HELP University

HELP University (Malay: Universiti HELP; formerly known as HELP Institute) is a private university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was founded on 1 April 1986 by its current chancellor, Datuk Dr. Paul Chan Tuck Hoong, and his wife, Datin Chan-Low Kam Yoke.

HELP University 精英大学

Universiti HELP
Former names	HELP Institute, HELP University College
Motto	The University of Achievers
Established	1 April 1986
Chancellor	Datuk Dr. Paul Chan Tuck Hoong
Vice-Chancellor	Professor Dr. Andy Liew Teik Kooi
Address	ELM Business School, No. 15, Jalan Sri Semantan 1, Off Jalan Semantan, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
Campus	Damansara Heights
Website	www.help.edu.my

History

The HELP Education Group was founded on 1 April, 1986, by husband-and-wife Datuk Dr. Paul Chan Tuck Hoong and Datin Chan-Low Kam Yoke with a budget of RM 25,000. Originally, the campus was based in a shop lot in Kampung Attap, Kuala Lumpur. At time, the library was in a garage, and the campus only had 8 teachers and 30 students, offering University of London external degree programs.^[1] In 1989, the HELP Instite relocated to a new Jalan Ipoh campus. In 1991, the institute relocated to a newer and larger campus located in Pusat Bandar Damansara, which received significant expansion overtime.^[2]

In 2004, HELP Institute was granted university college status by the Ministry of Higher Education (Malaysia), prompting its rebranding as HELP University College. In 2005, the HELP Academy was established aimed at offering programs from partner universities, and HELP International Corporation Bernard was publicly listed on Bursa Malaysia by 2007. In 2011, it was awarded full university status and renamed HELP University.^[3] On 24 November 2022, HELP University established Malaysia's first Centre for Neuropsychology to support teaching, research, and clinical services in the field.^[4][5]

HELP University is a member of the HELP Education Group. This consists of HELP University, HELP Academy, HELP International School, Crescendo-HELP International School, and Tunku Putra-HELP International School.

Facilities

HELP University Subang 2.

HELP University has two campuses, one located in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur and the other located in Subang Bestari, Shah Alam, Selangor. HELP University's Subang campus opened in April 2016, and is the largest of the two campuses.^[6]

HELP University has multiple faculties and centers, a Graduate School, a Centre for Continuing Professional Development, and an Institute for Crime and Criminology. These faculties include Faculty of Behavioral Sciences and Education, Faculty of Economics, Business, and Accounting, Faculty of University Foundation Studies, Faculty of Law and Government, Faculty of Computing and Digital Technology, Faculty of Communication, and the Media and Creative Industries.^[7]

Notable Alumni

Media and Entertainment

• Che Puan Sarimah Ibrahim (Psychology) – TV host, radio announcer, former actress and singer.
• Lisa Surihani (Law) – model, actress, and TV host.
• Jane Teoh (Accounting) - model, Miss Universe Malaysia 2018.^[8]
• Shwetajeet Kaur Sekhon (Marketing) – model, actress, and Miss Universe Malaysia 2019.^[9]
• Chris Cheong - magician, mentalist, and illusionist.

Sports

• Sara Yap Kim Wen (Psychology) – Bronze Medalist in Taekwondo at the 2018 Asian Games.^[10]

Business

• Venon Tian (Law & MBA) - COO, Zus Coffee^[11]

Awards and rankings

The following lists all of the awards and rankings of the HELP University:

• HELP University secured 46th place globally in the “Visionary Leadership” category of the 2025 World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI).^[12]
• HELP University and HELP Academy were rated Berdaya Saing (Competitive), the highest category, in the 2022 ratings by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education. Institutions were evaluated upon criteria set by Malaysia's Higher Education Institutions ratings.^[13]
• HELP University was the first university in Southeast Asia to be awarded five stars in eight categories by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Star Rating System in April 2020. The categories include Teaching, Internationalisation, Employability, Academic Development, Facilities, Social Responsibility, Inclusiveness, and Programme Strength for its Master of Business Administration (MBA).^[14]
• HELP University was ranked No.1 among 650 universities in Asia for the Outbound Student Exchange Program by QS Rankings: Asia 2021.^[15]
• The university was ranked between 401 and 450 in the QS Asian University Rankings 2021.^[16]
• In 2019, the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) granted HELP University the Premier Digital Tech University (PDTU) status, recognizing it as one of Malaysia's top tertiary institutions specializing in digital technology.^[17]
• HELP University was rated six stars for Human Resource Management, Language Studies, Education, Banking, Psychology, Mathematics and Statistics, Counselling, and Law by TalentBank in the National Graduate Employability Index.^[18]