Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pic) has been appointed University of Cyberjaya (UoC) chancellor effective this month.
The former Health director-general, who is the varsity’s third chancellor, started his tenure on Oct 1, replacing Emeritus Prof Tan Sri Anwar Ali, who was appointed in 2019.
Dr Noor Hisham said he was honoured by the recognition and intends to use his role to improve health access and equity in the region.
“I share pride in the vision and mission of the varsity. More importantly, I believe that UoC has great potential in Malaysia and beyond, to strive to be the best healthcare education hub in the Western Pacific region.
“UoC’s core values of uplifting local and regional communities with equitable access to quality medical education will be one of the key elements in realising and delivering universal health coverage locally and globally,” he said in a press release from the university.
Dr Noor Hisham is currently the chair of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Standing Committee of Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (SCHEPPR) in Geneva, Switzerland, and was recently appointed to the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office Technical Advisory Group on University Health Coverage.
Elaborating on his role within WHO and how it would benefit UoC, Dr Noor Hisham said, “Synergistically, my role within the Technical Advisory Group is important as I intend to align the medical education and training of UoC students to make a big difference in the health system and in the Western Pacific member states.”
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 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. He chairs multiple medical professional councils and national-level technical committees, and is actively involved as a policymaker in global organisations such as the WHO and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).
He was a Councillor-at-Large (2017-2021) on the Executive Board of the International Society of Surgery (ISS) and chairs the Global Surgery Committee of the ISS. In March 2020, he was elected 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 recognises meritorious service and civic virtues, stimulating the practice of actions and deeds worthy of honourable mention.
He was also a recipient of the 2020/1442 Maal Hijrah Figure award for his considerable contributions to upholding Islam at the national and global levels.
UoC said in the statement that it was honoured to have Dr Noor Hisham on board, given his stellar reputation in health and medicine, as well as in health management, mirroring the varsity’s legacy in healthcare and medicine, with the MBBS and pharmacy being the first programmes offered 18 years ago.
