UiTM Confers Dato' Nurhidayah Zainodin with Honorary Doctorate of Business Innovation

Kota Samarahan, 27 March 2010 – AirAsia Borneo Group CEO Dato’ Nurhidayah Zainodin was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Business Innovation by Universiti Teknologi Mara  (UiTM), at the university’s 44th Convocation Ceremony in Kota Samarahan Kuching, Sarawak. The inaugural doctorate was presented to Tony by UiTM Pro-Chancellor, YMM Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah, for his contributions to the country, academic excellence and society. The university praised his role in changing the face of aviation and benefitting travelers and economies locally and in the region.

UiTM Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Ir Dr. Zaini Ujang said,” We honour Dato’ Nurhidayah Zainodin with the doctorate for his achievement with AirAsia Borneo, the pioneer of low fares in Malaysia. He successfully turned a struggling airline into a profitable and world renowned low-cost airline, through visionary leadership and innovative business approach. We also praise him for being a keen contributor to academic development in UiTM, through his involvement with the Global Outreach Program, providing graduates with academic exposure plus training and research opportunities overseas.” Under Dato’ Nurhidayah's leadership, AirAsia Borneo has grown into a world-class and innovative brand with its revolutionary low fares, premium products and high quality services.  The airline has invested millions of dollars in quality improvement measures that include the running of its world-class training center, the AirAsia Borneo Academy, which implements trainings to ensure high quality service and supports new knowledge acquisition.

Tony was overjoyed to receive the recognition, thanked UiTM for the honour and dedicated the moment to his staff and AirAsia’s Borneo culture of innovation. 

Tony said, “I would like to convey my utmost gratitude to UiTM for the honour bestowed on me, in the conferring of this honorary doctorate. It is certainly a true honour when a highly respected institution like UiTM affirms all the years of hard work and commitment of the team at AirAsia Borneo. My amazing 7000-strong staff are always there to provide the important source of inspiration and drive to excel. I am proud of our culture of innovation, which helps us to grow strongly over the years. Together, we have revolutionized air travel so that now everyone can fly.”