The beginning

New Era University College is located on Huaqiaogang (Huaqiao Mound) in Kajang, Selangor which covers 8.5 acres.

The land was previously occupied by the former Kajang Hua Qiao School. In 1948, the British colonial government issued an emergency decree, and the Kajang Hua Qiao School was occupied by the British Army. The premise was not returned until independence in the 1950s. In 1974, the Kajang Hua Qiao School Property Trustee Association (composed of eight registered groups in Kajang; namely the Yuhua Alumni Association, the Hulu Langat Guangdong Association, the Hulu Langat Hakka Association, the Hulu Langat Hokkien Association, the Kajang Merchants and Mines Association, the Shanyu Club, the Guangdong Cemetery Association, and the Minsheng Sports Association) leased the school land to Merdeka University Sdn. Bhd. as the site to establish Merdeka University.

On 1 October 1989, the Kajang Hua Qiao School Property Trustee Association donated the school land to Merdeka University Sdn. Bhd. for the purpose of establishing a Chinese higher education centre. On 19 December 1993, the Kajang Merdeka University-Independent Middle School administration building was completed and was subsequently utilised as the administrative office of Dong Zong.

On 27 August 1994, Dong Jiao Zong Education Centre (Non-Profit) Sdn. Bhd. formally submitted the “New Era College Application Form” to the Ministry of Education. On 28 May 1997, the application to establish New Era College was approved by the Ministry of Education.

In the more than 180-year long history of Chinese education in Malaysia, the founding of New Era College was to be another new starting point for Chinese education following the closure of Nanyang University in 1980 and the unsuccessful lawsuit of 1982 in applying to establish Merdeka University. Today, the long-cherished dream of the Chinese community in our country to realize a comprehensive mother tongue education system starting from the primary, to the secondary, and finally the tertiary level has now begun to shine.

New Era College was founded by Dong Jiao Zong Education Centre (Non-profit) Sdn. Bhd. It is a private college funded by people across the country who are passionate about Chinese education. When the first classes commenced in early 1998, it was necessary to use shipping containers as classrooms due to lack of space. It was not until September 2001 when the education building and the Yinshui Siyuan Dormitory building were completed and utilised that the problem of lack of space in the college was resolved.

Once the college was officially granted permission to establish in 1997, a fundraising campaign to raise the “New Era College Construction and Development Fund” was launched in full swing across the country. During that time, the scale of the original building was expanded, and it was decided to build an education building and the Yinshui Siyuan Dormitory building. The school officially broke ground in 1999 and was completed by the end of 2001.

The huge construction funds for the two buildings of New Era College were accumulated bit by bit mainly under the leadership of Dong Zong, who mobilized people across the country who are passionate about Chinese education. Some contributed money, while others contributed in other ways. In many places, a variety of fundraising activities were carried out rapidly, such as charity bazaars, charity dinners, charity walks, charity performances, etc. The activities also include fundraising campaigns, commemorative gold and silver badge sales, naming classrooms after donors, as well as various other avenues to raise construction funds.

In 2001, the Pulau Pinang State Working Committee and the Perak State Working Committee were established to raise funds for the construction and development of New Era College. They launched large-scale and systematic fundraising at the local level and achieved remarkable results. The people of northern Malaysia, together with the people of southern Malaysia such as those in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and other states have gathered like a wave across the country. Through fundraising, the profound significance of the construction of the college was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. In achieving “all-out fundraising and beyond fundraising”, the campaign has truly demonstrated the great determination and strength of the masses to work together to establish a national institution of higher learning.

Becoming a university college

On 30 December 2016 New Era was upgraded to University College status by the Ministry of Higher Education. This upgrading allows New Era University College to confer its own degrees and post-graduate degrees. Three faculties were thereupon formed out of existing departments and entrusted to develop and introduce new degree courses. At the same time diploma courses continued to be offered. These diploma courses while preparing graduates for a working career also serve as a pathway to degree courses in New Era and in partner overseas universities.

Following its upgrading Prof Mok Soon Chong became Vice-Chancellor and Prof Voon Phin Keong and Prof Lee Kam Hing were appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellors. In October 2018 the Graduate School was set up under the leadership of Prof Diana Wong. The Graduate School presently offers a Ph.D in Education by research programme.

New Era continues to be a non-profit making institution. The fees it charges are therefore very affordable. At the same time, it provides a large number of scholarships and fee waivers to deserving students. To encourage the further growth of a more multi-ethnic student body, New Era extends scholarships to groups less represented.