This is a big school.
It is in a place called Malaysia. It is a very old school. Many people go there to learn. It helps us learn new things.
Do you like to learn?
This is a very old school.
It started a long time ago in a place called Singapore.
First, there was a school for doctors.
Later, a new college was built for arts and science.
In 1949, these two schools joined together. This created the University of Malaya.
Soon, the school grew very fast. It moved to a new home in Kuala Lumpur.
Now, many people go there to study. It is a big part of the land.
The University of Malaya is a big school in Malaysia.
People often call it "UM." It is the oldest university in the country.
The school began a long time ago in Singapore. In 1905, a medical school opened.
It helped train people to work in hospitals. Later, Raffles College was built in 1929.
This college taught arts and science.
In 1949, these two schools joined together. This merger created the University of Malaya. The school grew very fast. In 1959, it split into two parts. One part stayed in Singapore. The other part moved to Kuala Lumpur.
In 1962, the school in Kuala Lumpur became its own university.
Today, UM is a very large place. It has more than 2,300 teachers.
There are many different areas for study. These include fourteen faculties and several other centers. It is a major place for research and learning.
The University of Malaya is a major public research school in Malaysia.
Many people simply call it "UM." It holds the title of the oldest university in the country. This school is very important for higher learning in the region. It serves as a large center for many different types of study.
Today, it is a very big and busy place for students.
The school grew through a series of important steps and mergers. It started with two separate institutions in Singapore. One was the King Edward VII College of Medicine.
The other was Raffles College, which focused on arts and science. In October 1949, these two schools joined together. This merger created the first University of Malaya.
This new university was the only one in the newly independent Malaya.
The history of the university begins much earlier than 1949. In the late 1890s, there was a shortage of medical assistants in Singapore and Penang. To help, a medical school opened on 3 July 1905.
It was originally called the Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School. In 1913, the name changed to the King Edward VII School of Medicine. Later, Raffles College was formally established on 22 July 1929.
These two schools eventually became the foundation for the modern university.
Many specific details help us understand how the university changed over time. In 1905, the medical school had only 17 students. By 1907, they had added a lecture hall and a laboratory.
Raffles College was built at a site called the Economic Gardens. This construction cost a large amount of money from an endowment fund.
In 1959, the university split into two separate divisions. One branch stayed in Singapore and became the University of Singapore. The other branch stayed in Kuala Lumpur and kept the name Universiti Malaya.
Today, the university is a very large and organized institution. It has more than 2,300 faculty members who teach the students.
The school is divided into fourteen different faculties. It also has two academies, three institutes, and two academic centres. In 2012, the Ministry of Higher Education granted the school autonomy. This means the university has more power to make its own decisions. It remains a key part of education in Malaysia.
The University of Malaya, often called "UM," is a prominent public research university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
It holds the distinction of being the oldest institution of higher education in Malaysia. As a major research hub, it plays a vital role in the nation's academic landscape. The university is a large, complex organization with many different parts.
It currently employs more than 2,300 faculty members to support its students. The institution is organized into fourteen faculties, two academies, three institutes, and two academic centres.
The history of the university began with the need for medical training in the late 1890s. At that time, Singapore and Penang faced a shortage of medical assistants. A report by the Education Commission in April 1902 suggested building a medical school to help government hospitals.
Although some people in the European community disagreed, legislation was passed in June 1905. The Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School opened on 3 July 1905. It was located in converted buildings from an old asylum near the Singapore General Hospital. In its first year, the school had only 17 medical students.
As the medical school grew, it underwent several important changes and expansions. In 1907, the school added a lecture hall and a laboratory. By 1905, there were 17 medical students and four hospital assistant trainees. Five years later, enrollment rose to 90 medical students and 30 trainees. The school's first Principal was Dr. Gerald Dudley Freer. In 1912, the school received a $120,000 endowment from the King Edward VII Memorial Fund.
This fund was started by Dr. Lim Boon Keng. Consequently, the name changed to the King Edward VII School of Medicine in 1913.
Another important part of the university's history is the story of Raffles College. The idea for the college came from Sir Stamford Raffles and Dr. Robert Morison. They wanted a center to study Malay and Chinese cultures at a high level.
A committee recommended building a college to celebrate the centenary of Singapore's founding. The government decided to build it with a budget of no more than $1,000,000. The committee successfully collected $2,391,040 for the Raffles College Endowment Fund by August 1920. Raffles College was formally established on 22 July 1929. Students there studied either arts or sciences and earned a three-year diploma.
The modern University of Malaya was formed through a major merger in 1949. This merger combined the King Edward VII College of Medicine and Raffles College.
The formation followed recommendations from the Carr-Saunders Commission. This commission had suggested creating a full university instead of just a university college. The new institution was chartered on 8 October 1949 at the Bukit Timah Campus in Singapore. At that time, it was the only university in the newly independent Malaya. This merger brought together medical expertise and studies in arts and sciences.
In 1959, the university experienced a significant period of growth and restructuring. Rapid expansion led the university to split into two autonomous divisions on 15 January 1959. One division remained in Singapore, while the other was located in Kuala Lumpur.
In 1960, the governments of Malaya and Singapore decided these divisions should become separate national universities. The Singapore branch eventually became the University of Singapore. The Kuala Lumpur branch kept the name Universiti Malaya. Legislation in 1961 led to the official establishment of Universiti Malaya on 1 January 1962.
Today, the university continues to expand its reach and influence through partnerships and autonomy. In 2012, the Ministry of Higher Education granted the university autonomy. This allows the institution to manage its own affairs more independently.
In 2013, UM collaborated with the University of Wales to create the International University of Malaya-Wales (IUMW). This is a private university located in Malaysia. The university remains a central pillar of the Malaysian education system, connecting historical traditions with modern research and global cooperation.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (17)
+ 5 more
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.