Taylor’s University

AUKU: Implications and Challenges in the Context of Student Development

Professor Malachi Edwin Vethamani

Introduction AUKU was set up with a purpose of managing

student activity on campuses of institutions of tertiary education

Primary focus was to set parameters on student activities, especially in relation to politics

Over the years the Act has been amended and has been become more liberalised

Implications of the Act

Can students be managed? Should students be managed?

Quote:

"Our young people in Burma have not had this freedom for the last few decades. University life has been shattered because of a perceived need to keep students in order. That’s not possible: everybody knows that students can’t be kept in order! So we shouldn’t spend our time on such a futile and really undesirable mission. I would like to see university life restored to Burma in all its glory.”

Aung Saan Suu Kyi

Too controversial a view for Malaysia?

Managing students

Students as citizens and their rights

Students’ age is generally 18 years and onwards

Majority of university students are NOT minors and want the rights of Malaysian adults

This will include involvement in political activity – here lies the problem

AUKU and the Public HEI students

AUKU was implemented to ensure students focus on their studies and their academic performance was not negatively affected by political activism

Generally, public HEI students seem to have interest in political activism

Many students in public HEI are also government scholars or receive some form of government aid

As such, the government has a vested interest in them

AUKU and Private HEI Students

Generally, there seems to be a distinct difference between students in private and public HEIs

Students in private HEIs seem less involved in political activism

This could be because the students have different priorities

AUKU and Private HEI Students

Possible reasons for less student political activism

• More self-paying students

• High fees for studies

• More focused on academic achievement less politically active

• Student composition in terms of ethnicity

Does AUKU impede student development?

Need to see student development in a broader context:

Political activism is one form of student growth and development

There seems to be an over-emphasis on this aspect of student activity

Student development can be seen through various other student activities that are carried out in HEIs

How do universities prepare their students for life after the university

Taylor’s University’s Core Purpose

To educate the youth of the world to take their productive place as leaders in the global community.

Student Development in terms of Graduate Capabilities

What capabilities do HEIs want in their students at the end of their studies and does AUKU impede these capabilities?

Many universities both local and international explicitly state what they would provide in terms of student development

Taylor’s Graduate Capabilities

1. Discipline Specific Knowledge

2. Life-long learning

3. Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

4. Communication Skills

5. Inter-personal Skills

6. Intra-personal Skills

7. Citizenship and Global Perspectives

8. Digital Literacy

“Un-demonizing” AUKU

AUKU has been implemented for a purpose

The process of liberalization has begun

Need to focus on student development in a broader and more holistic manner

Student development in HEI should focus more on social aspects less on political through service learning programmes, community engagement projects and community service

THANK YOU