by Dr. Siti Noor Fauziah Abd Rahim

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) marked a significant institutional milestone with the official launch of the UNESCO Chair on TVET Educators on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, at Dewan Sultan Ibrahim (DSI). The establishment of the UNESCO Chair signifies international recognition of UTHM’s expertise and leadership in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), while reinforcing Malaysia’s commitment to advancing quality education and sustainable human capital development.

The momentous ceremony was held in conjunction with CONNECTU: Culture Connect, an initiative organised by UTHM’s International Office aimed at fostering unity, celebrating cultural diversity, and strengthening meaningful engagement between local and international students.

The launch begun with opening remarks by Prof. Dr. Nik Hisyamudin bin Muhd Nor, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Strategic & Quality), UTHM. In his address, he announced that UTHM has been awarded the UNESCO Chair on TVET Educators for a four-year tenure from 2025 to 2029, making UTHM the sixth higher education institution in Malaysia to receive this prestigious distinction.

He further highlighted that the recognition builds upon UTHM’s expanding portfolio of UNESCO affiliations, underscoring the University’s sustained excellence and the international trust it has earned. In addition to the newly established UNESCO Chair on TVET Educators, UTHM is also home to the UNESCO–UNEVOC Centre and serves as a UNESCO Ecohydrology Demonstration Site, reflecting the University’s multidisciplinary contributions to education, skills development, sustainability, and environmental stewardship.

Earlier on that day, a luncheon discussion was held at MyRIVET UTHM between representatives of the UNESCO Chair on TVET Educators at UTHM and the UNESCO Chair at Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU). The strategic engagement provided a platform to explore future collaborations, including joint research initiatives, capacity-building programmes, and regional efforts to strengthen TVET educator development.

The discussion was followed by a letter of intent (LoI) signing ceremony between the two UNESCO Chairs. The LoI was signed by Prof. Emeritus Dr. Jailani Md Yunos, UNESCO Chairholder at UTHM, and Prof. Dr. Abtar Darshan Singh, UNESCO Chairholder at APU, formalising a strategic partnership to advance shared goals in TVET education across the Asia-Pacific region.

The LoI signing and official launch ceremony were seen by an esteemed gathering of distinguished guests and invited ambassadors. The successful launch of the UNESCO Chair on TVET Educators at UTHM further reinforces the university’s position as a trusted global partner of UNESCO and affirms Malaysia’s leadership in advancing quality education, sustainable development, and future-ready TVET educators through international collaboration.