By year 2000, The Gerakan Education Foundation - later renamed Wawasan Education Foundation (WEF) in August 2002- was established as a tax-exempt charitable foundation to promote lifelong education to the public.

The fund received a handsome donation from the family of Yeap Chor Ee, a prominent tycoon and philanthropist who had donated a large portion of his wealth to fund the running of private schools and educational development in Penang.

In  2005, the Minister of Higher Education granted approval for Wawasan Open University College to be officially established and for Dato’ Professor Emeritus Gajaraj Dhanarajan to be appointed Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of the University College.

In August 2006 the MOHE redesignated the college as a University. Following this, Wawasan Open University (WOU) Malaysia's first private, not-for-profit, open learning institution funded by charitable trusts, corporations and the public was officially launched  in September 2006.

From its headquarters in Penang, the university’s three founding schools of Science & Technology, Business & Administration and Foundation Studies ,deliver quality education to adult learners throughout Malaysia via the open and distance learning (ODL) mode with online and local tutor support. The goal is to bring higher education to those who had missed out on tertiary education earlier on in life. The main campus will also house two theaters one of which will form the nucleus for a Centre of Performing Arts as well as a gallery to exhibit contemporary Malaysian works of art.

Further information on WOU is available @ www.wou.edu.my