Heriot-Watt M’sia honours Sultan of Selangor with ‘Doctor of University’ award
His Royal Highness (Sultan Sharafuddin) is a towering figure who has always championed the human potential and personifies the pioneering spirit. A world-class leader, as an administrator, sportsman and in the military, the Sultan has always served the nation and is a source of stability and inspiration.
PUTRAJAYA: The presentation of an honorary doctorate degree to Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was among the highlights of HeriotWatt University Malaysia’s graduation here recently.
Sultan Sharafuddin accepted the ‘ Doctor of the University’ award from Heriot-Watt University principal and vice- chancellor Prof Richard A Williams at the ceremony.
The Sultan also witnessed the handover of scrolls to some 200 Heriot-Watt students from the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, School of Social Sciences and School of Energy, Geoscience Infrastructure and Society.
According to Williams, the ‘ Doctor of the University’ award is Heriot-Watt’s highest honour.
“His Royal Highness ( Sultan Sharafuddin) is a towering figure who has always championed the human potential and personifies the pioneering spirit. A worldclass leader, as an administrator, sportsman and in the military, the Sultan has always served the nation and is a source of stability and inspiration,” he said.
It is learnt that the land upon which the Heriot-Watt Malaysia Campus stands today was ceded by Sultan Sharafuddin’s father Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in 2001.
Prof Richard A Williams, Heriot-Watt University principal and vice-chancellor
Sultan Sharafuddin – the eldest child of Sultan Salahuddin and Raja Saidatul Ihsan Tengku Badar Shah – was born on Dec 24, 1945, in Istana Jema’ah in Klang, Selangor.
He was proclaimed the Crown Prince of Selangor in September 1960 and officially became the ninth Sultan of Selangor on Nov 22, 2001 following the passing of his father.
He gained early education at Jalan Raja Muda Malay Primary School and St John’s Institution in Kuala Lumpur from 1954 to 1959, before continuing his studies at the Hale School in Perth, Australia (1960-1964), and at the Langhurst College in Surrey, England (1964-1968).
On May 25, 2000, Sultan Sharafuddin was appointed as pro- chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Mara ( UiTM) and on March 31, 2001, he was awarded with the Honorary Doctorate of Public Administration.
On April 1, 2002, he became the chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
In February this year, he received an honorary degree from the University of Nottingham.
Sultan Sharafuddin is an avid sportsman and adventurer – he entered the Malaysia Book of Records as being the ‘First Member of the Malaysian Royal Family to Sail around the World’ and the ‘First Member of the Malaysian Royal Family to Complete the Peking-Paris Motor Challenge’.
Sultan Sharafuddin has cowritten, sponsored and curated many books to ensure that the nation’s history is properly recorded – covering mapping, history, architecture, culture, the arts and the crafts of Malaysia, with a special focus on his kingdom, Selangor.
His interest in and solid support towards education and providing opportunities for reading has led Sultan Sharafuddin to provide long-term and wide-ranging support for Selangor’s new State Library – making it a popular destination for local youths.
Founded in 1821 as the world’s first mechanics institute, HeriotWatt has a rich heritage and an established reputation as a key research-led university.
Now, its communities of scholars come from across the world and for a purpose – they deliver innovation and educational excellence in business, engineering, design and the physical, social and life sciences.
With its roots in Scotland, the university’s ambition is truly international.