PUTRAJAYA: Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, graced the 2024 Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Royal Gala Dinner (UTM RGD), held at a hotel here tonight.
Also in attendance was Her Highness Tunku Mahkota Johor Che' Puan Mahkota Khaleeda Bustamam.
Raja Zarith Sofiah, who is also the UTM Chancellor, arrived at around 8.20pm and was welcomed by the Higher Education Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zaini Ujang, UTM Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, and Chairman of the UTM Board of Directors, Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar.
The biennial dinner, organised by UTM, began with a video presentation, followed by a speech by Ahmad Fauzi and the presentation of a mock cheque to scholarship and sponsorship recipients.
Since 2012, the UTM RGD has served as a fundraising platform organised by the public higher education institution.
The 2024 UTM RGD successfully raised RM6.4 million in contributions from the state government, corporate companies, industry players, UTM alumni, UTM staff, and individual donors.
In his speech, Ahmad Fauzi shared that UTM has so far awarded 883 scholarships to its students, amounting to a total of RM25.9 million.
He also mentioned that the UTM endowment fund currently stands at RM159.7 million.
In addition to scholarships, over 100 UTM students from the B40 income group have received a living allowance of RM450 per month for two semesters of their studies.
"UTM is not only focused on raising funds to support local students but also extends assistance to international students, particularly those from Palestine," he said.
To support the education of Palestinian students, Ahmad Fauzi announced that UTM had established the Serambi Al-Quds Programme, which has sponsored 10 Palestinian students pursuing their PhDs in various fields and faculties since last year.
"I am deeply touched by the support, concern, and commitment shown by all the donors in helping us achieve UTM's excellence agenda. These contributions mean a great deal," he added.– BERNAMA