# Universiti Utara Malaysia

Universiti Utara Malaysia (literally meaning Northern University of Malaysia, abbreviated as UUM or UNIUTAMA) is a public management university in Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia. It also has a branch campus in Kuala Lumpur. Its main campus, which is situated in a rural area, is commonly referred to as "The University in a Green Forest".
Established on 16 February 1984 through Universiti Utara Malaysia Order, UUM was ranked 481 in the QS World University Rankings 2023. UUM also ranked 99 in Times Higher Education (THE) 2023 rankings, reaching top 100, thus placing third place nationwide.

## History

The construction planning began in August 1983 when the Ministry of Education began to plan the university. On 19 October 1983, the Cabinet gave its approval for this project in Kedah. At that time, the project was called "The Sixth University Project". Several months later, the temporary office of the Sixth University, officially named Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), was officially opened on 15 February 1984 in Jitra.
Four months after its official opening, the UUM office was relocated to the provisional Darul Aman Campus in Jitra, in June 1984, when the first phase of the project had been completed. The first academic year began in June 1984. The Darul Aman Campus was on a 62-acre tract of land in Bandar Darulaman. It was 18 km north of Alor Setar and 4.8 km from Jitra.
Meanwhile, the planning of a permanent campus had begun. It was to be built on an area of 1,061 hectares in Sintok (in the district of Kubang Pasu), 48 km north of Alor Setar and 10 km east of Changlun, a small town along the North-South Highway, near the Malaysia-Thai border.
The permanent UUM campus, referred to as the Sintok Campus, began operations on 15 September 1990. In a former tin mining area, it is in a valley of lush tropical forests, embraced by blue hills, and watered by two rivers that flow along the middle of the campus. The rivers are Sungai Sintok and Sungai Badak.
The MYR580 million Sintok Campus was opened on 17 February 2004 by the Royal Chancellor, His Royal Highness Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah. The main buildings are the Sultanah Bahiyah Library, the Chancellery (present-day Sultan Sallehudin Chancellery), the Sultan Badlishah Mosque, the Mu’adzam Shah Hall, the Tan Sri Othman Hall, the Sports Complex, the Varsity Mall, the Budi Siswa building, the Convention Complex, and the buildings that house the departments of the academic colleges.

## Campuses
### Sintok Campus

The main campus is on a 1,061-hectare (4.10 sq mi) site in Sintok, Kedah. The campus is 48 km north of Alor Setar and 10 km south of the Bukit Kayu Hitam and are near the Malaysia-Thailand border. Other towns near UUM are Jitra and Changlun.
Due to its vast land area, the university has used 107 hectares of forest to develop facilities open for use by outsiders. Thus the campus has evolved into an open campus where outsiders and tourists visit. Among the facilities are a picnic area, a deer farm, a nine-hole golf course, a go-kart circuit, a shooting and archery range, and an ostrich farm.
The training base and facilities for the Malaysian National Service Programme (PLKN) was on the campus.

### Kuala Lumpur Campus

UUMKL Campus is the first UUM fully owned study centre outside Sintok and operated directly by UUM, catering postgraduate studies . It is a non-residential campus which occupies a nine-storey building in the city center along Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz in the Kampung Baru area and adjacent to Chow Kit.

## Transportation Access

The Universiti Utara Malaysia Sintok campus is accessible by car and bus. The campus can be accessed via T15 (Alor Setar - Changlun - UUM Sintok) bus service provided by MARALiner. The university also provides complimentary shuttle bus services during weekdays for students with 8 different routes, named A, A-Maybank, B, C, D, E-SOIS/STHEM, F-Taman U/Sisiran Sintok, and Sisiran Naib Canselor. Signage showing the direction of buildings, hostels, and other sites appears frequently next to the campus roadways. Certain routes serve areas within the campus, while others connect external accommodation or buildings with the main campus area. For instance, Route E connects the main campus with the School of International Studies and the School of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management, both located outside campus grounds. Shuttle bus services between the campus and Changlun were occasionally provided by the university during weekend for students.
The Universiti Utara Malaysia Kuala Lumpur campus is accessible by car, bus and KL Monorail (Line 8) of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System via MR10 Chow Kit station.

## Academics

QS World University Rankings :
| Year | World | Asia |
| 2016 | 701+ | - |
| 2017 | 701+ | - |
| 2018 | 701-750 | - |
| 2019 | 601-650 | - |
| 2020 | 591-600 | - |
| 2021 | 531-540 | - |
| 2022 | 511-520 | - |
| 2023 | 481 | 21 |
| 2024 | 538 | 101 |
In January 2008, a restructuring of the university academic system was undertaken. Thirteen faculties were merged and streamed into three main academic colleges:
* College of Arts and Science
* College of Business
* College of Law, Government and International Studies
2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject :
| Subject | Score | World |
| Accounting & Finance | - | 151-200 |
| Social Sciences & Management | - | 266 |
| Business & Management Studies | - | 201-250 |
| Communication and Media Studies | - | 201-250 |
| Computer Science & Information Systems | – | 601-650 |
| Economics and Econometrics | – | 201-250 |

## Facilities
### Student Residential Halls (Inapan Siswa)

The university houses 17 residential halls (15 in-campus including 2 in Kachi zone, 2 off-campus), each divided by four lanes A, B, C and D (Informally named after bus routes). Many residential halls have their own basic facilities, such as a food court, student lounge and laundry services. Currently Petronas Student Residential Hall and TM Student Residential Hall (UUM labels their residential halls by names of corporations, initially via numbering system) are designated as disabled-friendly Student Residential Halls with several purposely-modified rooms. The residential hall administration and Student Development and Leadership Committee (Jawatankuasa Pembangunan dan Kepimpinan Siswa, JKPS) which were separate for each residential hall while for off-campus accommodations (Persisiran Sintok and Taman Univeristi) a secretariat serves the same functions of the JKPS for the aforementioned accommodations. There are several residential halls that are reserved for students who take particular courses, based on accessibility (For instance, two blocks from TNB and Malaysia Airlines Student Residential Halls were reserved for UUM Foundations in Management course students).
* Tradewinds Student Residential Hall
* Proton Student Residential Hall
* TNB Student Residential Hall (Several blocks were reserved for Management Foundations students hostel)
* Malaysia Airlines Student Residential Hall (Several blocks were reserved for Management Foundations students hostel)
* Petronas Student Residential Hall
* Bank Islam Student Residential Hall (Formerly EON Student Residential Hall, later Grantt Student Residential Hall till 2024)
* BSN Student Residential Hall (Formerly Perwaja Student Residential Hall)
* MISC Student Residential Hall
* Sime Darby Student Residential Hall
* TM Student Residential Hall
* Yayasan Al-Bukhary Student Residential Hall (National Golf Academy and PALAPES students hostel)
* Bank Muamalat Student Residential Hall (National Golf Academy and PALAPES students hostel)
* Bank Rakyat Student Residential Hall (Formerly Kachi Student Residental Hall No.1, some rooms were allocated for postgraduate students)
* SME Bank Student Residential Hall (Formerly Kachi Student Residental Hall No.2)
* Maybank Student Residential Hall (Formerly known as university apartments, houses international and postgraduate students)
* Sisiran Naib Canselor (similar with Sisiran Sintok and Taman Universiti but inside campus, compromises of the official residences of the vice-chancellor and deputies)
* Sisiran Sintok (off-campus limits, mainly serves as university staffs accommodation)
* Taman Universiti (off-campus limits, mainly houses international and postgraduate students)

### Halls

* Dewan Mu'adzam Shah (Grand Hall)
* Dewan Tan Sri Othman
* Panggung Eksperimen (Experimental Theatre)
* Dewan Kachi

### Museums and Galleries

* UUM Management Museum
* Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad Gallery (Located in the new block of Sultanah Bahiyah Library)

### Research Facilities and Institutes

* Tun Dr Mahathir Institute of Thinking
* Economical and Financial Policy Institute (ECoFI)
* Institute of Quality Management
* Institute for Advanced and Smart Digital Opportunities (IASDO)
* PERMAI Independent Living Centre (ILC), under patronage of the Malaysian Department of Social Welfare

### Libraries

* Sultanah Bahiyah Library
* Sultan Badlishah Mosque Library

## Notable alumni

This is a list of notable people associated with the Universiti Utara Malaysia in Sintok, Kedah. This list includes both alumni and faculty members.
* Tomok - Malaysian singer
* Fattah Amin - Malaysian actor
* Dato' Sri Dr. Shahidan Kassim - Former Minister of Federal Territories and current Member of Parliament for Arau
* Dato' Sri Dr. Wee Jeck Seng - Member of Parliament for Tanjung Piai
* Fitri Haris - Member of Nasyid group UNIC and senior lecturer at the School of Creative Industry Management and Performing Arts (SCIMPA), UUM

## Gallery

* Dewan Kuliah Gugusan 6 UUM
* Mu'adzam Shah Hall in 2023