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https://www.facebook.com/OfficialUMK/Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) turns its founding credo “Entrepreneurship Is Our Thrust” into measurable market impact. Nearly one quarter of undergraduates, about 3 350 students, now run registered ventures, the highest rate among Malaysia’s public universities. This momentum flows through the RICES ecosystem, a seamless bridge linking Research, Innovation, Commercialisation, Entrepreneurship and Society. Forty-seven student-managed kiosks, revolving micro-loan schemes, 10 living labs and the Ignite Venture Lab accelerator shepherd ideas from class to cash register. UMK30, the strategic plan for 2025-2030, raises the bar: doubling research income, creating a student-founded unicorn and reaching carbon-neutral operations by 2035. Early results confirm the trajectory. BioKenaf, a kenaf-leaf nutraceutical, soared from RM3.7 million in domestic revenue to RM8.8 million worldwide in ten months after entering Japan and winning the 2025 National Kenaf and Tobacco Board Innovation Award. Parallel spin-offs such as Whitening Sunscreen Nia and VitaLulut Gummies, created with Hannan Medispa, show how researchers and alumni fast-track beauty and wellness products to market. Entrepreneurial training translates directly into employability: 97.2 percent of the Class of 2024 graduates are in work, earning UMK Talentbank’s 2025 Employers’ Choice distinction. National showcases like The Next Big Thing competition and the University-Community Social Enterprise Challenge ignite further ambition. Guided by a UMK Entrepreneurship Institute, UMK demonstrates how a regional public university can ignite ideas, scale ventures and transform communities worldwide.
Finalist
Innovative and Entrepreneurial University of the Year Award
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
Finalist Innovative and Entrepreneurial University of the Year Award
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan - Malaysia
"Pioneering Progress, Unleashing Potential"
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Summary
Key People
PROF. IR. TS. DR. ARHAM BIN ABDULLAH
Vice Chancellor
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
PROF. DR. MOHD NOR HAKIMIN BIN YUSOFF
Senior Director
UMK Entrepreneurship Institute,
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
DR. MOHD SAFWAN BIN GHAZALI
Director
Center of Entrepreneurship Education and Development,
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
Ts. Dr. Hana Yazmeen binti Hapiz
Director
Ignite Venture Lab,
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
Dr. Mohd Ikhwan bin Aziz
Director
Institute of Small and Medium Enterprise UMK,
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
Acknowledgements
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan extends its deepest gratitude to our invaluable network of partners, whose dedication is fundamental to our innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem.
We sincerely thank all industry players, business advisors, and expert mentors who provide critical insights, experience, and opportunities. Their collaboration is vital in translating our academic breakthroughs into tangible market impact and significant sales, exemplified by the multi million ringgit success achieved by alumnus led companies commercializing UMK's licensed intellectual property. This direct contribution to economic growth underscores the power of our partnerships.
Our profound appreciation also goes to the dedicated entrepreneurs within our student body and local communities. Their spirit and perseverance are the driving force behind our mission to foster job creators and uplift socio economic status, transforming lives through enterprise.
This collective commitment, aligned with our holistic R.I.C.E.S ecosystem and UMK30 truly unleashes potential and propels UMK's journey as a leading entrepreneurial university.
Images
UMK30 sets bold targets: double our research income, nurture at least one student founded unicorn, and achieve full carbon neutrality by 2035. We will expand living labs, deepen industry and government partnerships, and supercharge our incubator programs to disburse RM 20 million in seed capital. By embedding sustainability and social impact at every step, through circular economy ventures and poverty alleviation initiatives—we will transform ideas into enterprises that uplift local communities and compete on the world stage.
UMK’s Strategic Innovation Journey From 2020’s Agents of Change to 2022–23 Game‑Changers and the 2024–25 Way Forward, our RICES ecosystem unites research, industry labs, and social ventures—powering breakthrough ideas into real‑world impact.
Cultivating Change: COOLAT D’JELI’s oyster mushroom farms empower Sungai Rual’s Orang Asli with sustainable livelihoods
UMK by the Numbers: 11,917 student entrepreneurs, RM14.4 M funding, 492 ready‑to‑commercialize patents and every link powering our innovation engine
BioKenaf: 100% Organic Kenaf Leaf Tea—Zero Sugar, Zero Preservatives, RM8.8 M Global Success
Future‑Ready Skills: UMK’s Microcredentials Empower Every Learner as Tomorrow’s Entrepreneur.
UMK’s Ecowatch is the standout success story of our incubation program, an intelligent water‑quality monitoring system born in the Ignite Venture Lab and refined through hands‑on mentorship, prototyping in our Living Labs, and early‑stage funding from The Big Spark program. Under the guidance of Ignite Venture Lab, the Ecowatch team secured a strategic partnership with a leading environmental tech firm to commercialize their sensors for global markets. Now poised as a potential unicorn, Ecowatch slashes toxic pollution 24/7 and demonstrates how UMK transforms student ventures into world‑class enterprises.
Dr. Hana Hapiz has delivered her Sales Pitch Masterclass to over 600 participants, from UMK students and faculty to government agency officers—through interactive workshops, live pitch simulations, and personalized feedback sessions. By breaking down complex sales techniques into practical steps, she has equipped dozens of micro and small enterprises with clear value propositions, storytelling frameworks, and objection‑handling strategies. Graduates of the program report closing more deals, pitching with confidence to investors and customers, and transforming everyday interactions into revenue‑generating conversations demonstrating the masterclass’s power to turn entrepreneurial ambition into tangible sales success.
Workshop modules, from Business Model Canvas to Finance Literacy to equip our students with the hands‑on skills to launch and grow successful ventures.
UMK30 embodies our vision for progress which is integrating sustainable design, cutting‑edge research, and entrepreneurial innovation to transform campus and community.
IMPACT STORY
Impacting lifes
At Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), our innovative paradigm is a dynamic force that ignites entrepreneurial spirit and drives transformative impact. This is powerfully exemplified by the journey of Bio Kenaf and our trailblazing alumnus, Bukhari Che Harun.
UMK's cutting edge researchers delved into Kenaf's unrealized potential, envisioning a disruptive future for health and sustainability. This groundbreaking discovery was then strategically channeled through our robust intellectual property commercialization framework, a core component of our holistic R.I.C.E.S ecosystem.
Bukhari, once an underprivileged student, embodied UMK's inclusive education model. Fueled by our entrepreneurial empowerment, he founded Aura Biocare (Aurabio), becoming the commercialization conduit for UMK's licensed Bio Kenaf. His visionary leadership transformed our scientifically validated research into premium nutritional supplements under the Aura Alam brand.
Through relentless dedication, Bukhari achieved an astonishing RM8 million in sales. This commercial triumph is a direct outcome of UMK's innovation driven entrepreneurship, demonstrating how our strategic investment in both intellectual and human capital creates sustainable economic growth and broad societal wellbeing. It is a tangible outcome of our dynamic roadmap for unleashing potential and driving game changing impact, as outlined in our Strategic Innovation Initiatives.
LEARNINGS
Lessons learned
Key learnings from UMK highlight the transformative impact when universities strategically integrate research, innovation, commercialization, entrepreneurship, and societal contributions. This interconnected approach, exemplified by UMK’s integrated R.I.C.E.S ecosystem, consistently generates significant economic and social benefits.
Moving forward, UMK30, the strategic plan for 2026-2030, outlines an ambitious vision emphasizing technology integration and entrepreneurial spirit. UMK aims to foster an innovative ecosystem featuring a cashless and carbon-free campus, while nurturing unicorn startups through robust entrepreneurial initiatives. The plan emphasizes developing high-caliber entrepreneurial talents who are not only skillful but adept at monetizing their expertise, significantly contributing to economic prosperity.
For institutions seeking similar success, UMK offers the following leadership insights:
1. Develop a comprehensive, technology-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem linking research, innovation, commercialization, entrepreneurship, and societal impact.
2. Prioritize and empower alumni and students as critical commercialization and entrepreneurial agents, providing resources and market-entry support.
3. Implement a clear, evolving innovation roadmap from initial ideas to market-ready innovations, achieving impactful societal outcomes.
4. Focus research efforts on commercial potential and real-world relevance, ensuring a seamless pathway from innovation to sustainable economic and community impact.
These strategies will position institutions to drive meaningful, lasting change.
FUTURE PLANS
What's coming?Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) is strategically positioned for continuous innovation through its structured R.I.C.E.S ecosystem (Research, Innovation, Commercialisation, Entrepreneurship, Society). Building upon past successes, UMK’s future is mapped clearly through its Strategic Innovation Initiatives. Moving forward, UMK focuses on "UMK30," emphasizing inclusive growth, sustainability, and impactful innovation. Through dedicated initiatives such as Biokenaf, InnoLogistics, IbuCare, Halalhub, and WaletHub, UMK aims to strengthen entrepreneurship, enhance community well-being, and foster sustainable economic development. UMK plans to expand its proven commercialization and intellectual property framework to further transform pioneering research into scalable enterprises. Enhanced partnerships with industry leaders and global research institutions will be central to this expansion, ensuring UMK remains at the forefront of innovative educational practices and entrepreneurial excellence. UMK30, the strategic plan for 2026-2030, further solidifies UMK’s commitment to innovation by introducing bold initiatives such as establishing a cashless and carbon-free campus, nurturing unicorn startups through robust entrepreneurial initiatives, and deeply embedding social enterprise models within UMK's DNA. These efforts are designed to tackle poverty directly within the communities UMK serves, achieving significant socio-economic impact. In the educational domain, UMK will intensify efforts to develop future-ready talents. Through its dynamic incubators, competitions like "The Next Big Thing," and targeted funding opportunities, UMK is committed to cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets and producing graduates who are not just employable but capable of creating jobs and leading innovation. These comprehensive and forward-looking strategies ensure UMK’s continuing role as a catalyst for transformative change in higher education, entrepreneurship, and societal advancement.
