Datuk Dr. Hajah Roziah Mohd Janor

Datuk Dr. Hajah Roziah Mohd Janor, the pioneering first female Vice-Chancellor at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), brought transformative leadership to this prestigious institution during her tenure from August 9, 2021, until her recent retirement on October 11, 2023.

Before her illustrious VC role, she served in various key leadership positions over 34 years, displaying exceptional prowess in academia. Her academic journey boasts a Ph.D. in Statistics from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), complemented by degrees in Mathematics from West Virginia University, USA, and The State University of New York at New Paltz.

Dr. Roziah's legacy at UiTM is marked by groundbreaking initiatives. Her research spanned multiple domains, focusing on statistical modeling, data analytics, and impactful studies using GIS technology. She spearheaded significant projects, including an RM200K research on establishing Selangor Royal Songket, showcasing over 100 motifs inspired by artifacts from nine districts in Selangor.

Her leadership at UiTM fostered a remarkable transformation. She orchestrated Quality Initiatives resulting in ISO 9001 certification for all campuses, elevating UiTM's QS World University Ranking to 555 from 650+ and soon-to-be-released rank 98 in the QS Asia University Ranking from 105. Dr. Roziah's visionary approach materialized in initiatives like "VC Walkabout," covering all 34 campuses to engage with students and staff, documented in her tabloid "Rozie Times," and her talk show "Coffee Talk With Rozie" on YouTube.

Her crowning achievement was the "Going Global" project aiming for a globally renowned university by 2025, fostering collaborations with over 50 foreign universities in research, teaching, and student mobility. Notably, she secured long-overdue infrastructure upgrades across UiTM campuses with an allocation of almost RM95 million.

Dr. Roziah's impact extended beyond UiTM; she chaired UNINET, uniting 27 universities across IMT-GT countries. Her participation as a panelist at the IMT-GT High-Level Panel Forum underscored her commitment to international collaboration.

Her leadership style, embracing ideas from diverse sources, mentoring new talent, embracing technology and innovation, celebrating creativity, and turning vision into reality, marked her as a leader of exceptional integrity and accomplishment. As she moves beyond UiTM, Dr. Roziah remains committed to contributing to the larger community, nation, and the world.