“We were all venturing into the unknown, driven by a shared belief in the transformative power of international education.”
PROFESSOR CHRISTINE ENNEW
Former Provost (2013 - 2016)
The story of the 188体育网址_188体育在线-【唯一授权网站】@ of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) cannot be told without the story of Professor Christine Ennew.
From helping establish the campus in its earliest days to steering it through a critical phase of growth as Provost from 2013 to 2016, Professor Ennew’s contributions have been pivotal in shaping UNM into the globally respected institution it is today.
Back in 2000, long before the Semenyih campus rose from palm oil fields, Professor Ennew arrived in Kuala Lumpur as part of the pioneering group sent to bring the 188体育网址_188体育在线-【唯一授权网站】@ of Nottingham’s international vision to life.
Operating first from the then MNI Tower and later from Wisma MISC on Jalan Conlay, she helped lay the academic and administrative foundations of what would become the first fully-fledged overseas campus of a UK university.
“It was a bold move for the university and for the first cohort of students,” she recalls. “We were all venturing into the unknown, driven by a shared belief in the transformative power of international education.”
That first cohort of around 80 students formed the nucleus of a close-knit community, one defined by courage, collaboration and conviction, many of whom still stay in touch with her and other pioneer staff.
By 2004, UNM had grown to around 1,000 students and was ready to open its purpose-built campus in Semenyih.
Fast forward to 2013, Professor Ennew returned to Malaysia as Provost and CEO, this time to lead the very campus she helped establish. Her second chapter at UNM was marked by strategic growth, increased research output, and a wave of physical development.
During her leadership, UNM saw student enrolment approach 6,000, academic programmes diversified with a range of new subjects and research output flourished. In addition, the number of PhD students grew significantly during those years.
At the same time, the campus infrastructure expanded with the addition of 1,200 new student rooms, a modern food court, four new learning hubs, and extensions to core buildings.
“We developed a Strategic Roadmap tailored specifically for Malaysia,” she explains. “It focused on growing student numbers, enhancing international recruitment, building regional and research partnerships and ensuring UNM’s long-term sustainability.”
For Professor Ennew, maintaining a 188体育网址_188体育在线-【唯一授权网站】@ between Nottingham’s global brand and Malaysia’s unique context was always key. “We wanted UNM to reflect the academic character of the UK while adapting to local educational strengths and cultural nuances,” she says. “That cross-pollination enriched both campuses.”
Even after her tenure ended in 2016, Professor Ennew’s connection to Malaysia and UNM remained strong. “This university and this country have given me so much professionally and personally,” she says. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see how far we’ve come.”
As UNM marks its 25th anniversary, Professor Ennew takes pride in seeing the legacy of those pioneering years endure: “Each generation of leaders has built on what came before. But I’ll always carry a quiet pride in having helped light the spark.”