• Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre (UMCares)
  • umcares@um.edu.my
  • 03-79677357
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UM THE PULSE OF LEMBAH PANTAI

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  • UM THE PULSE OF LEMBAH PANTAI

Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre (UMCares)

INTRODUCTION

UMCares the main arm for Universiti Malaya to continuously generate community engagement programs centred on technology/ knowledge transfer from our esteemed university researchers to a local community in need. These programs received allocated funding from UM and are monitored closely by the University through UMCares, to guarantee effective impacts and outcome potentials to affected communities. UMCares community engagement programs encompass a variety of themes which include education, income generation, health, environment, heritage, and cultural preservation. Target communities for UMCares projects are the impoverished in rural and urban areas, differently-abled individuals, at-risk youths, the elderly, single parents, indigenous communities, and last but not least, the community within UM’s campus. To date, there have been nearly 300 community engagement projects carried-out by UM researchers which have covered most states in Malaysia. “One-off” projects have and are continually being conducted under the initiative of  residential colleges, student bodies or UM Staff.

Universiti Malaya Pluse of Lembah Pantai represents an initiative of UM through UMCares to develop a helping and meaningful relationship with the community, particularly ones within the vicinity of the University. The model of engagement with the community involves direct liason with community leaders, identifying key issues as well as key stakeholders (for example: schools and industry players), and consequently a research map will be drawn. After Lembah Pantai, this model will be applied to other nearby communities such as Kampung Tungku, Petaling Jaya, and Damansara. Universiti Malaya Pluse of Lembah Pantai is a holistic program which involves the entirety of Warga UM (academic staff, administration as well as students) from all levels and bodies under one brand Universiti Malaya.​​​​​​

Universiti Malaya Pluse of Lembah Pantai will simultaneously be the main driver for a concurrent program being run by the Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE) titled “University for Society” or its abbreviation- U4S. U4S aims to catalyse meaningful connections between Warga UM and the community in Lembah Pantai, local industries, the government (including related agencies), as well as non-governmental Organisations (NGO). Through the U4S initiative, Warga UM will be able to launch more high-yield activities and deliver better and more significant impact to the target communities. A development of such a better relationship with the community will help in ensuring the sustainability of all related projects.

PROGRAM FRAMEWORK

MAIN FIELDS

This program will focus on 3 main scopes which are:

  1. ​​​Health & Wellbeing
  2. Education
  3. Environment

Nevertheless, other programs have the potential to be conducted if more relevant concerns and ideas relating to the community are discovered by UM researchers. Target groups comprise of children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. The program also aims to reduce the gap between B40 and T20 communities.

STAKEHOLDERS

Internal Stakeholders

  • Beside UMCares, the implementation of Universiti Malaya Pluse of Lembah Pantai will also involve assistance from other PTj’s within UM, specifically units under the Deputy Vice Chancellors Office (Research & Innovation). The Deputy Vice Chancellors Office, for example, can provide information regarding Industry networks in Lembah Pantai whereas the Ungku Aziz Centre for Developmental Studies (UAC) can share relevant information in relation to demographics and poverty in the Lembah Pantai area. The involvement of PTj’s and other relevant units are vital to ensuring the success of implementing this program.

External Stakeholders

  • UM invites the involvement and help of external organisations to guarantee the success of Universiti Malaya Pluse of Lembah Pantai. Priority will be given to organisations with a working agreement (MoU/MoA/LoA) with UM, including all relevant networks and clubs (kelab sahabat UM).

METHOD OF EXECUTION

Bottom-up

  • Refers to projects run by UM Researchers in Lembah Pantai with applications made to the UM Community Grant. Research Proposals are based on issues or problems identified by the researchers making the application.

Top-down

  • Refers to projects of national importance with high impact.UM researchers with relevant skills and knowledge are invited to apply, and other Warga UM are encouraged to participate.

University for Society (U4S)

  • Projects aimed at fulfilling the MOE’s initiative which carries the agenda of integrating the university with the community. UM aims to provide aid to communities with the help of other Universities (private and public), the government and its agencies, industries and Non-governmental Organisations (NGO).

Industry

  • Open to all Industries with interests to collaborate with UM on issues or on more focused goals within the Lembah Pantai region.

Collaboration with NGOs or Communities

  • Refers to current and future initiatives held in partnership with NGO’s or communities which involves collaboration from UM in the form of expertise (UM Researchers) or voluntary effort (warga UM).

Last Update: 19/10/2023