Countdown to 25: OUM Celebrates 25 Years of Humanising Digital Education

By Dr David Lim

OUM will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its founding on 10 August 2025. With joy, pride, and anticipation, we are marking the countdown to this institutional milestone through a series of celebratory activities. These events will honour our remarkable journey, showcase our achievements, and set the stage for the next 25 years.

In preparing for our silver jubilee (see official logo in Figure 1), we have in the past year spent much time on introspection, reviewing the innumerable moments that have shaped who we are over the past quarter-century, whether mundane or momentous, challenging or affirming, humbling or triumphant.

In our labour of remembrance, we were reminded time and again that, although OUM is many things at once, it is also one thing above all. Since its inception, OUM has been singular in humanising digital education for tens of thousands of learners, and it is this singularity that sets us apart from other providers.

What does it mean to humanise digital education, and what is this digital education that OUM has pioneered in providing?

OUM uses the term ‘digital education’ as a shorthand for educational practices situated at the intersection of digital, networked, and open practices in education.


Unpacking Digital Education

According to Prof Dr Ahmad Izanee Awang, OUM’s President/Vice-Chancellor, OUM uses the term “digital education” as a shorthand for educational practices situated at the intersection of digital, networked, and open practices in education. Digital education thus deployed subsumes all such related terms as online learning, e-learning, and blended learning, as well as open and distance learning.

Prof Izanee explains that, at OUM, digital technology is not only integrated with sound pedagogy to create engaging learning content, facilitate productive collaborative interactions, and enhance teaching and learning outcomes; it is also deployed to lower participation barriers.

OUM’s 25 years of experience has taught us that education, digital or otherwise, is inherently about human beings, their development, and their relationships with others and the world.


In the first instance, lowering participation barriers means minimising constraints related to schedules and locations, making it convenient for learners and teachers to engage in digital education. And in the second, it means lowering costs which translates into more affordable fees and greater accessibility for prospective learners.

“Many may not realize that delivering quality digital education goes far beyond simply adopting technology – it demands agility and innovation. This is where OUM truly excels, leveraging 25 years of experience to redefine the boundaries of higher education. By nimbly integrating technology, OUM has successfully dismantled the iron triangle of higher education, ensuring access, quality, and affordability for all”, underscores Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Tajudin Md Ninggal, OUM’s Vice President/ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Research).

This view is echoed by Prof Datin Dr Santhi Raghavan, OUM’s Vice President/Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Learner Experience and Technology), who elaborates that “Judicious use of technology is an essential component of the open university’s formula to increase access, lower costs, and enhance the quality of the digital higher education that OUM provides.”

Both Prof Taj and Prof Santhi are in agreement that technology alone is insufficient to achieve the deep, transformative, and lasting impact on the learners that OUM aspires to deliver.

Technology can bridge time and space, provide flexibility, reduce costs, and unlock previously unimaginable possibilities in education. However, overdependence or misapplication can alienate and isolate learners, ultimately detracting from their learning.

Humanising Digital Education

“OUM’s 25 years of experience has taught us that education, digital or otherwise, is inherently about human beings, their development, and their relationships with others and the world”, says Prof Dr Yon Rosli Daud, OUM’s Vice President/Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Business Development).

Education pivots on vulnerable, dynamic interactions that require openness, trust, and mutual engagement. “Neglecting these social and affective dimensions effectively evacuates meaning from education”, chimes Dr Tuan Fatma Tuan Sulaiman, OUM’s Registrar.

Throughout our 25-year history, OUM has at various points and in different contexts emphasised key markers of our identity: our pioneering role in democratising higher education, our shared institutional values (PICIT: professionalism, integrity, caring, innovativeness, teamwork), our upskilling of over 100,000 Malaysians, our promotion of lifelong learning, and our embeddedness in local communities, among others.

As we reflected on these in preparation for our silver jubilee, we came to recognise that they were and have always been, at their core, grounded in humanist philosophy. Explicitly or implicitly, this philosophy has shaped our thoughts and actions, underpinning our mission to humanise digital education in word and deed.

At OUM, each of us contributes to humanising digital education in shared and personal ways. We do this, first and foremost, by relating to our learners as human beings rather than inert objects to be shaped at will, as a revenue source euphemised as ‘clients’ to be serviced in the corporate sense, or as statistics or data points to be clinically analysed and managed.

We see our learners as thinking, feeling, whole, autonomous, and sovereign individuals who are also vulnerable by virtue of being human, each with unique experiences and perspectives, and all deserving of intrinsic respect regardless of status, background, and role. This way of relating in fact extends beyond learners to every individual we encounter, both in and out of work.

We see our learners as thinking, feeling, whole, autonomous, and sovereign individuals who are also vulnerable by virtue of being human, each with unique experiences and perspectives, and all deserving of intrinsic respect regardless of status, background, and role.


In our act of relating, we recognise that we, too, are human and no less fallible, and that our fallibility, rather than serving as an excuse to diminish others, serves as a reminder of our shared vulnerabilities and interconnectedness. It compels us to strive to engage with others in humility, empathy, and respect, even when it proves arduous.

As trustees of our learners’ pursuit of education, we recognise a profound duty of care. Relating to others humanistically, we understand that what our learners seek is no different from what we ourselves would seek: not education brimming with technology for its own sake, but meaningful education that is fit for purpose – technology-leveraged where appropriate, humanised, and grounded in care, empathy, and compassion.

This is why pastoral care is an integral part of OUM’s brand of digital education. OUM staff, particularly its academics and e-tutors, are trained and incentivised to provide care that extends beyond instruction.

When asked about this, Prof Taj assures that “Whether we take in, retain, or promote our academics and e-tutors hinges significantly on whether they are able to demonstrate understanding that their role is not simply to teach, assess, and fulfil administrative duties, but also, just as importantly, to sensitively anticipate when their learners might need affective scaffolding. They ought to be prepared to provide this support out of genuine care and concern, even without being explicitly asked.”

This understanding is critical, he says, “as learners are more likely to disengage and abandon their studies the longer they feel unsupported, disconnected, or overwhelmed by the challenges they face in their educational journey.”

Prof Izanee often reminds during OUM staff training that “The ‘loneliness’ of pursuing higher education in any mode is real to some learners.” This, he assures, can be alleviated to a great extent – not by throwing more and more technology at the problem, but by humanising the way we support them, through our teaching-learning practices, as well as in the curricula, learning materials, and services we provide.”

Digital technologies can be a powerful enabler but they are not always the solution for learners who require more in-person social interaction and support. Anticipating this need, OUM has, from its early days, established an incomparable network of learning centres (LCs) across the length and breadth of Malaysia.

To date, over 30 LCs have been set up by OUM, all of which are well-equipped with computer labs, Wi-Fi facilities, meeting rooms, and administrative support. “Imagine these LCs as convenient local hubs for our learners to access OUM services”, says Prof Izanee, who regularly visits them to meet learners and staff. “They are also ideal spots for our learners to connect with their peers for socialising and study. A real sense of community exists in these LCs, which goes a long way to enrich their learning experience and help combat any sense of isolation they may be experiencing.”

As trustees of our learners’ pursuit of education, we recognise a profound duty of care.


Counting Down

The English word “education” originates from two distinct Latin roots: educare, meaning “to mould” or “to shape”, and educere, meaning “to draw out” or “to lead out.” The first implies a prescriptive approach that seeks to shape individuals to fit predetermined roles or frameworks, while the second suggests a more facilitative and liberating process that encourages individuals to discover their potential and find themselves.

Figure 1: OUM’s official 25th anniversary logo

As we count down to OUM’s 25th anniversary, it would be opportune for all stakeholders to reflect on which of the two meanings they align with in their approach to digital education. Their answer will ultimately reveal whether they embrace the ethos of humanising digital education. Whichever approach they choose, one truth remains: the story of OUM has just begun; it is a work in progress, one that we will write together with our learners, staff, and communities in the years to come.