History:
The idea to establish the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) was mooted on 12 January 1982 by Dato' Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, at a meeting 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 University Kebangsaan Malaysia (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 which the Hon. Prime Minister had in mind. The university was meant to be a comprehensive institution of higher learning offering degree programmes in the sciences, engineering, medicine, social sciences and arts. Islamic values would, however, be integrated into all the disciplines.
IIUM was officially established on 20 May 1983 when the University received its 'Establishment Order' from His Majesty the Yang Dipertua Agong, HRH Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah ibni AlMarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mu'adzam Shah, after an exchange of Diplomatic Notes of co-sponsorship between the Government of Malaysia and a number of Muslim Governments as well as the Organization Islamic Conference (OIC). This was a necessary condition for the establishment of an international university in Malaysia.
The university's language of instruction was to be English and Arabic, and many of its students would have to come from overseas. As the 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 public university in Malaysia to use English as the medium of instruction and administration.
Figures:
With 15,000 students and 3,000 staff the IIUM academic community is the size of a small town.
Programmes are offered from a total of eleven Kulliyyahs (or Faculties) and eight Centres of Excellence.
Some 2,000 students graduate each year.
Kulliyah of Science
Link to IIUM webpage
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