CYBERJAYA: The University of Cyberjaya (UoC) recently appointed the former Director-General of Health, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who served from 2013-2023, as its third Chancellor, effective Oct 1 2023.
The University is honoured to appoint him, given his stellar reputation in health and medicine as well as health management, mirroring the University’s legacy in healthcare and medicine with MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery), and Pharmacy being the inaugural programmes offered 18 years ago.
Dr Noor Hisham currently holds the Chair of the World Health Organisation’s Standing Committee of Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (SCHEPPR) in Geneva and was also recently appointed to WHO’s (World Health Organisation), Western Pacific Regional Office, Technical Advisory Group on University Health Coverage.
Dr Noor Hisham said he was honoured to be invited to be Chancellor of the University and intends to use his role as Chancellor of the University further to improve health access and equity in the region: “I share pride in the vision and mission of the University of Cyberjaya.
More importantly, I believe that this university has great potential in Malaysia and beyond, to strive to be the best healthcare education hub in the Western Pacific Region. The University of Cyberjaya’s core values of uplifting local and regional communities with equitable access to quality medical education would be one of the key elements in realising and delivering Universal Health Coverage locally and globally.”
He further elaborated on his role within WHO and how it would benefit the University. “Synergistically, my role within the Technical Advisory Group on University Health Coverage in WHO Western Pacific Region is also important as I intend to align the medical education and training of the medical students at the University to hopefully make a big difference in the health system and of the Western Pacific member states.”
His area of expertise is in breast and endocrine cancers, with numerous papers and textbook chapters in endocrine surgery, under the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Fellowship training programme, and obtained his Master of Surgery and Medical Degrees from the National University of Malaysia (UKM).
Internationally, he is also a Councillor-at-Large (2017-2021) on the Executive Board of the International Society of Surgery (ISS) and chairs the Global Surgery Committee of ISS. In March 2020, he was elected as the Chairman of the Asian Association of Endocrine Surgeons.
The government of Brazil awarded him the Grand Officer of the Brazil Order of Rio Branco. Aside from being one of the highest awards given by Brazil, it also recognises meritorious service and civic virtues, stimulating the practice of actions and deeds worthy of honourable mention.
For his contributions in upholding Islam at the national and global levels, he was the recipient of the 2020/1442 Maal Hijrah Figure award.
Dr Noor Hisham replaces the University’s last Chancellor, Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Anwar Ali, who has been with the University since 2019.
The University is confident that during his term as Chancellor, Dr Noor Hisham, together with the University senate and board members, will continue to provide quality education to the new generation of students who currently face challenges in an increasingly fast-moving economy.
