By ALYCIA LIM
PUTRAJAYA: More than 60% of private colleges in Malaysia have been ranked as satisfactory, according to the first Malaysia Quality Evaluation System (MyQUEST), with a score of four stars and above.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said of a total of 403 colleges, 232 were qualified to be audited based on the criterias set by the ministry but only 210 agreed to be audited.
"The purpose of MyQUEST is to categorise the colleges which are excellent, good, or weak, and prepare the suitable approaches to help the weaker ones with their issues and challenges,” said Khaled at a press conference after the ministry's Integrity Day 2011 celebration here Thursday.
Of all the colleges, only three institutions - Penang Medical College, Segi College Subang Jaya and Taylor's College Subang Jaya were awarded the maximum of six stars.
Mohamed Khaled urged private colleges to continuously improve their quality and performance to remain competitive in the market and encouraged those that were eligible to participate in the evaluation system.
"If the colleges are genuine and confident, I do not see any reason why they would not want to participate."
He said the system would also help the public with deciding where they wanted to pursue their tertiary education.
"If a college is continuously ranked below three stars, the market would decide their fate," he said, adding that the ranking would act as a reference point for PTPTN loan approvals and requests to be upgraded to a University College status, among others.
Apart from the top three colleges, 20 colleges (9.5%) attained five stars, and 60 colleges (28.6%) attained four stars, with the remaining 72 (34.3%) receiving three stars and below
Showing posts with label Local Universities News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Local Universities News. Show all posts
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Post-grad student boost - The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Students will have a chance to continue their studies at international institutions through the newly-launched Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.
The Prime Minister said the grant, open to Malaysian post-graduate students between 22 and 35 years old, would be introduced next year in disciplines like education, arts, sports, community and social work, environment, health, and science and technology.
“The youths are our future and it is important that we guide and provide them the opportunities and facilities to pursue their interest,” he said at the Merdeka Award ceremony at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas here last night.
The grant will allow students to engage in short-term collaborative projects at selected, internationally-recognised host institutions to develop their expertise.
“One grant will be offered in 2012 and two each in subsequent years,” he added.
At the function, Najib presented awards to Datuk Dr Kenneth Yeang, Prof Datuk Dr Goh Khean Lee and Prof Dr Mak Joon Wah for outstanding work in their respective fields.
Yeang received an award in the environment category for his contributions to developing ecology-related designs for buildings and in environmental conservation planning while Dr Goh and Dr Mak were joint recipients in the Outstanding Scholastic Achievement category.
Dr Goh was awarded for his contributions to developing research and practices in gastroenterology and hepatology in Malaysia to the global level.
Dr Mak is recognised as a global expert on filariasis and malaria by the World Health Organisation after being appointed consultant in at least 17 different cases.
Dr Goh said: “It is an honour to be chosen and I am extremely happy to share this prestigious award with a well-known scholar like Dr Mak.”
Each category offers a RM500,000 prize money, a trophy and a certificate.
The joint recipients of the Outstanding Scholastic Achievement category will share the award equally.
Also present at the ceremony were previous Merdeka Award recipients, the Prime Minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Merdeka Award Board of Trustees chairman Datuk Shamsul Azhar Abbas
The Merdeka Award was established by Petronas, ExxonMobil and Shell on August 27, 2007 to recognise and reward individuals who had made outstanding and lasting contributions to the nation in their respective fields.
The Prime Minister said the grant, open to Malaysian post-graduate students between 22 and 35 years old, would be introduced next year in disciplines like education, arts, sports, community and social work, environment, health, and science and technology.
“The youths are our future and it is important that we guide and provide them the opportunities and facilities to pursue their interest,” he said at the Merdeka Award ceremony at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas here last night.
The grant will allow students to engage in short-term collaborative projects at selected, internationally-recognised host institutions to develop their expertise.
“One grant will be offered in 2012 and two each in subsequent years,” he added.
At the function, Najib presented awards to Datuk Dr Kenneth Yeang, Prof Datuk Dr Goh Khean Lee and Prof Dr Mak Joon Wah for outstanding work in their respective fields.
Yeang received an award in the environment category for his contributions to developing ecology-related designs for buildings and in environmental conservation planning while Dr Goh and Dr Mak were joint recipients in the Outstanding Scholastic Achievement category.
Dr Goh was awarded for his contributions to developing research and practices in gastroenterology and hepatology in Malaysia to the global level.
Dr Mak is recognised as a global expert on filariasis and malaria by the World Health Organisation after being appointed consultant in at least 17 different cases.
Dr Goh said: “It is an honour to be chosen and I am extremely happy to share this prestigious award with a well-known scholar like Dr Mak.”
Each category offers a RM500,000 prize money, a trophy and a certificate.
The joint recipients of the Outstanding Scholastic Achievement category will share the award equally.
Also present at the ceremony were previous Merdeka Award recipients, the Prime Minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Merdeka Award Board of Trustees chairman Datuk Shamsul Azhar Abbas
The Merdeka Award was established by Petronas, ExxonMobil and Shell on August 27, 2007 to recognise and reward individuals who had made outstanding and lasting contributions to the nation in their respective fields.
Khaled: Local unis missing THE 400 research criteria - The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — Local universities did not feature in the recent Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings as they lacked the research expertise needed for a placing, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Khaled Nordin explained today.
“We know that if we participated, we will not even make it into the Times top 400 university rankings because we are new, we need to wait until our research really matured,” Khaled was quoted by Bernama Online today.
“It’s not that we have been assessed and disqualified... [but] our elements of research are just too young and immature [to make the list].”
Times’ World University Rankings is a grades the world’s top 400 universities.
The California Institute of Technology — or Caltech — secured top spot in this year’s rankings, followed by Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Princeton.
The World University Rankings first appeared as a supplement in The Times of London, are now published by the Times Higher Education magazine.
The weekly is regarded as the UK’s leading higher education publication.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
3 out of 10 doctoral students drop out - NST
PUTRAJAYA: Up to three out of 10 Malaysians who signed up to pursue
their doctorates on a part-time basis end up dropping out because of work and family commitments.
This has discouraged many others at a time the Higher Education Ministry is targeting 60,000 PhD holders by 2023, up from the present 14,000.
Professor Dr Zakaria Kasa, head of the National Council of Professors’ education and human capital development cluster, said many of those pursuing their PhDs locally often found that they did not have enough time to focus on their research because of work and family commitments.
“Others then become sceptical about taking up PhDs when they see people they know dropping out halfway,” he said.
This is the reason more people preferred to pursue their PhDs overseas, where they feel they will able to focus better on their research.
Another reason is a high dependency on scholarships or sponsorships.
“This isn’t a problem in public universities because there are allocations for staff and with the government’s MyBrains15 Scholarship programme, non-lecturers are also given an opportunity to pursue PhDs.
“Unfortunately, many want to go overseas and there are very few scholarships for this. Even atmy university, we have a quota for overseas scholar ships,” he said. Zakaria is deputy vice chancellor of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.
He said the National Council of Professors was looking at means of motivating more people to pursue PhDs.
“If possible, the council will like to see every academic become a PhD holder,” he said, adding that there was a shortage of professors, which now stood at 1,700 nationwide.
“In developing countries, academics adhere to a pyramid structure where professors are at the top, followed by associate professors and then lecturers. In developed countries, it is a reverse pyramid.” In developed countries, the number of professors reflects a university’s excellence.
“It’s not easy to be promoted to professor level.
“There are criteria that need to be fulfilled like the number of published papers.” Local universities also do not have the kind of funding compared with established universities overseas, such as Harvard, which receives generous funds from its alumni.
Zakaria said it would be an investment for the country if it could provide funding to allow those pursuing their PhDs to go to some of the top 100 universities in the world.
Yesterday, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the government had, to date, received 2,802 applications for the MyMaster, 672 for the MyPhD and 51 for the PhD Industry components of the MyBrain15 Scholarship programme.
He said this after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of agreement for an engineering doctorate programme between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and several private engineering companies at the Marriott Putrajaya. Khaled had announced previously that the government was targeting to reach 650 successful applications for MyPhD, 8,000 for MyMaster and 100 for PhD Industry this year.
Under the programme, successful candidates for MyPhD, MyMaster and PhD Industry will receive RM22,000, RM10,000 and RM50,000 each respectively as long as they further their study in Malaysia.
The MyBrain15 programme aims to produce, among others, 5,000 PhD holders under the MyPhD project, 40,000 master’s degree holders under MyMaster programme and 500 PhD Industry holders, by 2015.
Read more: 3 out of 10 doctoral students drop out http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/3outof10doctoralstudentsdropout/Article/#ixzz1ZD7IVBeN
their doctorates on a part-time basis end up dropping out because of work and family commitments.
This has discouraged many others at a time the Higher Education Ministry is targeting 60,000 PhD holders by 2023, up from the present 14,000.
Professor Dr Zakaria Kasa, head of the National Council of Professors’ education and human capital development cluster, said many of those pursuing their PhDs locally often found that they did not have enough time to focus on their research because of work and family commitments.
“Others then become sceptical about taking up PhDs when they see people they know dropping out halfway,” he said.
This is the reason more people preferred to pursue their PhDs overseas, where they feel they will able to focus better on their research.
Another reason is a high dependency on scholarships or sponsorships.
“This isn’t a problem in public universities because there are allocations for staff and with the government’s MyBrains15 Scholarship programme, non-lecturers are also given an opportunity to pursue PhDs.
“Unfortunately, many want to go overseas and there are very few scholarships for this. Even atmy university, we have a quota for overseas scholar ships,” he said. Zakaria is deputy vice chancellor of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.
He said the National Council of Professors was looking at means of motivating more people to pursue PhDs.
“If possible, the council will like to see every academic become a PhD holder,” he said, adding that there was a shortage of professors, which now stood at 1,700 nationwide.
“In developing countries, academics adhere to a pyramid structure where professors are at the top, followed by associate professors and then lecturers. In developed countries, it is a reverse pyramid.” In developed countries, the number of professors reflects a university’s excellence.
“It’s not easy to be promoted to professor level.
“There are criteria that need to be fulfilled like the number of published papers.” Local universities also do not have the kind of funding compared with established universities overseas, such as Harvard, which receives generous funds from its alumni.
Zakaria said it would be an investment for the country if it could provide funding to allow those pursuing their PhDs to go to some of the top 100 universities in the world.
Yesterday, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the government had, to date, received 2,802 applications for the MyMaster, 672 for the MyPhD and 51 for the PhD Industry components of the MyBrain15 Scholarship programme.
He said this after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of agreement for an engineering doctorate programme between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and several private engineering companies at the Marriott Putrajaya. Khaled had announced previously that the government was targeting to reach 650 successful applications for MyPhD, 8,000 for MyMaster and 100 for PhD Industry this year.
Under the programme, successful candidates for MyPhD, MyMaster and PhD Industry will receive RM22,000, RM10,000 and RM50,000 each respectively as long as they further their study in Malaysia.
The MyBrain15 programme aims to produce, among others, 5,000 PhD holders under the MyPhD project, 40,000 master’s degree holders under MyMaster programme and 500 PhD Industry holders, by 2015.
Read more: 3 out of 10 doctoral students drop out http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/3outof10doctoralstudentsdropout/Article/#ixzz1ZD7IVBeN
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
UM senior lecturer wins judicial review over PhD - The Star
By M. MAGESWARI
KUALA LUMPUR: A senior Universiti Malaya (UM) lecturer, who was orally told he had passed his Phd but later informed he had failed, won his judicial review application at the High Court here Tuesday.
High Court judge Justice Rohana Yusuf, in allowing G. Sivapalan's application with costs, ordered UM to pay him RM7,000.
In his application, Sivapalan had asked the court to confirm that the oral decision by UM's examination committee announced to him on Sept 28, 2006 was valid and enforceable.
He also sought for all benefits, including salary increment from year 2006.
In his court paper, Sivapalan said he had registered to pursue his PhD on Oct 16, 1996 and had duly submitted his thesis on March 20, 2006.
He said he had duly attended a viva voce (oral examination) on Sept 28, 2006 and was informed that he had passed his PhD thesis examination.
His lawyer M. Eswary said his client later received letters from UM saying he had failed his PhD and would not be allowed to sit for a second viva voce.
She said her client asked why the university made such a decision three years after he was informed orally that he had passed his PhD.
On Tuesday, Justice Rohana held in chambers that the letter issued by UM that Sivapalan had failed his PhD and would not be allowed to continue his PhD programme again was invalid.
The judge held that the affidavit given by the UM's internal examiner Prof M. Rajantheran on what had transpired during Sivapalan's viva-voce on Sept 28, 2006 "stood unrebutted".
(In the affidavit, Prof Rajantheran stated that the viva-voce committee unanimously decided that Sivapalan had passed the PhD examination thesis without any need to do correction and could be conferred with PhD.)
Therefore, Justice Rohana ruled that Sivapalan had a legitimate expectation that he has passed his doctorate degree.
She said UM failed to explain the three-year delay to notify the lecturer over his status.
KUALA LUMPUR: A senior Universiti Malaya (UM) lecturer, who was orally told he had passed his Phd but later informed he had failed, won his judicial review application at the High Court here Tuesday.
High Court judge Justice Rohana Yusuf, in allowing G. Sivapalan's application with costs, ordered UM to pay him RM7,000.
In his application, Sivapalan had asked the court to confirm that the oral decision by UM's examination committee announced to him on Sept 28, 2006 was valid and enforceable.
He also sought for all benefits, including salary increment from year 2006.
In his court paper, Sivapalan said he had registered to pursue his PhD on Oct 16, 1996 and had duly submitted his thesis on March 20, 2006.
He said he had duly attended a viva voce (oral examination) on Sept 28, 2006 and was informed that he had passed his PhD thesis examination.
His lawyer M. Eswary said his client later received letters from UM saying he had failed his PhD and would not be allowed to sit for a second viva voce.
She said her client asked why the university made such a decision three years after he was informed orally that he had passed his PhD.
On Tuesday, Justice Rohana held in chambers that the letter issued by UM that Sivapalan had failed his PhD and would not be allowed to continue his PhD programme again was invalid.
The judge held that the affidavit given by the UM's internal examiner Prof M. Rajantheran on what had transpired during Sivapalan's viva-voce on Sept 28, 2006 "stood unrebutted".
(In the affidavit, Prof Rajantheran stated that the viva-voce committee unanimously decided that Sivapalan had passed the PhD examination thesis without any need to do correction and could be conferred with PhD.)
Therefore, Justice Rohana ruled that Sivapalan had a legitimate expectation that he has passed his doctorate degree.
She said UM failed to explain the three-year delay to notify the lecturer over his status.
Work visa mulled for international post-grad students - The Star
By PRIYA KULASAGARAN
PUTRAJAYA: Qualified international post-graduate students may be allowed to work in Malaysia.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said such students would help contribute to the country's aims of increasing its skilled workforce.
"Universities can recommend good students who can work here, and we in turn can suggest that the Immigration department issue them work visas," he said.
He was speaking to reporters after attending the Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) presentation ceremony at his ministry here.
Nine students received scholarships at the event, and a total of 110 MIS awards have been handed out to international students from 27 countries this year.
PUTRAJAYA: Qualified international post-graduate students may be allowed to work in Malaysia.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said such students would help contribute to the country's aims of increasing its skilled workforce.
"Universities can recommend good students who can work here, and we in turn can suggest that the Immigration department issue them work visas," he said.
He was speaking to reporters after attending the Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) presentation ceremony at his ministry here.
Nine students received scholarships at the event, and a total of 110 MIS awards have been handed out to international students from 27 countries this year.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Government aims to attract 200,000 international students by 2020 - The Malaysian Insider
By Melissa Chi September 13, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced today that the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) aims to attract at least 200,000 international students to education institutions in Malaysia by 2020.
He said that the increased number of foreign students would be worth an estimated RM600 billion to the economy.
“Through co-operation with established and renowned institutions abroad, the government intends to make the education sector an economic endeavour by attracting more foreign students,” he said during his speech at the Education Nation Conference 2011 here at the Royale Chulan Hotel.
Malaysia has achieved a world ranking of 11th in terms of total international student population from around the world.
This was due to the burgeoning international student population in Malaysia, which has risen above 90,000, or the equivalent of around two per cent of the total international student population in the world as of June this year.
Based on the statistical breakdown provided by the MOHE website, the top five countries from which the majority of students were derived in 2009 were Iran, Indonesia, China, Nigeria and Yemen.
“Malaysia’s strategic regional position forms a melting pot of confluence that allows cross-fertilisation of ideas, cultures and civilisation dialogism,” Muhyiddin said.
The rise in the overseas student population in Malaysia is also attributed to the higher education liberalisation policy which aims to provide 100 per cent foreign equity by 2015.
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced today that the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) aims to attract at least 200,000 international students to education institutions in Malaysia by 2020.
He said that the increased number of foreign students would be worth an estimated RM600 billion to the economy.
“Through co-operation with established and renowned institutions abroad, the government intends to make the education sector an economic endeavour by attracting more foreign students,” he said during his speech at the Education Nation Conference 2011 here at the Royale Chulan Hotel.
Malaysia has achieved a world ranking of 11th in terms of total international student population from around the world.
This was due to the burgeoning international student population in Malaysia, which has risen above 90,000, or the equivalent of around two per cent of the total international student population in the world as of June this year.
Based on the statistical breakdown provided by the MOHE website, the top five countries from which the majority of students were derived in 2009 were Iran, Indonesia, China, Nigeria and Yemen.
“Malaysia’s strategic regional position forms a melting pot of confluence that allows cross-fertilisation of ideas, cultures and civilisation dialogism,” Muhyiddin said.
The rise in the overseas student population in Malaysia is also attributed to the higher education liberalisation policy which aims to provide 100 per cent foreign equity by 2015.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Perdana University launched; Dr M named chancellor - The Star
By MARTIN CARVALHO
Perdana University was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Monday.
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was named the university's first chancellor.
The university, a collaboration with world-renowned Johns Hopkins and the Royal College of Surgeons, saw the first intake of 30 medical students.
In his speech, Najib said the presence of the university would help put Malaysia on the world map for excellence in education and research in medicine.
Perdana University was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Monday.
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was named the university's first chancellor.
The university, a collaboration with world-renowned Johns Hopkins and the Royal College of Surgeons, saw the first intake of 30 medical students.
In his speech, Najib said the presence of the university would help put Malaysia on the world map for excellence in education and research in medicine.
Monday, September 5, 2011
UM among top 200 varsities
By KAREN CHAPMAN (educate@thestar.com.my)
PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) is the only Malaysian institution that has made it to the top 200 of the QS World University Rankings 2011/12.
It moved up 40 places to 167 this year compared to 207 in 2010.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have all slid down the rankings (see table).
UKM is ranked 279 this year compared to 263 in 2010; USM at 335 (309), UPM 358 (319) and UTM at between 401 and 450 (365).
For the first time, the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) were included in the rankings at 451-500 and 601+ respectively.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin congratulated UM on its improvement, saying it was a reflection of the hard work put in by the university staff.
“I am also happy that two more of our institutions, IIUM and UiTM, have made it to the QS World University Rankings,” he said.
However, he said rankings were not the ministry's main objective as it was important to ensure universities contribute to the development process of the country.
QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Ltd Intelligence Unit head Ben Sowter said QS conducts and compiles the annual World University Rankings, which is an annual league table of the top universities in the world.
The rankings are based on data gathered and measured in academic peer review, employer reputation review, international faculty ratio, international student ratio, student faculty ratio, and citations per faculty.
On UM's improvement, Sowter said it was the only Malaysian institution to have improved in its academic, employer scores and international aspects this year.
He said UKM lost ground in the employer reputation review and citations per faculty but improved in academic reputation.
“IIUM entered directly into the top 500, which is an excellent result for a new entry, while UiTM is lower down but deserves inclusion,” he said.
He said 2,919 institutions were considered for the rankings this year.
UM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon said the policy to have academics and postgraduate students improved their quality of research and to have their output published in the Thomson Institute for Scientific Information indexed journals was paying off.
“This is a key policy that will continue under my administration so the promise of getting UM into the Top 100 in the QS World University Rankings will be achieved by 2015,” he said.
Cambridge University topped the QS World University Rankings this year followed by Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Oxford University and Imperial College London.
The highest ranked Asian universities are University of Hong Kong at 22, University of Tokyo (25) and the National University of Singapore (28).
PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) is the only Malaysian institution that has made it to the top 200 of the QS World University Rankings 2011/12.
It moved up 40 places to 167 this year compared to 207 in 2010.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have all slid down the rankings (see table).
UKM is ranked 279 this year compared to 263 in 2010; USM at 335 (309), UPM 358 (319) and UTM at between 401 and 450 (365).
For the first time, the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) were included in the rankings at 451-500 and 601+ respectively.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin congratulated UM on its improvement, saying it was a reflection of the hard work put in by the university staff.
“I am also happy that two more of our institutions, IIUM and UiTM, have made it to the QS World University Rankings,” he said.
However, he said rankings were not the ministry's main objective as it was important to ensure universities contribute to the development process of the country.
QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Ltd Intelligence Unit head Ben Sowter said QS conducts and compiles the annual World University Rankings, which is an annual league table of the top universities in the world.
The rankings are based on data gathered and measured in academic peer review, employer reputation review, international faculty ratio, international student ratio, student faculty ratio, and citations per faculty.
On UM's improvement, Sowter said it was the only Malaysian institution to have improved in its academic, employer scores and international aspects this year.
He said UKM lost ground in the employer reputation review and citations per faculty but improved in academic reputation.
“IIUM entered directly into the top 500, which is an excellent result for a new entry, while UiTM is lower down but deserves inclusion,” he said.
He said 2,919 institutions were considered for the rankings this year.
UM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon said the policy to have academics and postgraduate students improved their quality of research and to have their output published in the Thomson Institute for Scientific Information indexed journals was paying off.
“This is a key policy that will continue under my administration so the promise of getting UM into the Top 100 in the QS World University Rankings will be achieved by 2015,” he said.
Cambridge University topped the QS World University Rankings this year followed by Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Oxford University and Imperial College London.
The highest ranked Asian universities are University of Hong Kong at 22, University of Tokyo (25) and the National University of Singapore (28).
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Push for rankings stirs trouble
By RICHARD LIM and PRIYA KULASAGARAN (educate@thestar.com.my)
Success often comes with a price. No one knows it better than Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon, who has ruffled feathers in his pursuit to place the varsity among the top 100 worldwide.
ONE OF the first things that newly-appointed Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon did was to check on the productivity of its academia in 2009.
The results served a rude awakening as it showed that only 250 people — about 10% of UM’s academic staff – published at least one research paper a year.
Prof Ghauth wants to bring UM back to its former glory.It was embarassing to have the oldest and premier university in the country lagging behind a few of its peers in this aspect. Based on the Malaysian Research Asessment Instrument (MyRA) scores, UM ranked behind Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia.
As MyRA focused on the fundamentals of a university — research and development (R&D), R&D commercialisiation and the number of PhD staff, among others — it was clear to Prof Ghauth that a shake up was imperative. Hence, the move to reward academics who actively published papers in high impact journals like the Thomson ISI (Institute for Scientific Information), which includes citation databases covering thousands of academic journals, such as the Science Citation Index, the Social Sciences Citation Index and the Arts and Humanities Citation Index.
With the new policy in place, the number of publications began to rise and so did UM’s stability in the rankings — constantly hovering around the 200 mark in the QS World University Rankings.
Prof Ghauth’s principal target is to break into the top 100 of the QS rankings by 2015 (currently at 207) and the top 50 by 2020.
Another sweetener for UM was breaking into the top 500 in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s 2011 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for the first time.
The university has also been given the green light to proceed with its Health Metropolis – an Entry Point Project for Healthcare under the Economic Transformation Programme.
Joining the ranks
But these achievements come with a price. UM made headlines in a local daily recently, quoting UM’s academic staff association president Assoc Prof Dr Azmi Sharom that it was facing a staff crisis – reflected by an exodus of 146 academic staff since 2009 – as academics were dissatisfied with the vice-chancellor.
The unhappiness was attributed to Prof Ghauth’s policies which tightened promotion procedures and placed an emphasis on ISI publications.
Although Dr Azmi went public to stress that he said no such thing – his name had been misused by his fellow association members – the damage was done and Prof Ghauth called a hastily convened press conference where he outlined the true situation and the need for a transformation plan. He added that UM’s actual turnover of an average of 30 each year was normal for any varsity.
Refuting allegations that he was obsessed with rankings, Prof Ghauth said UM had a responsibility to be competitive and develop to a point where it could be compared with renowned varsities like Harvard, Princeton, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tsinghua, among others.
“The National University of Singapore (NUS) is always in the top 100 and Thailand has two varsities – Mahidol and Chulalongkorn – in the 100-200 band under QS,” he said at the press conference.
“There is no reason for us to be behind these varsities as UM and NUS started on equal footing at the same time. As vice-chancellor, I am saddened that we are lagging behind and it is my responsibility to bring UM up.”
Prof Ghauth has been credited with gumption as he is seen to be the only vice-chancellor who aspires to play the rankings game.
“He was brave enough to put his head on the chopping block and it’s an admirable trait as the risks are great,” shares a policy maker.
Prof Ghauth’s offer was timely as the Opposition are constantly nipping at the heels of the Government over the poor representation of Malaysian varsities in various university rankings.
“Although not everyone in the ministry reads too much into rankings, the Government is under pressure. Are we really that bad that we can’t have a university in the top 200?” says a source.
One size doesn’t fit all
Although QS and the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings parted ways in 2009, both continue to place heavy weightage on research and the peer review components. The ARWU also places a similar emphasis on these.
The number of publications in high impact journals like the ISI has a great bearing on a varsity’s rank.
This correlation is captured in UM’s new promotion mechanism – in effect from 2010 to June 2013 – where academic staff must produce a certain number of publications before they can move up the ladder (See Table 1).
And although this is a sore point for some, UM deputy vice-chancellor (Development) Prof Dr Kurunathan Ratnavelu (who carried out the analysis of UM’s staff productivity) says the new policies embrace meritocracy and it is the first time such a benchmarking style has been implemented.
Having served at UM for 22 years, Prof Kurunathan opines that the core issue is really about increasing productivity. However, rankings ultimately depend on research productivity so there is a correlation.
“The new policies eradicate notions of permanency but stress that performance determines one’s rise – or stagnation – in the hierarchy.”
However, a number of academics disagree with this rationale and most of those express concern over UM’s obsession with rankings.
“The union supports the promotion of meritocracy as we have ‘deadwood’ in UM,” says Dr Azmi.
Prof Kurunathan says the new policies embrace meritocracy. “However, we are concerned that UM seems particularly enamoured with rankings to the point where staff are pressured to produce ISI publications.”
He adds that high impact journal publication is a criterion used by rankers for the sole reason that it could be measured conveniently.
His deputy, Assoc Prof Dr Rosli Mahat, says many have no clear idea of a university’s essence apart from the prototype propagated through the rankings.
“Look at the QS and THE rankings and ask yourself who works out the criteria. Businessmen and newspapers!” he shares.
“In this light, we should base our criteria on the Unesco recommendations for higher education teaching staff which advocates institutional autonomy, accountability, collegiality and the security of employment, among others.”
The dissenters, including academics from UM’s medical faculty, hit out at the rigid one-size-fits-all policy, while at the same time concede that abuse did indeed occur in the absence of objective criteria.
A medical lecturer points out that academia is more than just publishing in journals.
“One’s ability in stimulating intellectual discussion and mentoring students should be taken into account, just as one’s expertise in the field as well as the quality of coaching,” he says..
Another medical lecturer shares the problems that arise when there is a blanket requirement for a professorship regardless of one’s field of study.
“A doctor’s main concern is patient care, so we focus on clinical research that will benefit professionals in the treatment of patients.
“The gestation period for such research can easily be six years; how is it then possible to produce multiple high impact papers every year?” she says.
She adds that locally relevant research will fall by the wayside if the focus is “to pursue the goal of ISI journal publication alone”.
“For example, something that doctors really need now is measuring cancer prevalence in Malaysia and it takes a lot of time to do so.
“But at the end of it, this is not going to be published in an ISI journal because the information is only relevant for Malaysia,” she says.
A former professor adds no one in their right mind goes into academia to make money.
“Most academics enter the university environment because they are excited about knowledge, are interested in peer collegiality and interaction with students, and want that pinnacle achievement of attaining a professorship,” he says.
Adopting a neutral stance, Dr Azmi thinks it might have been easier if the vice-chancellor had adopted a more inclusive approach from the start. Less insistence on various policies would have given Prof Ghauth an effective buy-in and much of the drama could have been avoided.
“In all fairness, the vice-chancellor has softened his stance on ISI publications, and academics — particularly those in non-scientific fields — can factor in books and other publications,” he says.
Despite the internal resistance, there is an air of resignation that the ironclad resolve for high impact publications will not bend.
And if that is indeed the case, Dr Azmi says appropriate remuneration adjustments should be in place.
“If UM academics work harder than their counterparts at other public varsities to meet publication targets, this must be reflected in their basic salary.
“Without such a distinction, what’s going to stop academics from moving to other varsities where they can retain their titles and ‘work less’ for the same pay?”
It must be noted, however, that the cash nexus is firmly entrenched in UM’s transformation plan and Prof Ghauth has highlighted the need for UM to secure diverse revenue streams.
This is to achieve financial autonomy – cutting dependence on Government funding – and obtaining the financial muscle to meet the needs – and wants – of its staff.
Parameters of success have been set and if all goes according to plan, UM will be able to sustain 50% of its operating expenses (Opex) by 2015 and 70% by 2020 – providing the varsity with the capacity to double staff salaries in about nine years.
The staff association shares Prof Ghauth’s concern on income generation.
“We understand the varsity doesn’t have much of a choice as we can’t afford to depend on the Government forever,” says Dr Azmi.
However, academics on both sides of the fence are split on Prof Ghauth’s leadership style.
UM IT department director Dr David Asirvatham says things had to be improved among academics.
“We have seen a boost in publications, research activity and teaching quality after Prof Ghauth took over. I believe the silent majority are behind him,” he adds.
Concurring, Prof Kurunathan says UM’s increasing research productivity is testament of Prof Ghauth’s qualities.
“Statistics show that 1,300 papers were published in 2009, followed by 1,800 last year.
“We’re hoping to pass the 2,000 mark – a psychological barrier – this year; but we should not be too proud of ourselves as NUS publishes around 5,000 papers each year,” he adds.
The road ahead
Interestingly, sources in UM opine that the erroneous front page report was part of a coordinated attempt to oust its vice-chancellor.
In an uncanny coincidence, the report’s publication coincided with the Umno Supreme Council meeting – guaranteeing maximum impact and publicity.
It is learnt that the pressure group is also knocking on the ministry’s door but while the die may be cast, it must be noted that some of the dissenters are actually concerned by the lack of leadership stability at UM.
Although critics point out that a three-year term is normal for any vice-chancellor, the fact remains that UM has had four different vice-chancellors since 2000 and this does not bode well in terms of continuity.
Interestingly, this is best summed up by a dissenter who empathises with Prof Ghauth. The lecturer who is near retirement acknowledges that “he has good intentions of improving UM’s standing”.
There have been too many vice-chancellors in a short period of time and with each new appointment, there is a shift of goalposts for the university, he adds.
And while the drama and debate may rage on, the vice-chancellor is taking it all on the chin, determined to accomplish as much as he can while navigating the minefield of dissent.
Success often comes with a price. No one knows it better than Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon, who has ruffled feathers in his pursuit to place the varsity among the top 100 worldwide.
ONE OF the first things that newly-appointed Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon did was to check on the productivity of its academia in 2009.
The results served a rude awakening as it showed that only 250 people — about 10% of UM’s academic staff – published at least one research paper a year.
Prof Ghauth wants to bring UM back to its former glory.It was embarassing to have the oldest and premier university in the country lagging behind a few of its peers in this aspect. Based on the Malaysian Research Asessment Instrument (MyRA) scores, UM ranked behind Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia.
As MyRA focused on the fundamentals of a university — research and development (R&D), R&D commercialisiation and the number of PhD staff, among others — it was clear to Prof Ghauth that a shake up was imperative. Hence, the move to reward academics who actively published papers in high impact journals like the Thomson ISI (Institute for Scientific Information), which includes citation databases covering thousands of academic journals, such as the Science Citation Index, the Social Sciences Citation Index and the Arts and Humanities Citation Index.
With the new policy in place, the number of publications began to rise and so did UM’s stability in the rankings — constantly hovering around the 200 mark in the QS World University Rankings.
Prof Ghauth’s principal target is to break into the top 100 of the QS rankings by 2015 (currently at 207) and the top 50 by 2020.
Another sweetener for UM was breaking into the top 500 in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s 2011 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for the first time.
The university has also been given the green light to proceed with its Health Metropolis – an Entry Point Project for Healthcare under the Economic Transformation Programme.
Joining the ranks
But these achievements come with a price. UM made headlines in a local daily recently, quoting UM’s academic staff association president Assoc Prof Dr Azmi Sharom that it was facing a staff crisis – reflected by an exodus of 146 academic staff since 2009 – as academics were dissatisfied with the vice-chancellor.
The unhappiness was attributed to Prof Ghauth’s policies which tightened promotion procedures and placed an emphasis on ISI publications.
Although Dr Azmi went public to stress that he said no such thing – his name had been misused by his fellow association members – the damage was done and Prof Ghauth called a hastily convened press conference where he outlined the true situation and the need for a transformation plan. He added that UM’s actual turnover of an average of 30 each year was normal for any varsity.
Refuting allegations that he was obsessed with rankings, Prof Ghauth said UM had a responsibility to be competitive and develop to a point where it could be compared with renowned varsities like Harvard, Princeton, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tsinghua, among others.
“The National University of Singapore (NUS) is always in the top 100 and Thailand has two varsities – Mahidol and Chulalongkorn – in the 100-200 band under QS,” he said at the press conference.
“There is no reason for us to be behind these varsities as UM and NUS started on equal footing at the same time. As vice-chancellor, I am saddened that we are lagging behind and it is my responsibility to bring UM up.”
Prof Ghauth has been credited with gumption as he is seen to be the only vice-chancellor who aspires to play the rankings game.
“He was brave enough to put his head on the chopping block and it’s an admirable trait as the risks are great,” shares a policy maker.
Prof Ghauth’s offer was timely as the Opposition are constantly nipping at the heels of the Government over the poor representation of Malaysian varsities in various university rankings.
“Although not everyone in the ministry reads too much into rankings, the Government is under pressure. Are we really that bad that we can’t have a university in the top 200?” says a source.
One size doesn’t fit all
Although QS and the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings parted ways in 2009, both continue to place heavy weightage on research and the peer review components. The ARWU also places a similar emphasis on these.
The number of publications in high impact journals like the ISI has a great bearing on a varsity’s rank.
This correlation is captured in UM’s new promotion mechanism – in effect from 2010 to June 2013 – where academic staff must produce a certain number of publications before they can move up the ladder (See Table 1).
And although this is a sore point for some, UM deputy vice-chancellor (Development) Prof Dr Kurunathan Ratnavelu (who carried out the analysis of UM’s staff productivity) says the new policies embrace meritocracy and it is the first time such a benchmarking style has been implemented.
Having served at UM for 22 years, Prof Kurunathan opines that the core issue is really about increasing productivity. However, rankings ultimately depend on research productivity so there is a correlation.
“The new policies eradicate notions of permanency but stress that performance determines one’s rise – or stagnation – in the hierarchy.”
However, a number of academics disagree with this rationale and most of those express concern over UM’s obsession with rankings.
“The union supports the promotion of meritocracy as we have ‘deadwood’ in UM,” says Dr Azmi.
Prof Kurunathan says the new policies embrace meritocracy. “However, we are concerned that UM seems particularly enamoured with rankings to the point where staff are pressured to produce ISI publications.”
He adds that high impact journal publication is a criterion used by rankers for the sole reason that it could be measured conveniently.
His deputy, Assoc Prof Dr Rosli Mahat, says many have no clear idea of a university’s essence apart from the prototype propagated through the rankings.
“Look at the QS and THE rankings and ask yourself who works out the criteria. Businessmen and newspapers!” he shares.
“In this light, we should base our criteria on the Unesco recommendations for higher education teaching staff which advocates institutional autonomy, accountability, collegiality and the security of employment, among others.”
The dissenters, including academics from UM’s medical faculty, hit out at the rigid one-size-fits-all policy, while at the same time concede that abuse did indeed occur in the absence of objective criteria.
A medical lecturer points out that academia is more than just publishing in journals.
“One’s ability in stimulating intellectual discussion and mentoring students should be taken into account, just as one’s expertise in the field as well as the quality of coaching,” he says..
Another medical lecturer shares the problems that arise when there is a blanket requirement for a professorship regardless of one’s field of study.
“A doctor’s main concern is patient care, so we focus on clinical research that will benefit professionals in the treatment of patients.
“The gestation period for such research can easily be six years; how is it then possible to produce multiple high impact papers every year?” she says.
She adds that locally relevant research will fall by the wayside if the focus is “to pursue the goal of ISI journal publication alone”.
“For example, something that doctors really need now is measuring cancer prevalence in Malaysia and it takes a lot of time to do so.
“But at the end of it, this is not going to be published in an ISI journal because the information is only relevant for Malaysia,” she says.
A former professor adds no one in their right mind goes into academia to make money.
“Most academics enter the university environment because they are excited about knowledge, are interested in peer collegiality and interaction with students, and want that pinnacle achievement of attaining a professorship,” he says.
Adopting a neutral stance, Dr Azmi thinks it might have been easier if the vice-chancellor had adopted a more inclusive approach from the start. Less insistence on various policies would have given Prof Ghauth an effective buy-in and much of the drama could have been avoided.
“In all fairness, the vice-chancellor has softened his stance on ISI publications, and academics — particularly those in non-scientific fields — can factor in books and other publications,” he says.
Despite the internal resistance, there is an air of resignation that the ironclad resolve for high impact publications will not bend.
And if that is indeed the case, Dr Azmi says appropriate remuneration adjustments should be in place.
“If UM academics work harder than their counterparts at other public varsities to meet publication targets, this must be reflected in their basic salary.
“Without such a distinction, what’s going to stop academics from moving to other varsities where they can retain their titles and ‘work less’ for the same pay?”
It must be noted, however, that the cash nexus is firmly entrenched in UM’s transformation plan and Prof Ghauth has highlighted the need for UM to secure diverse revenue streams.
This is to achieve financial autonomy – cutting dependence on Government funding – and obtaining the financial muscle to meet the needs – and wants – of its staff.
Parameters of success have been set and if all goes according to plan, UM will be able to sustain 50% of its operating expenses (Opex) by 2015 and 70% by 2020 – providing the varsity with the capacity to double staff salaries in about nine years.
The staff association shares Prof Ghauth’s concern on income generation.
“We understand the varsity doesn’t have much of a choice as we can’t afford to depend on the Government forever,” says Dr Azmi.
However, academics on both sides of the fence are split on Prof Ghauth’s leadership style.
UM IT department director Dr David Asirvatham says things had to be improved among academics.
“We have seen a boost in publications, research activity and teaching quality after Prof Ghauth took over. I believe the silent majority are behind him,” he adds.
Concurring, Prof Kurunathan says UM’s increasing research productivity is testament of Prof Ghauth’s qualities.
“Statistics show that 1,300 papers were published in 2009, followed by 1,800 last year.
“We’re hoping to pass the 2,000 mark – a psychological barrier – this year; but we should not be too proud of ourselves as NUS publishes around 5,000 papers each year,” he adds.
The road ahead
Interestingly, sources in UM opine that the erroneous front page report was part of a coordinated attempt to oust its vice-chancellor.
In an uncanny coincidence, the report’s publication coincided with the Umno Supreme Council meeting – guaranteeing maximum impact and publicity.
It is learnt that the pressure group is also knocking on the ministry’s door but while the die may be cast, it must be noted that some of the dissenters are actually concerned by the lack of leadership stability at UM.
Although critics point out that a three-year term is normal for any vice-chancellor, the fact remains that UM has had four different vice-chancellors since 2000 and this does not bode well in terms of continuity.
Interestingly, this is best summed up by a dissenter who empathises with Prof Ghauth. The lecturer who is near retirement acknowledges that “he has good intentions of improving UM’s standing”.
There have been too many vice-chancellors in a short period of time and with each new appointment, there is a shift of goalposts for the university, he adds.
And while the drama and debate may rage on, the vice-chancellor is taking it all on the chin, determined to accomplish as much as he can while navigating the minefield of dissent.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Ranking: Three Malaysian universities enter Top 500
PETALING JAYA: Three Malaysian universities have made it to the top 500 out of 12,000 universities ranked in the Webometrics Ranking Web of World Universities released Saturday.
They are Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (419), Universiti Sains Malaysia (428) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (462).
This is the first time that Malaysian varsities have entered into the top 500 since the ranking's inception in 2004.
Meanwhile, American universities dominate the Webometrics ranking, with the top five universities being the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Stanford University, Cornell University, and the University of California, Berkeley respectively.
The ranking is an initiative by the Cybermetrics Lab, a research group part of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientficas (CSIC) in Spain.
According to the Webometrics website, the aim of the rankings is to encourage universities to have a better web presence and researchers to publish more scientific content on the internet.
Among the main indicators used to analyse university web presence are the size or number of web pages recovered from search engines; visibility; number of rich files available; and the number of citations found in Google Scholar.
The rankings are published every six months, and survey around 20,000 higher education institutions worldwide.
Details at: http://www.webometrics.info/top100_continent.asp?cont=asia
They are Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (419), Universiti Sains Malaysia (428) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (462).
This is the first time that Malaysian varsities have entered into the top 500 since the ranking's inception in 2004.
Meanwhile, American universities dominate the Webometrics ranking, with the top five universities being the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Stanford University, Cornell University, and the University of California, Berkeley respectively.
The ranking is an initiative by the Cybermetrics Lab, a research group part of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientficas (CSIC) in Spain.
According to the Webometrics website, the aim of the rankings is to encourage universities to have a better web presence and researchers to publish more scientific content on the internet.
Among the main indicators used to analyse university web presence are the size or number of web pages recovered from search engines; visibility; number of rich files available; and the number of citations found in Google Scholar.
The rankings are published every six months, and survey around 20,000 higher education institutions worldwide.
Details at: http://www.webometrics.info/top100_continent.asp?cont=asia
Monday, July 18, 2011
1,022 geran penyelidikan bernilai RM178.4 juta diluluskan - Berita Harian
18 Julai 2011
PUTRAJAYA: Sejumlah RM178.4 juta dana penyelidikan untuk 1,022 geran penyelidikan membabitkan penyelidik daripada Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam (IPTA), Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Swasta (IPTS), Institusi Penyelidikan dan Jabatan Pengajian Politeknik, sudah diluluskan bagi fasa pertama dalam Rancangan Malaysia Kesepuluh (RMKe-10).
Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, berkata jumlah itu adalah sebahagian daripada RM741 juta dana penyelidikan yang diperuntukkan kepada kementerian.
"Ia adalah peningkatan 260 peratus atau hampir tiga kali ganda daripada jumlah yang diterima kementerian dalam RMKe-9 bagi program pembangunan dan penyelidikan (R&D) untuk tempoh dua tahun pertama pelaksanaannya mulai tahun ini," katanya kepada pemberita selepas melancarkan Dana Penyelidikan Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi dengan tema "Bekerja untuk Malaysia" di sini hari ini.
Mohamed Khaled berkata, kementerian sudah menstruktur semula dana penyelidikan dengan mewujudkan empat lagi program geran penyelidikan baru iaitu Skim Geran Penyelidikan Eksploratori, Skim Geran Penyelidikan Jangka Panjang (LRGS), Skim Geran Penyelidikan Pembangunan Prototaip (PRGS) serta Dana Insentif Penyelidikan sebagai tambahan kepada Skim Geran Penyelidikan Fundamental (FRGS) yang sedia ada.
"Ini adalah satu ruang kepada IPTS untuk bersama-sama dalam soal ini, bagi universiti kita untuk turut sama terlibat dalam R&D. Mungkin sebelum ini, IPTS tidak ada peluang untuk mendapat dana, sekarang ini, kita dah buka, jadi ini bermakna potensi untuk mereka membangunkannya.
"Jika mereka benar-benar mahu terbabit dalam soal ini, untuk mendapatkan peluang diperuntukkan geran, sudah tentu mereka akan mengambil pensyarah terdiri daripada kalangan yang mempunyai PHd yang turut memberi kebaikan kepada IPTS tersebut," katanya. - BERNAMA
PUTRAJAYA: Sejumlah RM178.4 juta dana penyelidikan untuk 1,022 geran penyelidikan membabitkan penyelidik daripada Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam (IPTA), Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Swasta (IPTS), Institusi Penyelidikan dan Jabatan Pengajian Politeknik, sudah diluluskan bagi fasa pertama dalam Rancangan Malaysia Kesepuluh (RMKe-10).
Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, berkata jumlah itu adalah sebahagian daripada RM741 juta dana penyelidikan yang diperuntukkan kepada kementerian.
"Ia adalah peningkatan 260 peratus atau hampir tiga kali ganda daripada jumlah yang diterima kementerian dalam RMKe-9 bagi program pembangunan dan penyelidikan (R&D) untuk tempoh dua tahun pertama pelaksanaannya mulai tahun ini," katanya kepada pemberita selepas melancarkan Dana Penyelidikan Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi dengan tema "Bekerja untuk Malaysia" di sini hari ini.
Mohamed Khaled berkata, kementerian sudah menstruktur semula dana penyelidikan dengan mewujudkan empat lagi program geran penyelidikan baru iaitu Skim Geran Penyelidikan Eksploratori, Skim Geran Penyelidikan Jangka Panjang (LRGS), Skim Geran Penyelidikan Pembangunan Prototaip (PRGS) serta Dana Insentif Penyelidikan sebagai tambahan kepada Skim Geran Penyelidikan Fundamental (FRGS) yang sedia ada.
"Ini adalah satu ruang kepada IPTS untuk bersama-sama dalam soal ini, bagi universiti kita untuk turut sama terlibat dalam R&D. Mungkin sebelum ini, IPTS tidak ada peluang untuk mendapat dana, sekarang ini, kita dah buka, jadi ini bermakna potensi untuk mereka membangunkannya.
"Jika mereka benar-benar mahu terbabit dalam soal ini, untuk mendapatkan peluang diperuntukkan geran, sudah tentu mereka akan mengambil pensyarah terdiri daripada kalangan yang mempunyai PHd yang turut memberi kebaikan kepada IPTS tersebut," katanya. - BERNAMA
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Ministry comes down hard on errant private colleges - The Star
By Richard Lim
PETALING JAYA: The Higher Education Ministry is coming down hard on private colleges which offer unrecognised courses.
The ministry has issued 47 summonses to several colleges and university colleges to appear in court for offering unregistered or unapproved programmes, and has warned that students enrolled in unaccredited and unrecognised courses run the risk of missing out on job opportunities or avenues for further studies.
The colleges were also hauled up for various other offences, such as relocation to new premises without approval; and for employing lecturers without teaching permits.
The ministry's enforcement and inspectorate division director Dr Naimah Md Khalil said the most recent cases involved two private providers which contravened the guidelines under the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 (Act 555) and this was a serious offence.
“Only the registrar-general can approve courses which have been given the stamp of quality from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency,” she said.
In the first case, a college in Petaling Jaya which specialised in fashion and jewellery design (which has since changed its branding) was fined RM120,000 for offering five unapproved courses.
Several factors were considered by the Sessions Court judge, such as the number of students enrolled and the course fee for each programme, among others.
As a result, the fine for offering a degree programme in fashion design was RM50,000 while the degree in jewellery design earned the college a RM10,000 penalty.
The second case, involving a university college in Kuala Lumpur, was more intricate as the private provider realised albeit too late that it had made an error.
Attempts to rectify the problem the offering of five unapproved undergraduate and postgraduate courses related to music were made and the judge took everything into account.
However, the college was still slapped with a RM65,000 compound fine.
On the verdicts, Dr Naimah said such action would serve as deterrents for errant education providers.
The court cases complement recently released ministry statistics, which reveal that 47 compound notices were slapped on errant private education providers from January to March this year, compared to 47 last year and nine in 2009.
The cumulative amount of compound notices issued up to March was around RM470,000.
In April, higher education deputy director-general (private higher education institutions) Prof Datin Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir said the ministry would also get tough with colleges that use gimmicks like “free laptops and accommodation” being offered to new students.
PETALING JAYA: The Higher Education Ministry is coming down hard on private colleges which offer unrecognised courses.
The ministry has issued 47 summonses to several colleges and university colleges to appear in court for offering unregistered or unapproved programmes, and has warned that students enrolled in unaccredited and unrecognised courses run the risk of missing out on job opportunities or avenues for further studies.
The colleges were also hauled up for various other offences, such as relocation to new premises without approval; and for employing lecturers without teaching permits.
The ministry's enforcement and inspectorate division director Dr Naimah Md Khalil said the most recent cases involved two private providers which contravened the guidelines under the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 (Act 555) and this was a serious offence.
“Only the registrar-general can approve courses which have been given the stamp of quality from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency,” she said.
In the first case, a college in Petaling Jaya which specialised in fashion and jewellery design (which has since changed its branding) was fined RM120,000 for offering five unapproved courses.
Several factors were considered by the Sessions Court judge, such as the number of students enrolled and the course fee for each programme, among others.
As a result, the fine for offering a degree programme in fashion design was RM50,000 while the degree in jewellery design earned the college a RM10,000 penalty.
The second case, involving a university college in Kuala Lumpur, was more intricate as the private provider realised albeit too late that it had made an error.
Attempts to rectify the problem the offering of five unapproved undergraduate and postgraduate courses related to music were made and the judge took everything into account.
However, the college was still slapped with a RM65,000 compound fine.
On the verdicts, Dr Naimah said such action would serve as deterrents for errant education providers.
The court cases complement recently released ministry statistics, which reveal that 47 compound notices were slapped on errant private education providers from January to March this year, compared to 47 last year and nine in 2009.
The cumulative amount of compound notices issued up to March was around RM470,000.
In April, higher education deputy director-general (private higher education institutions) Prof Datin Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir said the ministry would also get tough with colleges that use gimmicks like “free laptops and accommodation” being offered to new students.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Doctoral dreams - Tales 2 Tell - Star
By Roslina Abdul Latiff
Pursuing a PhD is a long and arduous task, one that is best undertaken when you are absolutely ready.
OF ALL the questions my colleagues and friends ask regarding my doctoral studies, most of them are a variation of “How do you do it?” and “How do you cope?”
Pursuing a PhD would be a challenge for any other person, but with kids taking important exams, teaching final year students, handling final year projects and going for my doctoral classes at night, would be a pretty tall order for anyone.
It wasn’t an easy decision to make. When I tried to start my doctoral studies sometime last year, it was a bit hard to cope while holding two administrative positions as associate dean of the faculty and head of the Mass Communications Department at a private university in the Klang Valley, on top of teaching three final-year subjects every semester.
But I guess there is always that someone who “nags” you to start your doctoral studies. For me, it was my previous boss who gave me the nudge and support. It made sense — in the education field, a doctorate degree gives you an edge in the organisation you work, as well as leverage in the subjects you teach.
Roslina at the university library.
But most importantly, you need to do it for yourself. You need to be prepared mentally to start and finish as it is a huge commitment.
You also have to set your momentum because you are very much on your own.
For me, it started when I was “ordered” by the human resources group manager to go on leave, as my leave days had accumulated to more than a month. The truth was I really needed to rest, refresh and revitalise before diving into the New Year and the new semester. I felt so drained, deflated and depleted.
I took the leave as a good opportunity to get away from everyone and everything that constitutes work. It also gave me an opportunity to re-evaluate the important things in my life. The first priority was of course my children who were taking their SPM, PMR and UPSR exams in 2010.
So when I officially stepped down in December 2009, I started re-writing my PhD proposal. I researched, read and re-wrote my half-baked proposal with the hope that I would be accepted as a doctoral student.
When I was about to submit my application, I told my mother and she asked me again if I was sure. Mum was very worried if I was capable of taking in more stress and challenges given the difficult year I went through.
Although I wasn’t sure I could handle it, I knew it was something I had to do for myself.
The other unacademic reason for going back to school was also to find a neutral ground I could call “home” again — an unbiased place I could be like any other student, going through the rigors of night classes, searching the lonely aisles of the library to find books that are a prerequisite for any dissertation and treading the unfamiliar doctoral path with my trusted laptop.
So in between ferrying the kids for tuition classes on different nights of the week, preparing them for the upcoming exams and preparing for the classes that I teach, I go for my doctoral class on Thursday nights, find time to do my assignments and do lots and lots of reading for my doctoral, my classes and for pleasure.
How do I cope? The simple answer is “one day at a time”.
I don’t really think of it so thoroughly, neither do I dissect it in detail nor psycho-analyse it — I just do it.
But having said that, there are a few things that would actually help to ease anyone into a doctoral dissertation (or thesis, depending on where you study).
The first and most important is to have a productive supervisor-student relationship. There are great expectations on both sides.
Having gone through a Master’s thesis will give you a rough idea of what it’s like, but this time on a much bigger scale and with much more at stake.
Supervisor-student relationship
There needs to be shared expectations between your supervisor and yourself. The important question for you is: what qualities are you looking for in your supervisor?
For me, a supervisor who is supportive, accessible, professional, experienced in the research field, gives freedom to me to express my ideas, cooperatively listens and compassionate rigor is what I hope for.
I consider myself lucky as my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Faridah Ibrahim, or Dr Dah as she is affectionately called, has all these qualities. Since our industry background is journalism, hers being print and mine broadcast, we have hit the ground running as the platform for the discussion is solid.
We bounce ideas back and forth, and discuss what theories or models would work. She’s very frank and direct with her comments on my work. But best of all, she has treated me as an equal although I’m still a struggling doctoral student with a lot more to learn.
Your supervisor also needs to know what your expectations are, so take the time to chat about these fundamental things.
While you’re at it, ask your supervisor what they are expecting from you as a PhD student. When I asked Dr Dah, this was her reply: perseverance, critical questioning (which is required of any PhD candidate), organised, rigorous, willing to learn, a good communicator and open mindedness.
If by any chance your shared expectations are not the same, then you need to re-negotiate and come to a compromise on what is best. Resolving these issues and clarifying any misunderstandings should be done from the very beginning, before you take that giant bungee jump!
You also need to be proactive. Know your rights and responsibilities. Work out together, who is responsible for calling meetings.
For us, it’s simple — communication via email on simple and quick questions, text messaging for delivery of proposals or chapters and meeting for discussions after the reading process. This is where we identify problems and weaknesses plus find solutions and elucidate the research.
Set agendas for meetings if there is a need to; if not, just plunge into the discussion head first.
Keeping your supervisor informed about your progress is also an excellent idea as they will worry when you go AWOL on them. But most importantly, be assertive.
The other thing that I did when I embarked on my PhD was to have a peer support group. This group comprises colleagues in the same boat, who meet once a month over lunch or coffee and discuss ideas and progress.
Although all of us are from different fields and doing research in diverse areas, the intellectual discourse is great.
I believe in some universities, these peer support groups also include supervisors with all their supervisees. If everybody had a common time to meet, this kind of group would be good, but if not, something like what I have would be sufficient. Just a bunch of friends mulling over coffee, pouring out discontentment and suffering and sometimes, it’s not even about the PhD!
On some days, when you get back your chapters full of markings and corrections, you can feel disconnected from the rest of the world.
I’m not sure how smooth or rocky my journey will be in the next couple of years but since I started off with a 4.0 average, I’m hoping to continue fruitfully.
I have also pledged to my supervisor I would complete my thesis in the designated time and let her retire in peace without her going on contract because of me. And that is a promise I intend to keep to Dr Dah and to myself.
If I emerge from this experience still unscathed, intact and sane, I would be able to share those experiences with many who are still pondering on the question: “A doctoral study... to do or not to do?”
My answer is “just do”, but only when you are absolutely sure.
Roslina Abdul Latiff is a Broadcast and Journalism senior lecturer, mother of four and PhD scholar
Pursuing a PhD is a long and arduous task, one that is best undertaken when you are absolutely ready.
OF ALL the questions my colleagues and friends ask regarding my doctoral studies, most of them are a variation of “How do you do it?” and “How do you cope?”
Pursuing a PhD would be a challenge for any other person, but with kids taking important exams, teaching final year students, handling final year projects and going for my doctoral classes at night, would be a pretty tall order for anyone.
It wasn’t an easy decision to make. When I tried to start my doctoral studies sometime last year, it was a bit hard to cope while holding two administrative positions as associate dean of the faculty and head of the Mass Communications Department at a private university in the Klang Valley, on top of teaching three final-year subjects every semester.
But I guess there is always that someone who “nags” you to start your doctoral studies. For me, it was my previous boss who gave me the nudge and support. It made sense — in the education field, a doctorate degree gives you an edge in the organisation you work, as well as leverage in the subjects you teach.
Roslina at the university library.But most importantly, you need to do it for yourself. You need to be prepared mentally to start and finish as it is a huge commitment.
You also have to set your momentum because you are very much on your own.
For me, it started when I was “ordered” by the human resources group manager to go on leave, as my leave days had accumulated to more than a month. The truth was I really needed to rest, refresh and revitalise before diving into the New Year and the new semester. I felt so drained, deflated and depleted.
I took the leave as a good opportunity to get away from everyone and everything that constitutes work. It also gave me an opportunity to re-evaluate the important things in my life. The first priority was of course my children who were taking their SPM, PMR and UPSR exams in 2010.
So when I officially stepped down in December 2009, I started re-writing my PhD proposal. I researched, read and re-wrote my half-baked proposal with the hope that I would be accepted as a doctoral student.
When I was about to submit my application, I told my mother and she asked me again if I was sure. Mum was very worried if I was capable of taking in more stress and challenges given the difficult year I went through.
Although I wasn’t sure I could handle it, I knew it was something I had to do for myself.
The other unacademic reason for going back to school was also to find a neutral ground I could call “home” again — an unbiased place I could be like any other student, going through the rigors of night classes, searching the lonely aisles of the library to find books that are a prerequisite for any dissertation and treading the unfamiliar doctoral path with my trusted laptop.
So in between ferrying the kids for tuition classes on different nights of the week, preparing them for the upcoming exams and preparing for the classes that I teach, I go for my doctoral class on Thursday nights, find time to do my assignments and do lots and lots of reading for my doctoral, my classes and for pleasure.
How do I cope? The simple answer is “one day at a time”.
I don’t really think of it so thoroughly, neither do I dissect it in detail nor psycho-analyse it — I just do it.
But having said that, there are a few things that would actually help to ease anyone into a doctoral dissertation (or thesis, depending on where you study).
The first and most important is to have a productive supervisor-student relationship. There are great expectations on both sides.
Having gone through a Master’s thesis will give you a rough idea of what it’s like, but this time on a much bigger scale and with much more at stake.
Supervisor-student relationship
There needs to be shared expectations between your supervisor and yourself. The important question for you is: what qualities are you looking for in your supervisor?
For me, a supervisor who is supportive, accessible, professional, experienced in the research field, gives freedom to me to express my ideas, cooperatively listens and compassionate rigor is what I hope for.
I consider myself lucky as my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Faridah Ibrahim, or Dr Dah as she is affectionately called, has all these qualities. Since our industry background is journalism, hers being print and mine broadcast, we have hit the ground running as the platform for the discussion is solid.
We bounce ideas back and forth, and discuss what theories or models would work. She’s very frank and direct with her comments on my work. But best of all, she has treated me as an equal although I’m still a struggling doctoral student with a lot more to learn.
Your supervisor also needs to know what your expectations are, so take the time to chat about these fundamental things.
While you’re at it, ask your supervisor what they are expecting from you as a PhD student. When I asked Dr Dah, this was her reply: perseverance, critical questioning (which is required of any PhD candidate), organised, rigorous, willing to learn, a good communicator and open mindedness.
If by any chance your shared expectations are not the same, then you need to re-negotiate and come to a compromise on what is best. Resolving these issues and clarifying any misunderstandings should be done from the very beginning, before you take that giant bungee jump!
You also need to be proactive. Know your rights and responsibilities. Work out together, who is responsible for calling meetings.
For us, it’s simple — communication via email on simple and quick questions, text messaging for delivery of proposals or chapters and meeting for discussions after the reading process. This is where we identify problems and weaknesses plus find solutions and elucidate the research.
Set agendas for meetings if there is a need to; if not, just plunge into the discussion head first.
Keeping your supervisor informed about your progress is also an excellent idea as they will worry when you go AWOL on them. But most importantly, be assertive.
The other thing that I did when I embarked on my PhD was to have a peer support group. This group comprises colleagues in the same boat, who meet once a month over lunch or coffee and discuss ideas and progress.
Although all of us are from different fields and doing research in diverse areas, the intellectual discourse is great.
I believe in some universities, these peer support groups also include supervisors with all their supervisees. If everybody had a common time to meet, this kind of group would be good, but if not, something like what I have would be sufficient. Just a bunch of friends mulling over coffee, pouring out discontentment and suffering and sometimes, it’s not even about the PhD!
On some days, when you get back your chapters full of markings and corrections, you can feel disconnected from the rest of the world.
I’m not sure how smooth or rocky my journey will be in the next couple of years but since I started off with a 4.0 average, I’m hoping to continue fruitfully.
I have also pledged to my supervisor I would complete my thesis in the designated time and let her retire in peace without her going on contract because of me. And that is a promise I intend to keep to Dr Dah and to myself.
If I emerge from this experience still unscathed, intact and sane, I would be able to share those experiences with many who are still pondering on the question: “A doctoral study... to do or not to do?”
My answer is “just do”, but only when you are absolutely sure.
Roslina Abdul Latiff is a Broadcast and Journalism senior lecturer, mother of four and PhD scholar
Monday, June 27, 2011
Saifuddin: End dependence on foreign educators - Malaysiakini
Higher education deputy minister Saifuddin Abdullah rapped the country's institutions of higher learning for continuing to "import and copy" ideas and methods from Western universities.
Despite having a national team of competent academics, Saifuddin asked why the country continues to invite consultants from other parts of the world to help run local universities.
"For how long will this dependence continue and what are its implications?" he asked, in his speech addressing an audience of 200 at "Decolonising Our Universities" in Penang today.
The three-day event aimed at academics from various Asian countries was organised by Universiti Sains Malaysia and Citizen International, a Penang-based NGO.
This "abject dependence on Western academics" for ideas, theories and methods fails to recognise the value of the country's academics and local scholars, Saifuddin said.
"Despite this, our scholars and academics will continue to be diffident, to feel inferior, timid about our own work and compare it unfavourably with the work of scholars from the West," he said.
If local academics still feel inferior and express helplessness, he said it would be better to close down these institutions rather than continue to maintain them.
"We are fooling nobody," Saifuddin quipped, adding that he hoped the conference could lead to significant changes in the current state of affairs.
Cultivating critical thinking
During a press conference, Saifuddin said the country has to develop its own knowledge and theories to deal with local issues instead of referring to Western ones, which have come about due to different circumstances.
On the international ranking of universities, he said it was merely a Western idea to preserve the hegemony and status quo of knowledge from the West.
He urged academics here to work in solidarity, to collaborate with one another to try and develop "our own worldview" of looking at things as "we are not short of intellectual competence".
Though the government raised these issues in the past, Saifuddin said "we are making progress", albeit slowly.
As for the Aku Janji pledge - which requires academics and students to sign an agreement to refrain from getting involved in politics or commenting on political issues - Saifuddin said "that is something else" because it hampers critical thinking and development.
"(Critical thinking) is about what the government wants in conducting research in new areas so that we can develop our own indigenous knowledge," he added.
Despite having a national team of competent academics, Saifuddin asked why the country continues to invite consultants from other parts of the world to help run local universities.
"For how long will this dependence continue and what are its implications?" he asked, in his speech addressing an audience of 200 at "Decolonising Our Universities" in Penang today.
The three-day event aimed at academics from various Asian countries was organised by Universiti Sains Malaysia and Citizen International, a Penang-based NGO.
This "abject dependence on Western academics" for ideas, theories and methods fails to recognise the value of the country's academics and local scholars, Saifuddin said.
"Despite this, our scholars and academics will continue to be diffident, to feel inferior, timid about our own work and compare it unfavourably with the work of scholars from the West," he said.
If local academics still feel inferior and express helplessness, he said it would be better to close down these institutions rather than continue to maintain them.
"We are fooling nobody," Saifuddin quipped, adding that he hoped the conference could lead to significant changes in the current state of affairs.
Cultivating critical thinking
During a press conference, Saifuddin said the country has to develop its own knowledge and theories to deal with local issues instead of referring to Western ones, which have come about due to different circumstances.
On the international ranking of universities, he said it was merely a Western idea to preserve the hegemony and status quo of knowledge from the West.
He urged academics here to work in solidarity, to collaborate with one another to try and develop "our own worldview" of looking at things as "we are not short of intellectual competence".
Though the government raised these issues in the past, Saifuddin said "we are making progress", albeit slowly.
As for the Aku Janji pledge - which requires academics and students to sign an agreement to refrain from getting involved in politics or commenting on political issues - Saifuddin said "that is something else" because it hampers critical thinking and development.
"(Critical thinking) is about what the government wants in conducting research in new areas so that we can develop our own indigenous knowledge," he added.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
KPT serah laporan skim gaji pensyarah kepada JPA - Berita Harian
2011/06/02
KUALA LUMPUR: Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi (KPT) sudah melakukan kajian dan menyerahkan beberapa cadangan mengenai semakan semula skim gaji pensyarah di semua universiti awam termasuk Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) kepada Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) untuk tindakan lanjut.
Menterinya, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin berkata, sebarang pelaksanaan kenaikan pangkat atau gred pensyarah di semua universiti awam bergantung kepada pihak pengurusan pusat pengajian berkenaan.
Katanya, pada masa sama kementerian juga akan sentiasa melakukan kajian dan perbincangan dengan pihak pengurusan dan wakil tenaga akademik bagi membolehkan mereka menikmati skim gaji lebih baik berbanding agensi lain. “Sebenarnya kebanyakan pensyarah universiti awam sekarang menikmati skim gaji yang lebih tinggi berbanding kakitangan kerajaan lain termasuk guru Kementerian Pelajaran.
“Malah, sekiranya seseorang pensyarah itu mempunyai Ijazah Doktor Falsafah (PhD), mereka akan terus ditawarkan ke Gred DM51, manakala proses kenaikan pangkat dan gaji boleh ditentukan sendiri oleh universiti terbabit,” katanya ketika ditemui selepas menyaksikan majlis pelancaran Skim Latihan 1Malaysia (SL1M) oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak di Putrajaya semalam.
Mohamed Khaled mengulas dakwaan dua kesatuan mewakili pendidik dan kakitangan akademik UiTM meminta universiti itu menyemak semula skim gaji mereka yang didakwa lebih 10 tahun tidak disemak.
Persatuan Akademik UiTM (UTiMAS) dan Kesatuan Kakitangan Akademik UiTM (MITASA), dilaporkan berkata kebajikan dan maruah kakitangan akademik universiti itu perlu dibela dan dimartabatkan kembali selaras dengan khidmat bakti mereka.
KUALA LUMPUR: Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi (KPT) sudah melakukan kajian dan menyerahkan beberapa cadangan mengenai semakan semula skim gaji pensyarah di semua universiti awam termasuk Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) kepada Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) untuk tindakan lanjut.
Menterinya, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin berkata, sebarang pelaksanaan kenaikan pangkat atau gred pensyarah di semua universiti awam bergantung kepada pihak pengurusan pusat pengajian berkenaan.
Katanya, pada masa sama kementerian juga akan sentiasa melakukan kajian dan perbincangan dengan pihak pengurusan dan wakil tenaga akademik bagi membolehkan mereka menikmati skim gaji lebih baik berbanding agensi lain. “Sebenarnya kebanyakan pensyarah universiti awam sekarang menikmati skim gaji yang lebih tinggi berbanding kakitangan kerajaan lain termasuk guru Kementerian Pelajaran.
“Malah, sekiranya seseorang pensyarah itu mempunyai Ijazah Doktor Falsafah (PhD), mereka akan terus ditawarkan ke Gred DM51, manakala proses kenaikan pangkat dan gaji boleh ditentukan sendiri oleh universiti terbabit,” katanya ketika ditemui selepas menyaksikan majlis pelancaran Skim Latihan 1Malaysia (SL1M) oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak di Putrajaya semalam.
Mohamed Khaled mengulas dakwaan dua kesatuan mewakili pendidik dan kakitangan akademik UiTM meminta universiti itu menyemak semula skim gaji mereka yang didakwa lebih 10 tahun tidak disemak.
Persatuan Akademik UiTM (UTiMAS) dan Kesatuan Kakitangan Akademik UiTM (MITASA), dilaporkan berkata kebajikan dan maruah kakitangan akademik universiti itu perlu dibela dan dimartabatkan kembali selaras dengan khidmat bakti mereka.
Employability now included as a KPI in public varsities - The Star
PUTRAJAYA: Graduate employability has been included as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for all vice-chancellors of public universities.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the move was part of the long-term goal to raise the quality and marketability of local graduates.
“Others include introducing entrepreneurship curriculum, implementing soft skills programmes and student internship programmes in public and private corporations before the students graduate.
“Continuous dialogue between the universities and industry is being held to raise the quality of the graduates, an approach which is expected to reduce the mismatch between supply and demand for skilled manpower,” he said when launching the 1Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M) here yesterday.
Also present was Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Najib said the Government was also implementing special programmes as a short-term measure to raise graduate employability and that included the training programmes carried out by the Higher Education Ministry, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Khazanah and the Skills Development Fund Corporation involving 12,000 graduates.
He said this meant that out of the 20,000 unemployed graduates, 8,000 did not have the opportunity to undergo additional training to improve their marketability.
“Some of them come from the rural and interior areas as well as from low-income families.
“This background influences their character and self-confidence and affects their ability to secure employment
“Thus, by carrying out a last mile intervention in the form of finishing schools, I believe they will become more confident, and they are the target group of the SL1M,” he said, adding that the initiative was also for those who failed to be employed six months after graduating.
Najib said the approach proved effective when Bank Negara, through the short training programme for 500 graduates, had enabled all of them to find suitable jobs.
In this context, he said the SL1M programme should be expanded and made part of the corporate social responsibility of government-linked corporations (GLCs) and major companies.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the move was part of the long-term goal to raise the quality and marketability of local graduates.
“Others include introducing entrepreneurship curriculum, implementing soft skills programmes and student internship programmes in public and private corporations before the students graduate.
“Continuous dialogue between the universities and industry is being held to raise the quality of the graduates, an approach which is expected to reduce the mismatch between supply and demand for skilled manpower,” he said when launching the 1Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M) here yesterday.
Also present was Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Najib said the Government was also implementing special programmes as a short-term measure to raise graduate employability and that included the training programmes carried out by the Higher Education Ministry, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Khazanah and the Skills Development Fund Corporation involving 12,000 graduates.
He said this meant that out of the 20,000 unemployed graduates, 8,000 did not have the opportunity to undergo additional training to improve their marketability.
“Some of them come from the rural and interior areas as well as from low-income families.
“This background influences their character and self-confidence and affects their ability to secure employment
“Thus, by carrying out a last mile intervention in the form of finishing schools, I believe they will become more confident, and they are the target group of the SL1M,” he said, adding that the initiative was also for those who failed to be employed six months after graduating.
Najib said the approach proved effective when Bank Negara, through the short training programme for 500 graduates, had enabled all of them to find suitable jobs.
In this context, he said the SL1M programme should be expanded and made part of the corporate social responsibility of government-linked corporations (GLCs) and major companies.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Malaysian universities improve ranking on Asian scale - The Malaysian Insider
By Boo Su-Lyn May 23, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Six out of seven Malaysian universities improved their ranking on the QS Asian University Rankings this year, with Universiti Malaya (UM) climbing three spots to 39th.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) also jumped 20 slots to 57th out of 200 Asian universities.
No Malaysian university entered the top 10 ranks while the National University of Singapore (NUS) retained its third place.
QS also said in a statement the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) knocked the University of Hong Kong down to the second spot.
The global higher education information specialist noted that Malaysia had seven universities in the top 200 Asian universities compared to Thailand’s nine and Indonesia’s eight.
Japan was the best-represented nation with five universities in the top 10 ranks and 57 in the top 200.
In contrast, China had 40, South Korea 35, Taiwan 16, India 11, and Hong Kong had seven universities in the top 200 Asian institutions.
The QS Asian University Rankings last year showed that the top Malaysian university was UM at the 42nd spot while Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) was the second best university here at 58th.
The ranking of public institutions in Malaysia has dived throughout the past years to the point of dropping out of the top 200 universities in the QS World University Rankings last year.
QS noted that the “dynamism” of the Asian region was bolstered by the fact that one out of five universities in the top 50 universities was less than 50 years old.
The rankings were based on the following factors: academic peer review (30 per cent), recruiter review (10 per cent), student/ faculty ratio (20 per cent), papers per faculty (15 per cent), citations per paper (15 per cent), and 2.5 per cent each for international faculty review, international student review, and inbound and outbound student exchanges.
UM vice-chancellor Dr Ghauth Jasmon had reportedly urged Malaysia’s oldest university last year to take world rankings seriously if it wanted to remain globally competitive.
Details: http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/asian-university-rankings/2011
KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Six out of seven Malaysian universities improved their ranking on the QS Asian University Rankings this year, with Universiti Malaya (UM) climbing three spots to 39th.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) also jumped 20 slots to 57th out of 200 Asian universities.
No Malaysian university entered the top 10 ranks while the National University of Singapore (NUS) retained its third place.
QS also said in a statement the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) knocked the University of Hong Kong down to the second spot.
The global higher education information specialist noted that Malaysia had seven universities in the top 200 Asian universities compared to Thailand’s nine and Indonesia’s eight.
Japan was the best-represented nation with five universities in the top 10 ranks and 57 in the top 200.
In contrast, China had 40, South Korea 35, Taiwan 16, India 11, and Hong Kong had seven universities in the top 200 Asian institutions.
The QS Asian University Rankings last year showed that the top Malaysian university was UM at the 42nd spot while Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) was the second best university here at 58th.
The ranking of public institutions in Malaysia has dived throughout the past years to the point of dropping out of the top 200 universities in the QS World University Rankings last year.
QS noted that the “dynamism” of the Asian region was bolstered by the fact that one out of five universities in the top 50 universities was less than 50 years old.
The rankings were based on the following factors: academic peer review (30 per cent), recruiter review (10 per cent), student/ faculty ratio (20 per cent), papers per faculty (15 per cent), citations per paper (15 per cent), and 2.5 per cent each for international faculty review, international student review, and inbound and outbound student exchanges.
UM vice-chancellor Dr Ghauth Jasmon had reportedly urged Malaysia’s oldest university last year to take world rankings seriously if it wanted to remain globally competitive.
Details: http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/asian-university-rankings/2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
KPT Lantik 200 Pasca Doktoral Setahun Hingga 2015 - The Star
Oleh SUSAN ALBERT KASSIM
BANGI: Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi (KPT) merancang untuk melantik 200 pasca doktoral warga tempatan dan asing untuk membangunkan program penyelidikan dan inovasi di institusi pengajian tinggi awam (IPTA).
Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin berkata, perancangan itu bertujuan demi memenuhi keperluan negara yang dilakukan setiap tahun bagi sehingga 2015.
"IPTA diberi tanggungjawab sepenuhnya untuk melantik mereka. Selepas itu mereka akan ditempatkan di universiti terpilih untuk memulakan aktiviti penyelidikan dan inovasi bukan saja menghasilkan produk tapi suatu proses secara sepenuh masa," katanya pada sidang media selepas merasmikan Majlis Penutup Sambutan Ulang Tahun Ke-40 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) di sini, Selasa.
Jelas Mohamed Khaled, dalam usaha meningkatkan keupayaan mencipta dan menginovasi produk dan proses baru, pengwujudan inkubator yang dapat menjana industri dan corak perniagaan baru diperkenalkan melalui inisiatif Pelan Pembangunan Modal Insan Inovasi.
"Berdasarkan perancangan hasil segera pelan itu, setiap pasca doktoral yang dilantik akan ditempatkan secara berasingan di lapan inkubator yang diwujudkan iaitu setiap satu di universiti penyelidikan dan tiga lagi dikongsi bersama oleh universiti di zon utara, tengah dan selatan," ujarnya.
Selain berperanan untuk mentransformasikan penyelidikan, beliau berkata, bakat, idea dan kemahiran kumpulan cerdik pandai itu turut digunakan untuk menggerakkan ekonomi negara.
"Bagi membolehkan Malaysia bersaing dengan negara luar, kita memerlukan modal insan yang memiliki ilmu yang tinggi dalam pengkhususan sesuatu bidang. Jadi universiti memerlukan golongan pakar dalam bidang penyelidikan dan inovasi," katanya.
Sementara itu, beliau berkata, tiga universiti iaitu UKM, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) dan Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) dipilih untuk menjalani penilaian projek rintis audit autonomi bermula pertengahan tahun lalu.
Katanya, autonomi akan diberikan atas keyakinan kerajaan terhadap keupayaan dan tanggungjawab universiti terbabit dalam urusan pentadbiran selari dengan amalan universiti ternama untuk menggalakkan kecemerlangan akademik.
"Setakat ini, UKM antara kumpulan pertama yang dinilai dan laporan penilaian telah dihantar kepada KPT untuk pertimbangan selanjutnya.
"Kita akan tengok sama sistem yang kita bangunkan itu boleh diterima dan meninggalkan kesan kepada universiti terbabit. Selepas itu, barulah kita akan umumkan universiti yang terpilih untuk menerima anugerah itu," jelasnya.
BANGI: Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi (KPT) merancang untuk melantik 200 pasca doktoral warga tempatan dan asing untuk membangunkan program penyelidikan dan inovasi di institusi pengajian tinggi awam (IPTA).
Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin berkata, perancangan itu bertujuan demi memenuhi keperluan negara yang dilakukan setiap tahun bagi sehingga 2015.
"IPTA diberi tanggungjawab sepenuhnya untuk melantik mereka. Selepas itu mereka akan ditempatkan di universiti terpilih untuk memulakan aktiviti penyelidikan dan inovasi bukan saja menghasilkan produk tapi suatu proses secara sepenuh masa," katanya pada sidang media selepas merasmikan Majlis Penutup Sambutan Ulang Tahun Ke-40 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) di sini, Selasa.
Jelas Mohamed Khaled, dalam usaha meningkatkan keupayaan mencipta dan menginovasi produk dan proses baru, pengwujudan inkubator yang dapat menjana industri dan corak perniagaan baru diperkenalkan melalui inisiatif Pelan Pembangunan Modal Insan Inovasi.
"Berdasarkan perancangan hasil segera pelan itu, setiap pasca doktoral yang dilantik akan ditempatkan secara berasingan di lapan inkubator yang diwujudkan iaitu setiap satu di universiti penyelidikan dan tiga lagi dikongsi bersama oleh universiti di zon utara, tengah dan selatan," ujarnya.
Selain berperanan untuk mentransformasikan penyelidikan, beliau berkata, bakat, idea dan kemahiran kumpulan cerdik pandai itu turut digunakan untuk menggerakkan ekonomi negara.
"Bagi membolehkan Malaysia bersaing dengan negara luar, kita memerlukan modal insan yang memiliki ilmu yang tinggi dalam pengkhususan sesuatu bidang. Jadi universiti memerlukan golongan pakar dalam bidang penyelidikan dan inovasi," katanya.
Sementara itu, beliau berkata, tiga universiti iaitu UKM, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) dan Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) dipilih untuk menjalani penilaian projek rintis audit autonomi bermula pertengahan tahun lalu.
Katanya, autonomi akan diberikan atas keyakinan kerajaan terhadap keupayaan dan tanggungjawab universiti terbabit dalam urusan pentadbiran selari dengan amalan universiti ternama untuk menggalakkan kecemerlangan akademik.
"Setakat ini, UKM antara kumpulan pertama yang dinilai dan laporan penilaian telah dihantar kepada KPT untuk pertimbangan selanjutnya.
"Kita akan tengok sama sistem yang kita bangunkan itu boleh diterima dan meninggalkan kesan kepada universiti terbabit. Selepas itu, barulah kita akan umumkan universiti yang terpilih untuk menerima anugerah itu," jelasnya.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Varsities urged to hire PhD holders as lecturers - The Star
THE Higher Education Ministry has suggested that doctorate degrees (PhD) be made the basic requirement for the post of lecturers at all public institutions of higher learning. Its deputy minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said this was to achieve the target of having 75% lecturers with PhD in research universities and 40% in other universities.
“The increasing number of quality lecturers is one of the factors in the effort to empower institutions of higher learning (IPT),” he said in response to a question from Dr Syed Husin Ali.
Saifuddin said the ministry also encouraged IPTs to get qualified and experienced lecturers from overseas.
“The ministry has provided incentives to attract foreign experts to do their research at the IPT by providing attractive packages through the ‘contract for service’.
“The IPTs can also attract specialists from local industries to contribute fulltime or on a part-time basis in teaching and research activities to reduce the cost of getting the service of foreigners,” he added. — Bernama
“The increasing number of quality lecturers is one of the factors in the effort to empower institutions of higher learning (IPT),” he said in response to a question from Dr Syed Husin Ali.
Saifuddin said the ministry also encouraged IPTs to get qualified and experienced lecturers from overseas.
“The ministry has provided incentives to attract foreign experts to do their research at the IPT by providing attractive packages through the ‘contract for service’.
“The IPTs can also attract specialists from local industries to contribute fulltime or on a part-time basis in teaching and research activities to reduce the cost of getting the service of foreigners,” he added. — Bernama
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