Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) is located at the northernmost part of the Malaysian peninsula, less than 35 km from the borders of Thailand. Originally known as KUKUM (Kolej Universiti Kejuruteraan Utara Malaysia, or Northern Malaysia University College of Engineering), it was approved by the Cabinet as a public institution of higher learning in May, 2001. Its first intake comprised 116 engineering students, who started classes in June, 2002. It now has about 4000 students, and a workforce of more than 800 people comprising academic and non-academic staff. There are 19 programmes leading to B. Eng and six programmes leading to Diploma (Eng), offered through eight engineering schools. There are also numerous postgraduate degree programmes on offer.
UniMAP boasts itself as a true-blue technical university which fulfills the interest of students who are inclined towards practical-based engineering education. UniMAP graduates are budding engineers who have been groomed to be competent and confident enough to explore entrepreneurial possibilities upon graduation. They are expected to not only exhibit excellence in knowledge and skills directly related to their engineering fields of study, but are also proficient in communication and ICT skills, as well as possessing unsurpassed traits of professionalism and patriotism. It is hoped that because their education has been excellent, they will become the engineering leaders of tomorrow. Indeed this is a testimony of UniMAP’s commitment to Engineering as a discipline.
In order to achieve maximum benefit for the country at large, the areas of focus of public technical universities are determined by the government. In the case of UniMAP, it was decided that electronic-based engineering should be the focus. However, this does not mean that there is no room for other disciplines of engineering to be developed here. Rather, all related fields of engineering and technology that can support the advancement of electronic-based engineering, can be offered.
Mission
To produce a holistic human capital that contributes to the nation’s development and industrial competitiveness agenda
Vision
An internationally competitive academic and research institution
