MAJLIS PELANCARAN SAMBUTAN 50 TAHUN UTM
14 Mac 2022 (Isnin), 10.00 pagi
Galeri UTM, Bangunan Canseleri Sultan Ibrahim & Dewan Sultan Iskandar
UTM Johor Bahru
Majlis telah disempurnakan oleh Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja Zarith Sofiah binti Almarhum
Sultan Idris Shah, Permaisuri Johor.
BEGINNING
The history of technical education in this country has been a century old. It all began in 1904 when a Technical School began its operation on Weld Road (now Jalan Raja Chulan) to teach Technical Assistants for the Federated Malay States Departments of Railways, Survey and Public Works.
The school was officially known as Treacher Technical School, named after Sir William Treacher, the Resident General during that time. Students followed classed on part-time basis; they worked and trained specifically according to the technical needs of their employment.
Department In 1941, the Advisory Committee of Technical Schools and the Education recommended that the Technical School be elevated to a college status and proposed that a new Technical College be constructed. The new college was to be built on a 47-acre piece of Government land in Gurney Road (now Jalan Semarak), Kuala Lumpur. Plans for the construction of the college, however, were put on hold when World War II erupted in Peninsular Malaysia.
During the Japanese occupation of Malaya, the college was known as ‘Shihan Gakko’ then at its High Street (now Jalan Bandar) premises. It was headed by Mr. Arimoto and assisted by Mr. N.A.K Nair who later became its principal. After the liberation, the College was reopened on September 16, 1946 and the plan to build a completely new Technical College was resumed. The British Government allocated fund for capital costs of building and equipping the College. The Technical College was eventually completed and was officially opened on March 1, 1955 by Sir Donald MacGillivray, the then British High Commissioner to Malaya.
In the early years, the Technical College conducted engineering course at diploma level in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Radio Engineering, Land Surveying, Building Architecture and Quality Surveying, while a special in Automobile Engineering was offered for the transportation enforcement officers. The total enrolment for 1958/1959 academic session was 320 student.
The lush green land of Skudai campus proves to be truly fertile grounds for it further inspired UTM to continue. More new faculties were formalized: the Centre for Humanities Studies gained a new status as a faculty in January 1991 & renamed itself as the Faculty of Management & Human Resource Development. The Department of Islamic Studies which had been under the Humanities Centre also became a separate entity & now known as the Centre for Islamic Studies and Social Development. Faculty of Education was established in January 1994. In addition to these new establishments, other faculties also continue to further expand their academic programmes for both undergraduate and post-graduate degrees, as well as set up various centers of excellence for research & teaching purposes.
Clearly, through inheritance, the history of education in UTM has surpassed its one-hundredth year. Although these one hundred years have been beset with difficulties & challenges, especially in the early years, UTM has stood its ground. The resoluteness of its leaders has opened doors to progress & maturity, & has created reputation that is enviable by many. Through dedication & hard work of its staff, UTM has gained international recognitions in the fields of science & technology. Its scholars & students have never failed to score & to create names for themselves, the university, & the country wherever they go. Indeed, UTM has been & shall always be, synonymous with the progress & development of science & technology in Malaysia.
