The Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business (OYAGSB) is named after the late second Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Utara Malaysia, Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Othman Bin Yeop Abdullah. The late Tan Sri was born on 13 September 1941 in Alor Setar, Kedah. He received his secondary education at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College, Alor Setar and went for further studies at the University of Malaya and graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Management. Later he continued his studies at the London School of Economics, United Kingdom, graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Development Administration. Subsequently, he enrolled himself at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1976 for a master's degree in Management. In 1984, he graduated with a Doctorate in Management from the University of California (Irvine), USA.

The late Tan Sri had an illustrious career, having served in various ministries and government agencies. He had over 35 years of experience in entrepreneurial management, with 31 years in the civil service which include serving as a Secretary-General to the Ministry of Primary Industries. He served in various professional organisations including World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and National Information Technology Centre (NITC). In September 1996, Tan Sri was appointed as the Executive Chairman of Multimedia Development Corporation by the Malaysian government. In this capacity, Tan Sri spearheaded the strategic planning and implementation of Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor initiative which aims to leapfrog Malaysia into the Knowledge Age by the Year 2020. A Fellow of the Alfred P Sloan Fellowship from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Tan Sri also received numerous other awards including the prestigious Panglima Setia Mahkota conferred by HRH Yang di Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and Honorary Doctorate in Information Technology from Universiti Utara Malaysia. Tan Sri had also published extensively on management, development, technology and strategy issues.

Due to his failing health, Tan Sri gave up his executive duties at MDC. On September 2003, Tan Sri died after battling with lung cancer.  Although he is no longer with us, his legacy as a notable statesman still lives on. He once said that he was excited with the Multimedia Super Corridor project because it could “pull Malaysia away from the pack and surge ahead.” Indeed, the Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business is committed to realising Tan Sri’s dream by making itself Distinctively Different to surge ahead.

The development of the School owes much to the strong and capable leadership shown by its founding dean, Prof Dr Noor Azizi (2011-2015). A man with a strong vision and leadership skill, Noor Azizi was instrumental in making OYAGSB a respected, relevant, and responsive business school in the country. Through keen observation and deep understanding, he knew what a business school should have to make its mark on the international stage.

With the support of everyone at the School, he embarked on an uncharted journey to internationalisation. Though perilous it may seem, the journey yielded expected results. The long, hard work was not without gain. Defying all odds, the School succeeded in getting international accreditations of ABEST21, AMBA, and AACSB. Now, the School can stand tall with its achievements and one of the business schools to be reckoned.

Noor Azizi's contribution to OYAGSB is invaluable; indeed, his tremendous contribution was recognised further when he was given the mandate to hold the post of Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation in August 2015. His talent is further noticed when in July 2017, he started his new position as the Deputy Director General of Higher Education (IPTA) at the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia.  As the Malay saying goes, ‘Tuah ayam nampak di kaki, tuah manusia siapa tahu’ (trans: no one knows where your talent will land you at).

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