Editorials

OUM at 25: Resilience, Growth, and Innovation

Prof Dr Ahmad Izanee Awang

President/Vice-Chancellor and Advisor to the OUM 25th Anniversary Steering Committee

As Open University Malaysia marks its 25th anniversary, we are reminded that every milestone carries both the weight of reflection and the promise of renewal. It is a time to honour the journeys taken, the ideals sustained, and the community that has, across a quarter-century, built OUM into the institution it is today.

This commemorative coffee-table book stands as a testament to that shared journey. More than a record of milestones and achievements, it offers a vivid reminder that OUM’s story has been, and continues to be, written by the aspirations, resilience, and dedication of its people.

From its early days, with the motto “University for All”, OUM was envisioned as an institution that would leverage technology to democratise higher education, providing flexible opportunities for learners from all walks of life. Over the past 25 years, we have seen that vision realised through the perseverance of countless individuals who believed in the transformative power of education. Their efforts have shaped OUM into a recognised leader in open, distance, and digital education.

The future of education will demand not only innovation, but also discernment. As the digital age accelerates, we must ensure that technology serves human needs, promotes equity, and deepens the human connection that is essential to meaningful learning. This principle has long guided OUM’s commitment to “humanising digital education”, and it must continue to do so as we step into the next chapter of our journey.

This anniversary volume expresses that commitment, offers a reminder of how far we have come, and serves as an invitation to carry our mission forward with clarity and care. I extend my deepest appreciation to the Steering Committee, the editorial team, and all who contributed to it. Their collective efforts have produced a book that captures not only our institutional history, but also the spirit of commitment and connection that has animated OUM from the very beginning.

As we celebrate 25 years of resilience, growth, and innovation, let us reaffirm our commitment to accessible, human-centred education. Let us move forward with confidence, ready to shape the future of open, distance, and digital learning while sustaining the values that have guided OUM since its founding.

Marking OUM’s Silver Jubilee

Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Tajudin Md Ninggal

Vice President/Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Research) and Chairperson of the OUM 25th Anniversary Steering Committee

As Open University Malaysia proudly celebrates its 25th anniversary, we mark this extraordinary milestone with a series of meaningful initiatives that honour our past, celebrate our present, and signal the path to our future. Among the many commemorative efforts, this coffee-table book stands as a tangible expression of our journey—a beautifully produced volume that encapsulates the heart and soul of OUM. Supported by the OUM25 Steering Committee, which I have the honour of chairing, and guided by Prof Dr Ahmad Izanee Awang, our President/Vice-Chancellor and advisor to the Committee, this publication captures a moment that comes only once every quarter-century.

Themed “Light and Joy”, the book is more than a retrospective; it is a tribute to the spirit, resilience, and aspirations that have defined OUM since its inception. I warmly commend the editorial team for their vision and dedication in bringing this historic volume to life.

But this is only the beginning. In the true spirit of celebration, we have curated a rich tapestry of events to mark our silver jubilee. Some, like the public walkathon, invite Malaysians from all walks of life to walk alongside us, symbolising the lifelong learning journey at the heart of OUM’s mission. Others reflect our academic core, such as the upcoming Public Lecture Series spearheaded by the Centre for Digital Education Futures (CENDEF), our newly established think-tank committed to propelling the University into its next transformative chapter.

CENDEF’s Public Lecture Series will convene leading global voices—Olaf Zawacki-Richter, Paul Prinsloo, Insung Jung, Melinda Bandalaria, and Junhong Xiao— to explore the challenges and possibilities of digital education. These conversations aim to not only elevate our collective understanding of the digital era but also reaffirm OUM’s pioneering role within it.

Adding further momentum, CENDEF will soon launch a monthly public webinar series featuring these Global Fellows alongside other distinguished experts in digital transformation. These sessions will engage wide-ranging audiences in dynamic dialogue, offering insights into the rapidly shifting sociodigital landscape. In parallel, we will host a separate series of 25 webinars focused on broader issues in the humanities and social sciences, underscoring our commitment to intellectual depth, interdisciplinary engagement, and societal relevance.

Our anniversary celebrations will culminate in a gala dinner this August—a joyous gathering to honour our journey and the countless individuals who have made it possible.

Together, these initiatives reflect the collective passion and purpose of our OUM community—colleagues, learners, alumni, and partners alike. On behalf of the Steering Committee, I extend my deepest appreciation to all who have contributed to making this 25th anniversary year one to remember. Here’s to the next 25 years of light, joy, and transformative impact.

Of Light, Joy, and the Future

Assoc Prof Dr David CL Lim

Director of OUM’s Centre for Digital Education Futures (CENDEF) and Editor/Creative Director of inspired

There are anniversaries we mark by custom, and there are those that invite something deeper. Open University Malaysia’s 25th year belongs to the latter. It asks us not only to celebrate and remember, but also to reflect on the journeys taken, the connections formed, and the ideals that continue to shape the University’s evolving story.

This coffee-table book is a response to that invitation. Commemorating OUM’s silver jubilee, it is both a gesture of recognition for a university that began with modest resources and bold intent, and a testament to the people and practices that have shaped the institution since 2000.

The book’s design is guided by the theme of light and joy. Light finds expression through its visual language: colours, layout, and design lend a sense of openness, vibrancy, and celebration. Joy emerges in the expressions and voices of those featured, whose presence speaks to the enduring spirit of connection, care, and purpose that defines the OUM community.

Simultaneously published as Issue 25 of inspired, OUM’s popular journal, this volume occupies a space between homage and archive. It gathers fragments of memory, institutional milestones, and moments of meaning-making. While curated and structured, it resists the impulse to tidy the past, choosing instead to cherish the lived-in folds of memory, while opening up space for infinite possibilities.

At the centre of the book are the individuals whose stories have shaped the University’s life. Across twenty-five years, their journeys, aspirations, and everyday contributions have sustained the idea of OUM. Many continue to do so today. If this volume offers a claim, it is that the spirit of a university lives not only in its structures or systems, but in the people who continue to imagine, nurture, and renew its possibilities.

The people featured represent not only themselves, but the many more whose contributions, no less vital, could not be included due to space constraints or unavailability. Their presence stands as quiet tribute to all who have helped shape OUM.

This coffee-table book is presented in six parts. It opens with “Part 1: Prefaces”, which contains messages from the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the Minister of Higher Education. Together, they frame the national significance of the milestone being marked.

“Part 2: Editorials” features three voices: the President/ Vice-Chancellor of OUM; the Vice President/Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Research), who also serves as Chairperson of the OUM 25th Anniversary Steering Committee; and the Director of OUM’s Centre for Digital Education Futures (CENDEF) in his capacity as Editor and Creative Director. All three reflect on the spirit of the occasion.

“Part 3: Features” gathers perspectives on the OUM experience, each placing the human at its centre. Collectively, they offer distinct views which, read alongside one another, form a larger narrative that affirms the values and human connections at the heart of OUM.

“Part 4: Origins and Evolutions” offers a retrospective timeline. It traces inflection points, institutional pivots, collective decisions, and transformations that have shaped OUM.

“Part 5: Anniversary Mosaic” is a photospread with specially commissioned portraits of a broad range of stakeholders. Each is paired with a personal message. Like any mosaic, these pieces appear distinct but, viewed together, reveal a cohesive picture.

Lastly, “Part 6: Postscript” offers, in speculative mode, a letter from the future. Written by Tun Jeanne Abdullah and dated 2050, it is addressed to the OUM community of 2025, offering guidance shaped by hindsight. It calls on OUM to remain true to its mission, to act with care, and to safeguard its humanity amid sweeping change. As an imagined return from the future, it brings the volume to a close on a luminous and future-forward note.

This volume is the result of a collaborative effort. I thank the Executive Management Committee for its steadfast support, the inspired team behind it, and all who contributed to its making. I hope future readers— perhaps 25 years from now—will look back with a knowing smile, recognising our story as one that lives on through them.