Leaders testimonial for AAN-17 by Zahiruddin Fitri Abu Hassan

Professor Dr Sr Anuar Alias

zahiruddin — 2026-07-26 05:58:13 UTC

What has always stood out to me about Dr. Zahir is his remarkable dedication to his colleagues and his "home" faculty (FBE) . Holding a demanding portfolio like Head of e-Learning is no small feat, but despite his heavy university-wide responsibilities, he never lost sight of his roots at FBE.Whenever the faculty needed his expertise, Dr. Zahir was always the first to step up. I recall many instances where we requested specialized Teaching and Learning (T&L) training for our faculty members. He never once turned us down, always finding the time to design and deliver sessions that genuinely helped our lecturers elevate their teaching methods. Beyond his pedagogical expertise, he remained a steadfast team player, actively serving on various faculty committees (AJK) wherever he was appointed and bringing his usual energy and insight to the table. It was a particularly proud moment for me as Dean to see his exceptional work ethic recognized when he won the Anugerah Cemerlang Universiti Malaya (ACUM) under my leadership. It was a well-deserved nod to his tireless balancing act between university and faculty duties.Dr. Zahir is not just an e-learning visionary; he is an incredibly supportive colleague and a dedicated educator who naturally elevates everyone around him. I cannot think of a more deserving candidate for this award, and he has my strongest possible endorsement.

Rizal Baharum

zahiruddin — 2026-07-26 05:58:59 UTC

Zahir is an engaging and supportive colleague who generously shares his knowledge, teaching ideas, and best practices with those around him. He embraces innovative approaches to teaching, particularly through the effective use of digital tools and online learning platforms, to create meaningful and interactive learning experiences for students. His collaborative spirit, professionalism, and genuine commitment to student success make him a respected colleague and a valued contributor to our academic community

Yatimah Alias

zahiruddin — 2026-07-26 05:59:25 UTC

I assumed the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International) in February 2022 and served in this role until January 2025. In this capacity, ADEC (Academic Enhancement and Leadership Development Centre) fell under my supervisory portfolio.Dr. Zahiruddin reported through the ADEC leadership structure under my oversight.During my tenure, Dr. Zahiruddin won an international online course award at the GMA Awards held at Queen Mary University of London in December 2024. This prestigious achievement brought significant pride and recognition to Universiti Malaya on the global stage and underscored the excellence of our academics in technology-enhanced learning.

Kamila Ghazali

zahiruddin — 2026-08-11 04:06:36 UTC

Dr. Zahiruddin was in Team ADeC when I was the DVC from 2018-2021. He was extremely instrumental in the University’s transition to online teaching & learning (T&L) even before the Covid-19 Pandemic period in 2020-2021. He was in charge of e-learning in UM. All teaching staff were trained to teach online in the event of an ‘emergency’ as part of the university’s ‘business continuity management plan’. The first time UM experienced the need to go fully online was during the 2019 Southeast Asian Haze crisis when Malaysia was severely impacted from July to September 2019. UM was the only university then to be fully prepared to go for 100% e-learning. This was an early indication of the effectiveness of Dr. Zahir and ADeC in the training programme. Further testimony to his contribution was during the Covid-19 Pandemic when online T&L was comprehensive, over a long duration and full scale. Not only was intensive training continuously conducted, Dr. Zahir and the ADeC team published the first Online Learning Guide and continued to improve on it through a couple of editions published afterwards. Dr. Zahir also played a crucial role in working with UM IT team to identify the appropriate equipment for faculties to conduct ‘remote learning’ for students still unable to make it back to campus after the pandemic. In addition to that, Dr. Zahir led the coordination of UM academics from all faculties to curate courses for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC). By the end of my tenure as DVC, they managed to develop almost 40 courses. I strongly believe Dr. Zahiruddin is an excellent choice for the award. He not only leads but also is part of the team getting down to the nuts and bolts of what needs to be done.

Fauza Ab Ghaffar

zahiruddin — 2026-08-11 04:07:20 UTC

Dr Zahiruddin was the head of e-learning at ADeC..He played an instrumental role in the design,development and monitoring of the Learning Management System of UM- SPECTRUM.His contribution to both system development as well as human awareness and competence in using the system was tremendous- through scheduled training programme,faculty invitation as well as personal consultation.Such is the situation that during the covid era- UM was ready to embarked on learning and assessment online.Besides Dr Zahir is also involved in many other digital learning endeavour,ODL ecetera.Mention e learning in UM and amongst public universities, Dr Zahir is the familiar name.