliyyah) of IIUM are:

• Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws (AIKOL)
• Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (KIRKHS)
• Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences (KENMS)
• Kulliyyah of Engineering (KOE)
• Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design (KAED)
• Kulliyyah of Information and Communication Technology (KICT)
• Institute of Education (INSTED)
• Centre of Languages and Pre-University Academic Development (CELPAD)

The Kuantan campus houses the :

• Kulliyyah of Medicine(KOM)
• Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences (KAHS)
• Kulliyyah of Pharmacy (KOP)
• Kulliyyah of Nursing (KON)
• Kulliyyah of Science (KOS)
• Kulliyyah of Dentistry (KOD)

The Kuala Lumpur campus houses the :

• International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC)
• IIUM International Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF)

The Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS) campuses are located in Petaling Jaya, Selangor and Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.

There are 12 'excellence centres'. Among the notable centres include the IIUM Breast Centre, located in the Kuantan campus and devoted to the research and diagnosis of breast cancer, the number one killer of women in Malaysia.

The Cultural Activity Centre (CAC) is the University's biggest centre, which is significant as a venue for the annual convocation ceremony. The centre also can be converted as an examination venue. Several cultural performances, talks and seminars were held at the centre; but the most notably was the 2003 Asia Pacific Indigenous Plays Festival which featured international cultural performances from Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Japan, and the United States of America.

Facilities

IIUM Library

Today, Universities and colleges are among the most aggressive adopters of WiFi technology in Malaysia. The trend toward more collaborative and open learning environments, fueled by the explosive adoption of mobile devices like laptops, PDAs and Netbooks among students, makes higher education campuses fertile ground for Wireless LAN. In 2008, IIUM has deployed wireless network infrastructure throughout its Gombak and Kuantan campuses. This infrastructure provides pervasive wireless coverage across both campuses. It deliver follow-me connectivity to roaming users, support standard Wi-Fi clients, and deliver high-speed data, toll-quality voice, and streaming video applications.

IIUM is particularly well-known, at least in Malaysia, for its extensive law library and research centre, as well as for producing top-class university debaters; the University was placed seventh in the world varsity rankings in 2003.^{[citation needed]}

Mosque of Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah

The Mosque of Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah lies in the centre of the main campus grounds, interconnected to the rest of the administrative and academic buildings. This is symbolic of the Muslim belief that religious and worldly education are indivisible and inseparable from each other.^{[citation needed]} IIUM is also noted for its gleaming blue-tiled roofs and characteristic sandstone buildings.

Academics

Students

IIUM started with just 153 students in 1983, but today approximately 3,000 students enroll each year.^{[citation needed]} As of 2005, there were approximately 20,000 students from over 40 Muslim majority countries studying in IIUM, as well as students from non-Muslim majority countries (such as Germany, China, Japan, India, United States of America, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Thailand).

Perhaps significantly for an Islamic institution, the ratio of female-to-male students is 3:1.

To date, IIUM has produced 28,065 and 10,767 graduates at bachelor's, and master's and doctorate levels respectively. Of these 38,832 graduates, 4,270 were international students from more than 100 countries. As such, IIUM is recognised by OIC countries as an institution that produces many international graduates.

Having graduates all over the world, IIUM has officially established Alumni Chapters in Thailand, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Maldives, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Singapore. Branches of Alumni Chapters have also been opened in Turkey, China, Nigeria, the Philippines, Yemen, Brunei, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Gambia and the United Arab Emirates.

The main functions of these Alumni Chapters are to promote the concept of humanity and development of the world community, improve relations among members throughout the world, and set up communication networks to develop IIUM and Malaysia in general.

Medium

The medium of instruction is English, with Arabic used in courses related to the study of Islamic sciences like theology, jurisprudence and ethics. Basic Arabic is a compulsory course, even for non-Muslim students. In addition, basic Bahasa Melayu is also compulsory for international students.

Awards and recognition

A view of Bridge on the IIUM River

IIUM has participated on international competitions in the field of debate, public speaking and mooting competitions in regular basis. In 2004 Irma Nur Zahrah Bt. Junian from IIUM won the Public Speaking Competition of World University Debating Championship (WUDC). In 2007, IIUM won the WUDC title for English as a second language. In 2008 world ranking of World Debate website, IIUM had the 14th place among the top universities of the world.

In the field of research, students of IIUM have received recognition at regional and international level by winning gold, silver and bronze medals at various exhibitions and expos, including PENCIPTA, INPEX, ITEX, Geneva and KIPA.

Notable members

Alumni

• Fong Po Kuan, a Member of Parliament in Malaysia for the constituency of Batu Gajah, Perak and a member of the Democratic Action Party, received a law degree from IIUM in 1997.
• Dr. Mohamed Fadzli Hassan, a Member of the Kelantan Legislative Assembly for the constituecyt of Temangan and a member of the parti Islam Semalaysia. Graduated with a law degree.
• Wong Kah Woh, a Member of the Perak Legislative Assembly in Malaysia for the constituency of Canning under Ipoh Timur Parliamentary constituency and a member of the Democratic Action Party. He received his law degree from IIUM in 2004.
• Datuk Haji Mohamed Taulan bin Mat Rasul, a member of the Kedah Legislative Assembly for the constituency of Tokai under Pendang parliamentary constituency and a member of the Parti Islam SeMalaysia, PAS. He received his Law Degree from IIUM in 1988.
• YB Datuk Meor Hashimi Bin Abdul Hamid, State Legal Advisor for the state of Malacca from 2009 till present. Graduated with a law degree in 1990.
• YB Dato' Ahmad Kamal bin Md. Shahid, the Perak State Legal Advisor. Graduated with a Law degree in 1988.
• YB Dato` Anas bin Ahmad Zakie, Kedah Legal Advisor from 2009 till present and graduated with a law degree in 1990.
• Amanullah Jaihun, PhD, Afghanistan's current Ambassador to Australia. He completed his PhD in IIUM.
• Melati Abdul Hamid was the first Malaysian to win the Best Oralist award in the final round of the 2005 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, an international law competition held in Washington, D.C.. In 2006, she received the Fulbright scholarship which enabled her to pursue an LL.M at Harvard University.
• Damina Khaira graduated from the law school and later enrolled at Oxford University for her Master's degree. In 2008, she received the Fulbright scholarship which enabled her to pursue a Ph.D at Harvard University.
• Tan Sri Dato' Azman bin Mokhtar, Managing Director/CEO of Khazanah Nasional Berhad.
• Ezam Mohd Noor, politician.
• Datuk Reezal Merican Naina Merican, President of GPMS and UMNO Youth Exco member.
• Tengku Amalin A'ishah Putri, Kelantanese Princess.
• Tunku Aminah Kalsom, Johorian Princess.
• Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Menteri Besar of Perak.
• Mohammad Fairus bin Khairuddin, former Deputy Chief Minister 1 of Pulau Pinang.
• Malik Imtiaz, prominent human rights lawyer and activist.
• Norjuma Habib Muhammad, famous television celebrity and winner of Pengacara Jemputan NONA.
• Rafe Haneef, Islamic Banking Consultant and CEO of HSBC Amanah, Malaysia and a member of Shariah Advisory Council for Securities Commission Malaysia. He received a law degree from IIUM and completed a LL.M at Harvard University
• Pritam Singh, Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC (Singapore) for the Workers' Party received a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Studies in 2005.
• Wan Mohd Asnur Wan Jantan, an AIKOL graduate who's ranked among the Top 10 Best Debater in Asia was the Champion of the 2005 Australasian Universities Debating Championship (ESL) in Brisbane Australia where he teamed up with Adam Ho Chee Cheung and Suhaib Hassan. He's also the J.William Fulbright Scholar which enabled him to pursue LL.M/Wharton Business & Law at an Ivy League institution, the University of Pennsylvania, USA.
• Muhammad Faysal, Writer from Kashmir.

It is also noted that then Prime Ministers of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei and Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, king of Saudi Arabia were conferred honorary doctorates by IIUM in various fields.

Faculty members (former and current)

• Prof. Dr. Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Afghan-born Islamic legal scholar, professor of law at the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws.
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arshad Islam, Associate Professor at Department of History and Civilisation, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences.
• Datuk Dr. Mashitah Ibrahim, Deputy Minister in Prime Minister's Department.
• Datuk Dusuki Ahmad, former political secretary of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed and Chairman of Amanah Raya Berhad.
• Tan Sri Harun M. Hashim, controversial former judge who banned UMNO.
• Prof. Tan Sri Dr. Ahmad Bin Mohamad Ibrahim, former Attorney General of Singapore.
• Datuk Md Hashim Yahya, former Mufti of Wilayah Persekutuan.
• Yusri Mohamad, President of ABIM.
• Dr. Amina Wadud, controversial female Muslim scholar.
• Dr. Muhammad Arif Zakaullah, professor of economics.
• Ahmet Davutoğlu, minister of foreign affairs of Turkey
• Prof. Dr. B. Gültekin Çetiner Rector of International University of Sarajevo

Mohd

• Dr. Mesut Idriz, Assoc. Prof. Dr. at Gazikent University, Gaziantep, Turkey.

External links

• International Islamic University Malaysia's Official Homepage
• IIUM Kuantan Campus's Official Homepage
• IIUM's E-Learning Page
• Centre for Foundation Studies