The state of Malaysian higher education has always been the centre of attention to many.
From access to accountability, to cost and quality, there is no end to issues that spark debates, discussions, and deliberations.
It is a well documented fact that Malaysia intends to reach the highest goals in this arena, and it is only to be expected that the journey is going to be a long and winding one.
There will be twists and turns and pitfalls and downsides along the way. In each one of these challenges, some will stumble while others will soar.
The idea is to learn from all the ups and downs so that the journey will be progressively better and smoother, enabling success to be achieved eventually.
Unfortunately, sometimes we fail to see the bigger picture. All it takes is one fall, one stumbling block, and we begin to question our worth and capability.
The weak among us will unthinkingly change course, while the resentful among us will magnify the problem and add to it some analysis of sorts to show how dire the whole situation has become, often based on heresy and without any supporting facts and figures.
Take the issue of research, which, according to some, is not going down well in Malaysian universities, as reflected in the QS and THE rankings.
It is easy to just see the overall figures and start making simplistic verdicts about how inefficient universities are in carrying out this big agenda.
Little is discussed on the components that make up the ranking systems, which to a large extent, are in favor of older and more established institutions.
The fact of the matter is, Malaysia, with its array of not-so-established universities compared to others in the world, has the biggest growth in scientific publications between 2008 and 2014.
This has been reported by Unesco, who states the increase to be 250.6%. To add, the rise in the number of citations is four times between 2005 and 2012, while the yearly growth in the number of patents from 2007 to 2011 is 11% – making this country to rank at number 28 in the world in 2011.
As for utilising research findings to solve local problems, reports have shown that universities have generated a whopping RM1.25 billion in revenue for providing well-needed industry solutions between 2007 and 2012.
These are just some samples of documented successes, and more are in the pipeline.
It has to be stated that the key performance indicators (KPIs) used to gauge the performance of universities are selected based on the institution’s specific characteristics and circumstances.
The focus and emphasis of younger universities are different from that of older ones.
If research culture has not been firmly established yet, as is naturally the case in younger universities, then its inculcation is given priority.
In contrast, the older and more matured universities are expected to set higher goals, in line with their accomplishments thus far.
“Academic freedom” is another dimension of higher education disputed by some who assert, among other allegations, that Malaysian academics are unable to be academically responsible because the authorities do not allow them to express their views freely.
Quoting a few rare examples, a sweeping statement of how repressive the whole system is, is highlighted. Little is discussed on the circumstances that prevail, that lead to the unfolding of the events that take place.
This is a classic example of taking things out of context, no doubt for the benefit of certain quarters.
The fact of the matter is, the good of the majority overrides the interest of a few.
No authority worth its salt, given the state of affairs that we have in this country, would consent to damaging remarks that might very well topple the peace and harmony we have worked very hard to achieve all these years.
Any academician, save the short-sighted ones, will say that academic freedom is not just alive. Instead, it is energetically kicking and thriving.
Why, just search online for “academic freedom in Malaysia” and read all the (nasty) remarks made, and a normal thinking person can surely tell how rife this freedom is amongst the authors of the articles.
Yes, there are many issues that must be resolved and yes, there are plenty of oversights that must be fixed. But as a nation, we are in effect just at the beginning of the journey.
There are some things that we must do to jumpstart our position – things that our older counterparts would condescendingly look down upon, but will probably carry out as well had they been in our place. As for us, we take them in good stride.
We capitalise our meager assets, sort out our deficiencies, and make decisions that give us a greater chance of success and excellence in the long run.
We have our fair share of stumbling and falling, but we keep getting up and moving on.
We must, for we have no choice. We have invested enormously, and the stakes are high.
What we need is a level-headed perspective, a balanced outlook, and a rational standpoint. We cannot expect to be perfect – no one can. Not even the best among us. – November 27, 2015.
* Datuk Prof Emeritus Dr Kamarudin Hussin is the vice-chancellor for Universiti Malaysia Perlis.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
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