UCSI University’s vice-chancellor and senior professor Dr Khalid Yusoff died this afternoon at Hospital Pengajar Universiti Putra Malaysia.

“Today, we say goodbye to senior professor Dr Khalid, our vice-chancellor and president of UCSI University,” UCSI Group CEO and founder Peter Ng said in a statement.

Ng described Khalid as “never one to rest on laurels”, and said he was someone who made a profound impact on UCSI’s student experience.

He said Khalid had single-handedly formed a collaborative arrangement with Harvard University that empowered UCSI medical students with opportunities to pursue year-long research programmes “at an institution many regard as the world’s best university.”

Khalid, a clinical cardiologist by training, began his medical career as a student at The University of Melbourne, Australia, and trained in cardiology at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the United Kingdom.

Upon returning to Malaysia, he built a strong career in academia, and was a strong advocate of research and development. His findings were frequently published in high-impact international journals.

He leaves behind his wife, Professor Dr Khatijah Mohd Yusoff and two children, Nur Azzah Che Khalid and Muhammad Zulqarnain Che Khalid. – April 5, 2021.