18 February 2008 - The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, has today officially launched the new flagship campus of SEGi College Malaysia at Kota Damansara. The RM150 million campus is situated within the city limits of Selangor. The event was also attended by the Chief Minister of Selangor Datuk Seri Dr. Mohamad Khir Toyo, Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Sri Azalina Datuk Othman Said, deputy ministers and dignitaries, senior college leaders, staff and students.

Datuk Pahamin A. Rajab, Chairman of SEG International Bhd (SEGi), which owns and operates the SEGi Group of Colleges, said that it was a proud day for the college, when addressing the 8,000 strong crowd who were present to witness the significant event.

“This is a great occasion for SEGi. It demonstrates our commitment to set new benchmarks in education excellence, synonymous with the Government's aim of making Malaysia a regional education hub.”

Pahamin also took the opportunity to recall that it was Datuk Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi himself who launched PRIME College in 2001, when he was Deputy Prime Minister then. The PRIME Group along with Systematic Group, has since been rebranded as SEGi College in 2006.

“It is an indication that the Prime Minister has been with the College through the years, and he is with us today, and will be with us as we upgrade ourselves in term of infrastructure and quality through the years,” adds Pahamin.

The official launch of the new flagship campus is testament to SEGi's growth and achievement, which today stands as one of the most successful private education providers in the country with more than 16,000 students and 1,200 staff. Aside from its flagship campus in Kota Damansara, SEGi's network of colleges are also located in Subang Jaya, Kuala Lumpur , Penang and Sarawak.

In his address, the Prime Minister congratulated SEGi for being the hallmark of quality education in the country.

“I applaud the launch of SEGi College flagship campus as it reflects the commitment to provide high quality learning opportunities for Malaysians, and sets the hallmark of educational excellence. The new campus will play a crucial role towards the realization of the National aim of being the hub of education, not only in Malaysia, but in the Asian region,” the Prime Minister said

The Prime Minister mentioned that private higher education institutions play an important role in nation building by developing human capital that is knowledgeable, skilled and have moral values and ethics. He credited SEGi College for redefining higher education by providing industry driven courses, focused and comprehensive curriculum, learning and teaching techniques that are aggressive but creative, and a modern and conducive learning environment.

“I hope that the people of SEGi will continue in its efforts and eventually be an institution of higher learning that is both great and able to create a new generation that is cemerlang, gemilang and terbilang .”

Guests and visitors were in awe of the flagship campus's unique architecture, which is inspired by colonial and roman designs. Situated on a 10-acre site, the campus has a capacity of 12,000 students.

The flagship campus is not only an iconic building with great architectural features but it also provides an excellent study environment, where students can work how, where and when they choose. The campus is fitted with full-fledged facilities, including on campus residence halls, sports & recreational complex and state-of-the-art laboratories and learning facilities.

The academic block provides the latest I.T. resources, including over 500 PCs, wireless network and IT equipped classrooms as well as well-equipped spaces for teaching, learning and students. The library, which spans two floors of the administrative block houses the most extensive in-demand print and digital learning resources. Living up to its standards as an e-campus, the SEGi College Malaysia main campus will make ready most of its learning materials online within an Internet and wireless environment. “Think tank” rooms are also specially constructed to enable students to interact with each other in group discussions or perform study projects.

The campus also boasts high-tech equipments within its pharmacy, engineering and computing laboratories. The facilities are cutting edge and are designed to prepare students to excel in the future, with the usage of live video conferencing and recording technology.

SEGi was also singled out for its efforts in corporate social responsibility. One was the public-private partnership in which youths are trained in a number of skills. The initiative, Program Belia Cemerlang Gemilang dan Terbilang (CGT) is the brainchild of Datuk Seri Azalina Datuk Othman Said, who was also present at the function. Under the programme, thousands of youths who were unable to obtain places in government youth development institutes are offered places in private training centres to acquire useful skills, and gain employment eventually.

Also mentioned were SEGi's participation in Putera UMNO's Second Chance Scheme (Skim Peluang Kedua), which offers opportunities for youths from rural areas to obtain academic qualifications and vocational skills to become productive members of society.

The launch of the flagship campus also saw the signing of memorandum of agreements (MOA) with The University of Sheffield and University of Sunderland from the UK, and Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia.

The signing of the MOA will see collaborations in the areas of research, teaching, staff and student exchanges in the areas of medicine, dentistry, health sciences, engineering, hospitality & tourism, as well as business management.

The full-fledged campus facilities has already attracted a large international student population from more than 46 countries. The presence of these students also lends a cosmopolitan feel to the campus and contributes to a rich and fascinating cultural mix on campus, and helps foster an open and global frame of mind among students.

It is only apt that both international and local students at SEGi College provided a fitting send-off to the Prime Minister by giving an entertaining performance – unity and harmony – which is a mish-mash of local and international culture.