Shaheem: If things go as planned, IUM will become a leading regional university

Vice Chancellor of Islamic University of Maldives (IUM), Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has said that if things go according to the strategic plan, IUM will become a leading university in the region.

Shaheem made the remark during the ceremony held at Bandos Island Resort on Friday night to officially inaugurate the international research symposium at IUM, which is being participated by leading professors working in Asian region.

Shaheem, who served as Minister of Islamic Affairs before changing to IUM, noted that IUM worked on promoting Islamic beliefs and philosophy, adding that the university was structured according to Islamic principles.

He said that if things according to its strategic plan, IUM would be one of the leading universities in South Asian region within the next five years.

IUM revealed its strategic plan for the next five years, along with the objectives it wants to reach by the year 2020 during last July.

The objectives include increasing the number of lecturers at the university from 40 to 90 lecturers – and ensuring that at least 75 percent of them hold a Master’s Degree.

IUM also aims to increase the number of its students from 3,000 to 5,000 students, and start up Masters and PhD courses.

Speaking during the ceremony on Friday night, Shaheem said that the university wished to produce students well-versed to the modern and developed world of today.

He said that that the development of any university did not develop solely on “teaching”, but in research.

The “Research Symposium on Thought and Epistemology” is a collaboration between IUM and International Institute of Islamic Thought, in the US.

The symposium, which started on August 18, will come to an end on August 20.

50 leading professors working in 10 countries in Asia are participating in the symposium.

International Institute of Islamic Thought is heavily vested in the development of Islamic universities. It played a key role in the development of International Islamic University of Malaysia.