Several months have passed since the excitement of OUM’s silver jubilee celebrations, which culminated in mid-September with a symbolic expedition to Mount Kinabalu. The climb by a group of dedicated OUM staff captured the monumental effort it has taken for this University to reach the peak that is our 25th year of operation.
I am deeply honoured to be part of OUM’s journey. Our achievements are not ours alone; they belong to the nation. We have opened doors to higher education for hundreds of thousands, including those learning from behind prison walls, proving that study opportunities can and should be accessible to all.
Yet, as is customary at OUM, once a milestone is marked, we return to what we do best: supporting our learners. Across teaching, tutoring, grading, supervision, counselling, administration, and tech support, our attention is now back on helping the 37,000 active learners in the current semester achieve success.
Looking ahead, we must ask: What lessons from the past 25 years should we carry forward? What should we leave behind in pursuit of new, better, and more impactful ways to serve? These questions are at the heart of our continued commitment to “Humanising Digital Education,” the theme of our 25th anniversary.
To help us explore this, we have drawn insights from five global experts in open, distance, and digital education (ODDE), who form the inaugural cohort of OUM Global Fellows. Thanks to the Centre for Digital Education Futures’ Public Lecture Series last August, these thought leaders challenged us to consider the future of education in relation to AI and sustainability, themes OUM cannot afford to ignore as we plan our next chapter.
In preparation for 2026, we plan to embrace AI, beginning with the piloting of our first AI Tutor next January. But AI will not replace the classroom. Instead, it will support teaching and learning in thoughtful, ethical ways. We recognise that digital education, while powerful, presents both opportunities and challenges. This is why we will continue to foster ODDE research that reflects not only global developments but also Malaysia’s distinctive perspectives and those of the wider Global South.
At the heart of all this is our belief that education remains a human-to-human enterprise. No matter how advanced technology becomes, real learning happens through human connection, whether in forums, e-tutorials, seminars, or even WhatsApp groups. While we will harness technology to enhance efficiency, OUM’s learner-centric philosophy will always put human needs and motivations first.
To stay relevant in a volatile and fast-changing world, we are also developing more interdisciplinary and personalised micro-credential courses. These will include offerings for broader communities, such as introductory modules for children on the Digital Ministry’s AI untuk Rakyat platform.
Finally, as we continue our mission to be a sustainable open university, we are committed to both social and environmental goals: promoting equity and access while maximising the environmental benefits of online learning, such as reduced carbon emissions and resource use.
These are just some of the initiatives – many inspired by our Global Fellows – that will guide OUM’s future. More is underway. But through it all, one mission remains constant: to build a more inclusive, more human digital future for all.
Here’s to a meaningful and prosperous 2026 for OUM and our learning community.
Prof Dato’ Dr Ahmad Izanee Awang
President/Vice-Chancellor
inspired is OUM’s not-for-profit popular journal on the 3Ps – practice, policy and philosophy – of open, distance, and digital higher education (ODDE). Published three times a year, it engages global scholars, policymakers, practitioners, learners, and other stakeholders, as well as a general readership seeking the latest insights and perspectives on ODDHE.
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