TANJONG MALIM: Almost 5,000 people will receive their degrees, diplomas and awards at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) 21st convocation, which will be held for three days beginning tomorrow.
The first session of the ceremony, which will be held at Dewan Tuanku Canselor at UPSI’s Sultan Azlan Shah Campus, will include the presentation of a posthumous honorary doctorate to an education icon.
UPSI registrar Dr Zainab Othman said the late educationist, Datuk Mohamed Yunus Raiss Mohd Isah, would be honoured in this year’s convocation.
Yunus, from Batu Gajah, Perak, contributed immensely to the education sector, especially in the teaching of English.
He was remembered for his remarkable life journey as he rose from being an illiterate 15-year-old boy to becoming a magistrate at West London Court in 1991, besides being principal and proprietor of a college he founded in London. Yunus was 84 when he died at University College Hospital London on Hari Raya Aidiladha on Aug 11.
The New Straits Times learnt that Yunus’s son, Alex Swan, and his wife, Sherry, are expected to attend the convocation to receive the posthumous honour.
Almost 5,000 people will receive their degrees, diplomas and awards at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris’s (UPSI) 21st convocation, which will be held for three days beginning tomorrow.
The first session of the ceremony, which will be held at Dewan Tuanku Canselor at UPSI’s Sultan Azlan Shah Campus will include the presentation a posthumous honorary doctorate to an education icon.
UPSI registrar Dr Zainab Othman said the late educationist, Datuk Mohamed Yunus Raiss Mohd Isah, would be honoured in this year’s convocation.
Yunus, from Batu Gajah, Perak, contributed immensely towards the education sector, especially in the teaching of English.
He was remembered for his remarkable life journey as he rose from being an illiterate 15-year-old boy to becoming a magistrate at West London Court in 1991, besides being principal and proprietor of a college he founded in London. Yunus was 84 when he died at University College Hospital London on Hari Raya Aidiladha on Aug 11.
The New Straits Times learnt that Yunus’s son, Alex Swan, and his wife, Sherry, are expected to attend the convocation to receive the posthumous honour.
Another six UPSI graduates will receive their scrolls posthumously this year. Their degrees and diplomas will be presented to their next-of-kin at separate ceremonies at the respective faculties.
These six graduates are Nur Filzah Zainal, who took part in the Master of Education (Curriculum Studies) programme, Muhammad Zikri Zainuddin (Bachelor of Design in Animation with Honours), Mohammad Firdaus Abdul Hamid (Bachelor of Education in Music With Honours), Muhammad Amirul Ashraf Mohd Ariff (Bachelor of Education in Malay Literature with Honours), Saiful Akmal Jamaluddin (Diploma of Science in Mathematics), and Samian Yakob (Diploma in Early Childhood Education).
Zainab said out of 4,985 graduates, 108 would receive doctor in philosophy degrees, master’s degrees (993), degrees (2,610), Diploma in Education for Postgraduates Programmes (201) and diplomas (1,073).
The first session of the convocation will be opened by Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim, who is UPSI chancellor.
Tuanku Zara will present the Honorary Doctorate of Malay Literature to Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Nik Safiah Abdul Karim, Honorary Doctorate of Entrepreneurship (Entrepreneur Personality) to Datuk Dr Mohamed Ghazali Mohd Yusoff and bestow the “Emeritus Professor” title to Professor Dr Rosly Jaafar.
Members of the Consortium of Asia Pacific Education Universities will attend the same session, which will also see the presentation of 22 awards to 51 graduates.
In terms of statistics, this year’s UPSI graduates are from the faculties of Languages and Communications (619), Music and Performing Arts (278) Management and Economics (514) Human Sciences (456), Science and Mathematics (479), Sport Science and Coaching (481), Art, Computing and Creative Industry (505), Human Development (1,383), Technical and Vocational Education (254), Institute of Malay Civilisation (6) and the National Child Development and Research Centre (10).
The ceremony will include side events, such as UPSI Duo Talent 2019, Rentak Bitara 2019 Unplugged, and appearances by singers Sarah Suhairi, Shaz (who is Bintang Klasik 2019 winner) and Naim Daniel. There will be a “sembang santai” event with actor-turned entrepreneur Fizo Omar and a Forum Perdana Hal Ehwal Islam session featuring religious personalities, such Azman Syah Alias and Isfadiah Mohd Dasuki.