|
July 1999 |
Dato' Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik put
forward the vision of a private, non-profit
virtual at the 28th Gerakan National Delegates
Conference in Penang. |
|
March 2000 |
The Gerakan Education Foundation
- later renamed Wawasan Education Foundation (WEF)
in August 2002 - established as a tax-exempt
charitable foundation. WEF received a
substantial donation from the family of Yeap
Chor Ee, a prominent Penang tycoon and
philanthropist. |
|
June 2002 |
Eight experts in open and
distance learning commissioned to prepare a
detailed proposal for the establishment of an
Open and Virtual University of Malaysia (OVUM).
The foundation received the report in 2003. |
|
July 2003 |
Yeap Chor Ee's grandson, Dato'
Seri Stephen Yeap, announced that "Homestead",
the heritage Yeap family estate at Jalan Sultan
Ahmad Shah, Penang, would be donated to serve as
the main campus of the proposed virtual
university. |
|
January 2005 |
The Ministry of Higher Education
(MOHE) invited WEF to plan for the setting up of
'Wawasan Open University College' (WOUC). |
|
April 2005 |
WOUC officially established, with
Tan Sri Emeritus Prof.
Gajaraj Dhanarajan appointed as Vice Chancellor.
Inaugural Council Meeting
held.
|
|
August 2005 |
1st Management Board Meeting
held. |
|
January 2006 |
Groundbreaking ceremony held for
the development of a new 12-storey tower to
provide additional administration and academic
space for WOUC behind the heritage "Homestead"
mansion.
1st meeting of International
Advisory Board held.
|
|
April 2006 |
WOUC signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with the Commonwealth of
Learning (COL) to facilitate the offering of the
Commonwealth Executive MBA and MPA (CeMBA/CeMPA)
programmes by distance learning in Malaysia. |
|
June 2006 |
WOUC formally registered under
the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act
1996. |
|
July 2006 |
All relevant documents to upgrade
the status of "Wawasan Open University College"
to "Wawasan Open University" (WOU) submitted to
MOHE.
WOU granted university status
by MOHE.
1st Senate Meeting held.
|
|
August 2006 |
WOU officially registered. |
|
September 2006 |
WOU signed MoUs with the Open
University of Hong Kong (OUHK), SIM University
of Singapore (UniSIM) and Yashwantrao Chavan
Maharastra University of India (YCMOU) to
undertake joint initiatives in research,
training and conferences; curriculum and course
development; course material design; credit
transfer agreements and support for
research-based postgraduate study.
WOU officially launched by
Dato' Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of Higher
Education.
|
|
December 2006 |
Conservation and restoration of
"Homestead" to serve as a distinctive landmark
began. |
|
January 2007 |
WOU signed an MoU with the Penang
Skills Development Centre (PSDC). |
|
May 2007 |
The Council endorsed nomination
of Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, who served as Chief
Minister of Penang from 1969 to 1990, as WOU's
first Chancellor. |
|
August 2007 |
Chancellor's Scholarship Fund
launched. |
|
September 2007 |
WEF presented the movie 'Road to
Dawn' in Malaysia to raise money for the
scholarship fund. Filmed in Penang, this
historical drama depicts Dr Sun Yat Sen's life
here and his planning of the "Guangzhou
Uprising" in China in the early 1900s. |
|
November 2007 |
A bronze statue of Yeap Chor Ee
was unveiled in front of the mansion in
recognition of his substantial contribution to
fund the running of private schools and
educational development in Penang. |
|
December 2007 |
Development of WOU's main campus
completed, comprising construction of the
12-storey Albukhary Building and restoration of
the 'Homestead" heritage mansion. |
|
January 2008 |
The main campus officially
launched by the Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. |
|
February 2008 |
Deputy Information Minister Dato'
Seri Chia Kwang Chye launched 'Road to Dawn'
DVDs in Penang for public sale, with proceeds to
benefit WOU Chancellor's Scholarship Fund. |
|
March 2008 |
WOU signed an MoU with the
Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM). |
|
April 2008 |
MoU signed with Chartered
Institute of Management Accountants for CIMA. |
|
November 2008 |
Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Dr Lim Chong
Eu was officially installed as WOU’s first
Chancellor in a formal inauguration ceremony at
the university’s main campus. Tun Dr Lim then
conferred the university’s first ever Honorary
Degrees on Prof Wichit Srisa-an (Doctor of
Letters honoris causa) and Dato’ Dr
Sharom Ahmat (Doctor of Laws honoris causa)
of a special convocation that followed. |
|
December 2008 |
WOU inked a MoU with the National
Union of Bank Employees. |
|
December 2009 |
Prof Dr Wong Tat Meng succeeds
Tan Sri Emeritus Prof Gajaraj Dhanarajan as Vice
Chancellor and CEO of WOU. |
|
May 2010 |
Tun Dato' Seri Utama Dr Lim Chong
Eu is reappointed as WOU Chancellor. |
|
October 2010 |
WOU holds inaugural Convocation for the pioneer
batch of CeMBA graduates. |
|
November 2010 |
WOU Chancellor Tun Dato' Seri
Utama Dr Lim Chong Eu passes away. |
|
January 2011 |
WOU signed an MoU with Junior Chamber
International (JCI) Malaysia. |
|
May 2011 |
Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik is appointed as WOU's
second Chancellor. |
|
September 2011 |
WOU hosts the 25th Annual Conference of the
Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) at
the main campus in Penang. |
|
November 2011 |
Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik is formally installed as
Chancellor of WOU, followed by the second
Convocation ceremony. |
|
June 2012 |
WOU holds a Special Convocation in Kuala Lumpur
to confer Honorary degrees on three
distinguished individuals - Dato' Sri Nazir
Razak (Doctor of Business, honoris causa) of
CIMB Group; Emeritus Prof Wang Gungwu (Doctor of
Laws, honoris causa) of the National University
of Singapore; and Mr R Padmanathan (Master of
Administration, honoris causa), a long-standing
university administrator. |
|
October 2012 |
Prof Dato' Dr Ho Sinn Chye succeeds Prof Dato'
Dr Wong Tat Meng as Vice Chancellor and CEO of
WOU. |
|
November 2012 |
Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon is proclaimed
Pro-Chancellor of WOU & 3rd Convocation Ceremony |
|
December 2012 |
WOU Chancellor Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik passes
away. |
