Universiti Kuala Lumpur’s (UniKL) 21st Convocation Ceremony witnessed a remarkable celebration of determination and family spirit as a father and daughter shared the stage to receive their degrees.
For Jum’Azulhisham Abdul Shukor, earning his Doctorate of Philosophy was a milestone made even more special as he stood beside his daughter, Nabihah Masni Jum’Azulhisham, who received her Diploma in Nursing.
“Alhamdulillah, graduating alongside my daughter is an indescribable blessing.
“The journey to this point has been long and challenging, but it has also been deeply rewarding. My PhD took longer than anticipated, but it seems fate aligned our paths for this shared moment,” shared Jum’Azulhisham.
Dr. Jum’Azulhisham, a senior lecturer at UniKL’s Malaysian Spanish Institute (UniKL MSI), has dedicated himself to research in fire suppression agents, personally investing almost RM25,000 without external funding to complete his studies.
His PhD journey, which began in 2019, faced significant hurdles due to the pandemic.
“The Movement Control Order (MCO) was a real test. I could not access the lab or workshop for my experiments.
“Hundreds of simulations were conducted at home, and only when the campus reopened could I finalise my work. Despite financial challenges, I pressed on because I believed in the potential impact of this research for industry and the environment,” he explained.
Dr. Jum’Azulhisham’s story is one of perseverance. His academic journey started later in life, after struggling through various jobs following his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
At 25, he enrolled in Institute Kemahiran MARA (IKM), eventually earning his bachelor’s degree in his late 30s.
Witnessing her father’s resilience inspired Nabihah Masni to pursue her dreams.
“Seeing my father’s dedication motivates me to reach for the same level of success.
“We studied together, and it was inspiring to watch him complete his PhD. It fuels my determination to ‘compete’ with him and continue achieving my goals,” she said.
For Nabihah Masni, the decision to pursue nursing came from personal experience.
Despite having studied accounting during SPM, her passion for caregiving blossomed while tending to her grandparents.
“That experience gave me a deep sense of purpose. I wanted to apply what I learned from caring for them to a professional field, and nursing was the perfect fit,” she further noted.
