The IMU 24th Academic Council (AC) meeting was held from 10-12 March 2013 this year at the Senate Room, IMU Bukit Jalil Campus. This important meeting in the IMU calendar is an annual event which is organised by the Chancellery Department. It is during this meeting each year that key senior level decisions are made with regards to matters such as university curriculum, the medical programs conducted at IMU, and recommendations are made on admissions, assessment, faculty appointment and professional development. The Academic Council making these decisions comprises of deans/representatives from all Partner Medical Schools (PMS) and Partner Dental Schools (PDS) of IMU, and all members of the IMU Senate. The AC is chaired by one of the PMS Representatives. The Chair of the council is normally appointed for a term of three years. For the current term, the Chairman of the Academic Council is Dr Chris Stephens—University Director of Education, Associate Dean (Education & Student Experience) Faculty of Medicine University of Southampton. AC representatives include deans and professors from the University of Otago, The University of Adelaide, The University of Newcastle, The University of Western Sydney, St George’s University of London and The University of Copenhagen.
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The Academic Council, has been integral to the growth, direction and performance of the University since 1993. It was first established as a consultative body to the University’s medical programme but its remit has since expanded to include the dentistry programme and through the Professional Education Advisory Committee, oversight of educational quality. Through its yearly meetings, AC casts a rigorously critical eye over all activity impacting upon student and graduate quality, ranging from admissions criteria and processes to programme curricula and their development, assessment and evaluation to and research and postgraduate education and training. In conjunction with the meeting of the IMU Academic Council 2013, several social event activities were organised for the purpose of welcoming all IMU partner schools guests and giving them a taste of local culture. The first social activity was the IMU AC Golf Tournament, held at The Mines Golf and Resort Club, Seri Kembangan on 10 March 2013. This activity is a part of the yearly social tournament organised by IMU since 1997. The events purpose is to foster and maintain good relationships among the participants, and at the same time have a bit of healthy outdoor exercise which is always appreciated by the participants. The IMU team previously had an unbeaten record of winning the golf tournament however for the first time this year the IMU Partner School team was victorious. Congratulations!
Following this activity, a get together dinner and a semi formal dinner attended by IMU staff and their spouses, Partner School members, IMU Board of Governance members, IMU student representatives, Board of Governance Members and AC Members was held for everybody to socialise and get to know each other. Everyone reportedly thoroughly enjoyed the experience which was topped off with a surprise birthday wish for IMU Healthcare CEO/Director, Dato’ Ted Mohr. 
We would like to take this opportunity of thanking all Academic Council committee members for their efforts in attending this year’s meeting and trust that their visit to Malaysia has been a fruitful and enjoyable experience.
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