JOHOR BAHRU, June 1 – The Master of Science (Biotechnology) programme offered by the Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has been awarded the prestigious 5-Star Rating for Quality Excellence under the ASEAN University Network–Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) Programme Assessment, reaffirming the programme’s commitment to academic excellence and continuous quality enhancement.

The AUN-QA programme assessment was conducted over four days, bringing together an international panel of assessors to evaluate the programme against the AUN-QA quality standards. The assessment panel were AUN-QA Council Deputy Chairperson from Thailand, Assoc. Prof. Chavalit Wongse-ek, who served as the Lead Assessor and Dean of the College of Computing and Multimedia Studies, Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation, Philippines, Assoc. Prof. Rodrigo D. Belleza Jr., who served as the Assessor.

The assessment began with the official opening ceremony at the Dewan Senat Ainuddin Wahid, Sultan Ibrahim Chancellery Building, UTM Johor Bahru, before continuing with programme-level evaluation activities at the Department. Throughout the visit, the assessors conducted an extensive review of the Master of Science (Biotechnology) programme through interviews, document verification and visits to teaching and learning (TnL) facilities, library, Office of Quality & Digital Transformation (UTMDigital) and research facilities.

As part of the assessment process, the assessors engaged with the Dean, Head of Department, Programme Chair, Self-Assessment Report (SAR) Team, academic staff, support staff, current students, employers, and alumni. These sessions provided the assessors with valuable insights into the programme’s curriculum, teaching and learning practices, research environment, student support services, stakeholder engagement, graduate outcomes and mechanisms for continuous quality improvement. The visit concluded with the Presentation of the Preliminary Findings and a closing session at Hyatt Place Johor Bahru, where the assessors shared their observations and recommendations following the comprehensive evaluation.

The programme’s achievement of the 5-Star Quality Excellence recognition reflects the collective commitment of the Department of Biosciences to delivering high-quality postgraduate education while encouraging research and scholarly development in biotechnology. It also demonstrates that the programme meets internationally recognised standards in programme design, implementation, stakeholder engagement and quality assurance established by the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) University Network.

The Department of Biosciences extends its heartfelt appreciation to all academic and administrative staff, students, alumni, employers, industry partners, and university management whose dedication, collaboration, and unwavering support contributed to this significant milestone. This recognition serves as a strong motivation for the Department to continue strengthening its postgraduate programmes, advancing research excellence and producing biotechnology graduates who are equipped to address emerging scientific and societal challenges at both the regional and global levels.

Co-authors: Nurliyana Ahmad Zawawi and Alina Wagiran (authors)