Raja Muda of Kedah calls for tailored mentoring for male students to address gender imbalance in higher education enrolment across Malaysian universities.
SINTOK: The importance of tertiary education must be emphasised in schools, with tailored support and mentoring for male students and gender-inclusive guidance to broaden study and career choices, as essential steps to achieve a more balanced representation in the education system.
The Raja Muda of Kedah, Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah Sultan Sallehuddin, said women made up 59 per cent of total university enrolment last year in Malaysia, and at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), the disparity was particularly striking, with 70 per cent of students female and only 30 per cent male.
“While women’s growing participation in higher education is encouraging, the underrepresentation of young men calls for targeted action,” he said during his speech at the second session of the 38th UUM Convocation Ceremony at the university’s Dewan Mu’adzam Shah here today.
Meanwhile, Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah, who is also UUM Pro-Chancellor, said success is not solely determined by academic results but by the principles graduates uphold as they enter the workforce or take on new responsibilities.
“Soon, you will enter a stage of life that will demand more than any exam or classroom experience ever could. The knowledge you’ve gained here will serve as your foundation, but the skills and values you develop moving forward will define who you become, both as individuals and as members of society,” he said.
Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah urged graduates to uphold integrity by doing what is right even when no one is watching, calling it a precious asset.
“In a world where shortcuts are tempting and pressures to compromise can be overwhelming, it is your integrity that will keep you grounded.
“Be the person who can be trusted, the colleague who others look to for fairness and honesty. Your reputation is built over time but can be tarnished in a moment. Stay true to your values, and your professional path will not only be successful but meaningful,” he said.
The Raja Muda also encouraged graduates to embrace lifelong learning and to continue contributing to the university, their families, society and the nation, using their knowledge and skills to serve as positive role models.
At the second session, 879 graduates received their degrees from Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah, including the first batch for three programmes: Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Information Technology with Honours; Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Literature and Creative Industry Management with Honours; and Bachelor of Applied History with Honours.
Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah also conferred a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Communications to Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan, who was among the graduates receiving their scrolls in the morning session.
