Cyberjaya, 10 October 2023 - The University of Cyberjaya (UoC) today appointed Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah as its 3rd Chancellor, since the University’s inception in 2005, effective from 1st October 2023. Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham was best known as the Director General of Health Malaysia for the last decade, from March 2013 until April 2023.
The University is honoured to have him on board with the University, given his stellar reputation in health and medicine as well as in health management, mirroring the University’s legacy in healthcare and medicine with the MBBS and Pharmacy being the first programmes offered 18 years ago.
Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham is also currently the Chair of the World Health Organisation’s Standing Committee of Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (SCHEPPR) in Geneva and was also recently appointed WHO Western Pacific Regional Office, Technical Advisory Group on University Health Coverage.
According to Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham, he was honoured to be invited to be Chancellor of the University and intends to use his role as Chancellor of the University further to improve health access and equity in the region. “I share pride in the vision and mission of the University of Cyberjaya. More importantly, I believe that this university has great potential in Malaysia and beyond, to strive to be the best healthcare education hub in the Western Pacific Region. The University of Cyberjaya’s core values of uplifting local and regional communities with equitable access to quality medical education would be one of the key elements in realising and delivering Universal Health Coverage locally and globally.”
He also elaborated on his role within WHO and how it would benefit the University. “Synergistically, my role within the Technical Advisory Group on University Health Coverage in WHO Western Pacific Region is also important as I intend to align the medical education and training of the medical students at the University to hopefully make a big difference in the health system and of the Western Pacific member states.”
Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham’s area of expertise is in breast and endocrine cancers, with numerous papers and textbook chapters in endocrine surgery. He trained in breast and endocrine surgery under the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Fellowship training programme and obtained his Master of Surgery and Medical Degrees from the National University of Malaysia (UKM). He chairs multiple medical professional councils and national-level technical committees and is actively involved as a policymaker in global organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). He is also a Councillor-at-Large (2017-2021) on the Executive Board of the International Society of Surgery (ISS) and chairs the Global Surgery Committee of ISS. In March 2020, he was elected as the Chairman of the Asian Association of Endocrine Surgeons.
His exemplary leadership is also recognised internationally, with the government of Brazil awarding him the Grand Officer of the Brazil Order of Rio Branco. Aside from being one of the highest awards given by Brazil, it also recognises meritorious service and civic virtues, stimulating the practice of actions and deeds worthy of honourable mention. He was also recipient of the 2020/1442 Maal Hijrah Figure award for his considerable contributions in upholding Islam at the national and global levels.
Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham will replace the University’s last Chancellor, Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Anwar Ali, who has been with the University since 2019. The University would like to record its thanks and appreciation for his dedication and passion in the last five years.
The University is confident that under his capacity as Chancellor, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham, together with the University senate and board members, will continue to provide quality education to the new generation of students who currently face challenges in an increasingly fast-moving economy.
