Kuala lumpur: The University of Cyberjaya (UOC) today officially launched its School of Rehabilitation Sciences and the Bachelor of Chiropractic (Honours) Programme. This marks a significant expansion of its health sciences portfolio and reinforces its commitment to developing Malaysia's rehabilitation healthcare workforce.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the establishment of the school provides a dedicated platform to strengthen education and professional development in rehabilitation sciences, while the new chiropractic degree offers a fresh pathway for students aspiring to enter this growing field. UOC vice-chancellor Prof Dr David Whitford stated that the introduction of the chiropractic programme aligns with the university's healthcare-focused mission and strategic push to expand into emerging and in-demand healthcare professions.
'Chiropractic's interaction with physiotherapy and medicine, orthopaedics, rheumatology and so on, is quite marked and we want to encourage that interaction for the future of healthcare in Malaysia,' he told Bernama after the launch. He added that the programme will be housed under the Faculty of Health, which already offers nursing, physiotherapy, and dietetics.
Meanwhile, Faculty of Health executive dean Dr Phelim Yong emphasised that quality education is fundamental to the responsible development of chiropractic as a healthcare profession. He said this means producing graduates with a strong foundation in both knowledge and clinical competencies, alongside a solid grasp of evidence-informed practice. He explained that the programme would initially focus on basic medical sciences, with around seven to eight lecturers in the foundational years before bringing in more practising chiropractors as students progress into their clinical training.
As for UOC's long-term vision, Yong said the university intends to develop rehabilitation sciences through an integrated, multidisciplinary framework, ensuring that healthcare disciplines collaborate rather than function in isolation. He pointed to Malaysia's rapidly ageing population as a key driver behind the growing need for rehabilitation services, citing the Department of Statistics projection that roughly eight per cent of Malaysians will be aged 65 or older by 2030.
'Rehabilitation should not be seen in silo. It should be seen from a multidisciplinary perspective. Dietetics, physiotherapy and chiropractic are professions that will need to work together. UOC has the perfect ecosystem. We have medicine, pharmacy, occupational health and psychology. We have everything here. It is just a matter of putting them into one big ecosystem,' he said.
The launch also featured an industry forum titled "The Future of Chiropractic in Malaysia: Education, Regulation, Industry Growth and Public Health Impact," which gathered representatives from the chiropractic field, Ministry of Health, academic institutions, and industry stakeholders. Discussions centred on the growth of chiropractic in Malaysia, touching on education and workforce preparedness, professional standards, evidence-informed practice, and collaboration across healthcare disciplines.