Han Chiang University College of Communication’s (HCUC’s) very own vice-chancellor, Dr. Beh Kok Hooi, has recently been awarded the National Outstanding Educationist Award at the Private Education Excellence Award due to his contribution towards higher education in the last decade as well as his continuous efforts in promoting HCUC as an institution of research and learning.
The award ceremony was held on 24 November, at the M Resort & Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. The event was organised by none other than the Private Education Cooperative of Malaysia (Koperasi Pendidikan Swasta Malaysia Berhad). Numerous candidates from various tertiary institutions were selected and screened by a jury through an interview. Ultimately, Dr. Beh Kok Hooi was selected as an award recipient.
The interview was conducted by a number of representatives which included UCSI Press Editor-in-Chief, Professor Dr. Garry Tan Wei Han, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, Professor Ts. Dr. Murali Raman, Director of Non-Thesis Programme & Professor, Professor Dr. Huam Hon Tat, and FTMS College Cyberjaya Head of School of Engineering & Computing Science (SOCS), Mr. Zainudin Johari.
During the ceremony, Dr. Beh expressed that he owes the pleasure and gratitude of receiving the award to the HCUC Board of Directors, staff and students. And that he is honoured to be able to represent HCUC as a whole to be given this award.
Dr. Beh Kok Hooi is known for his various achievements throughout the 10 years he has been with HCUC. Some of his notable achievements include the upgrading of Han Chiang College to Han Chiang University College of Communication in November 2017. With the upgrade, Dr. Beh managed to acquire international collaborations with overseas universities from several countries.
Dr. Beh, who believes in the “everyone has a book to read” mindset, has also set out to ensure that every well-deserved student is allowed an opportunity to complete his/her studies. As a result, HCUC has contributed a quality and affordable education to students who seek to further their tertiary education. Underprivileged students are also not forsaken. Thinking of the underprivileged students, Dr. Beh has initiated and secured various scholarships and bursaries such as the Nanyang University Tan Lark Sye Education Fund and the recent MSEF SIYUAN Scholarship to help those less fortunate.
It is Dr. Beh’s belief that HCUC is not just a place for teaching and learning, but is also a place for research and development. Therefore, in order to uphold his educational philosophy, he has transformed the school into a research-based institution. As of now, numerous lecturers’ research papers have been published in-house as well as in international indexed journals.
By transforming HCUC into a more research focused institution, Dr. Beh has even managed to establish collaborations with prestigious universities from around the world. These universities include McGill University in Canada, the State University of New York in the United States, Rikkyo University in Japan, the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in China, Shandong University in China, and many more. All due to the result of the successful establishment of the Han Chiang Research Collaboration for East Asian Civilisation Studies.
All in all, Dr. Beh Kok Hooi has achieved so much since his tenure in 2012 and shows no sign of stopping and hopes to further elevate the HCUC name to greater heights. Recently, HCUC has gone into a new stage of development named “Han Chiang Education City”. Its construction is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2024. Dr. Beh, who is the secretary of this project, is confident that with its completion, it will lead Dr. Beh towards his next goal – developing HCUC into a recognised not-for-profit university.
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