PUTRAJAYA: Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, graced the 2024 Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Royal Gala Dinner (UTM RGD), held at a hotel yesterday.
Also gracing the event was Che’ Puan Mahkota Khaleeda Johor.
Raja Zarith Sofiah, who is also UTM Chancellor, arrived at about 8.20 pm and was welcomed by the secretary-general of the Ministry of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Dr Zaini Ujang, UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, and chairman of UTM Board of Directors, Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar.
The biennial dinner, organised by UTM, began with a video presentation followed by a speech by Ahmad Fauzi and the presentation of a mock cheque to scholarship and sponsorship recipients.
The UTM RGD has been a fundraising platform organised by the public higher education institution since 2012.
The UTM RGD 2024 successfully raised RM6.4 million in contributions from the state government, corporate companies, industry players, UTM alumni, UTM staff, and individual donors.
In his speech, Ahmad Fauzi shared that UTM had so far awarded 883 scholarships to its students, amounting to a total of RM25.9 million.
He also mentioned that the UTM endowment fund currently stood at RM159.7 million.
In addition to scholarships, more than 100 UTM students from the B40 income group have received a living allowance of RM450 per month for two semesters of their studies.
“UTM is not only focused on raising funds to support local students but also extends assistance to international students, particularly those from Palestine,” he said.
To support the education of Palestinian students, Ahmad Fauzi announced that UTM had established the Serambi Al-Quds Programme, which has so far sponsored 10 Palestinian students pursuing their PhD in various fields and faculties since last year.
“I am deeply touched by the support, concern, and commitment shown by all the donors in helping us achieve UTM’s excellence agenda. These contributions mean a great deal,” he added.
