PETALING JAYA, May 15^th 2014: QI Group Executive Chairman, Dato Sri Dr Vijay Eswaran was bestowed the ‘Special Award for Education Entrepreneurship and Leadership’ at the 18^th Malaysian Education Summit, organised by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI).

Minister of Education ll, Dato Seri Idris Jusoh presented the award held at the SWAN Convention Centre here.

The award recognises Dr Vijay for his vision, innovation, leadership and success in navigating Quest International University Perak (QIUP) to rapid growth during the last three years. Notably, the university, a joint venture between the QI Group and the Perak state government, is expected to surpass the 1,000 mark student population and extend the programs offered to 24 by end of this year.

“While I am thrilled to be an award recipient for education entrepreneurship and leadership, this achievement could not have been possible without QIUP’s dedicated teaching staff, our trusted council members, and our students who challenge us daily to improve the way we do things at the university.

“I am also very honoured to receive this award alongside the rest of the accomplished entrepreneurs such as Dato’ Peter Ng of UCSI Unversity and Tan Sri Ir Othman Merican of Sri Kuala Lumpur School, who are all working diligently for the transformation of the education sector as well as to build innovative private education in Malaysia and globally,” said Dr Vijay.

Dr Vijay, who is also the University Council Chairman for QIUP, wins this award for showing fine entrepreneurial skills and exceptional management expertise as well as for his role in the development of professional education, education reforms and innovation.

Under the leadership of Dr Vijay, QIUP is today one of the fastest growing universities in the country, currently offering 20 programs including medicine and post graduate.

“From its humble beginning in 2011, the QIUP saga is a story of the hunger for excellence and the thirst for achievements. The far-sightedness, courage and determination on the part of the University’s management team in identifying an industry niche and capitalising on core competencies are the mainstay in our quest to turn QIUP into an education hub in the country.

Speaking as a Panelist at the Summit on the topic of “Transforming Malaysian Education in the 21^st Century, Dr Vijay said English language proficiency is fundamental to the transformation of the Malaysian education sector.

“English proficiency in the country has reached a critical level that it can undermine the well-being and international standings of this country in the absence of genuine efforts to curb its decline. It is difficult to conduct economic and commercial activities without a strong command of English.

“The poor, especially those in the rural areas, will suffer from the lack of proficiency in English. Malaysian need to be able to find employment anywhere in the world and proficiency in English can provide access to the international job market, which undoubtedly can help the poor get a decent, good paying job,” explained Dr Vijay.

The Malaysian Education Summit brought together key stakeholders in Malaysian Education to brainstorm how best to further enhance the quality of education as well as to discuss critical issues on the implementation of the new education blueprint. The Summit also discussed key trends and identified new opportunities in the education sector.