USM PENANG, 12 January 2026 – 2026 will be of great significance to Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in general and more specifically for the School of Distance Education (PPPJJ) especially when the Distance Education Programme (RPJJ) will be celebrating its 55 years of operations.

Throughout the five decades, RPJJ USM has carved its own history as the pioneer in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in Malaysia, simultaneously contributing in a big way to the sustainability of the nation’s higher education agenda.

RPJJ was first established in 1971, with the holistic vision of offering higher education opportunities to groups comprising adults, workers, and society in general that could not pursue education in a conventional manner.

Numerous parties have benefitted from the programmes that were initially seen as different and difficult. However, after COVID-19, online learning has received must interest up to the present time.

Since then, RPJJ has expanded in line with current changes, such as in technology and the needs of the industry, without sacrificing academic quality, a mainstay of excellence at USM, being the nation’s sole APEX (Accelerated Programme for Excellence) university.

Dean of PPPJJ, Associate Professor Dr. Zulnaidi Yaacob has launched the logo celebrating the 55 years along with the theme, “RPJJ Merentasi Generasi” (RPJJ Across Generations) to highlight the 55-year journey in providing access to quality education for students of distance education or the general public.

It reflects continuity, sustainability, and the evolution of RPJJ that is continuously adapting to changes in technology and current demands.

This theme is seen as appropriate for the role of RPJJ as a leader in open and distance education, which has remained relevant throughout the years.

It is undeniable that open and distance education is becoming increasingly popular and is attracting the younger generation, however it is not easy to make informed decisions to enrol in programmes that are highly-competitive.

Therefore, this is where the students and alumni of RPJJ need to play an important role as ambassadors for the institution who can share their experiences, learning practices, success stories, and contributions to society.

Celebrating the 55 years will be a testimony for RPJJ USM as not only a programme for learning, but also as an open learning legacy which has brought changes to thousands of individuals across backgrounds, age, and geographical locations.

In short, celebrating 55 years for RPJJ USM would spur new aspirations for all to continue the philosophy in open and lifelong learning.

RPJJ USM will continue to be committed in producing holistic graduates, competitive, and knowledgeable to bring benefit to the nation and the world.

Original Text & Photo: Nor Rafizah Haji Md Zain, School of Distance Education (PPPJJ) USM/ Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin