Unity in Diversity - The case of UKM

1. Last year UKM as a research university identified 8 research niches to propel it to higher level in research and innovations. Initially there were only six (renewable energy, regional sustainable development, medicine and health technology, informatics contents, nanototechnology and advanced materials & globalisation, cultural diversity, nation building & national integrity), and later the Chancellory added another two, namely Climate Change and Biodiversity for Technology Development. When the six niches were introduced there were comments and some dissatisfactions from and amongst certain quarters as many other strong research fields were not clearly identified.

2. The VC and the ex DVC explained that the six and later eight niches are very inclusive, almost if not all research interests within the university are taken into account and it is up to individuals to identify and find his/her own niche. This is a fair statement. I must admit that it is an utmost difficulty for some individuals to find and identify their niche within the existing 8 niches as fileds in R & D are diverse. As academics, many of us are very specialised in our own small but important field and some of us are egocentric in our out-looks.

3. I believed other universities must have identified similar niches too as they are very generic, though they might have used different terminologies. Years ago Emer. Prof. Mohd Nordin Hassan and Emer. Prof. Muhammad Yahya were flagging six research priorities areas for the university and they were not much different from the present ones, except rebranding was introduced.

4. In the science and technology cluster, several micro-niches emerge. They are :
a) Biodiversity - the study of natural resources; flora, fauna and minerals of both the terrestrial and marine ecosystems
b) Biotechnology - the application of modern techniques and methods in the study of natural resources for improved products
c) Advanced materials - the study of physical and chemical materials for industries
d) Natural products chemistry - the study of potential products of pharmaceuticals importance from natural resources
e) Food science and technology - the study of improved foods and their security for the expanding industries
f) Mathematics and Statistics for industry - the applications of mathematics and stattistics to improve the existing indistries

5. I also believed that in the ocean of great diversity within the university, the 8 niches could bring all of us in unison to achieve the mission and vision of UKM as a research university. The university is willing to please and accomodate every academic if the academic is willing to give the Chancellory a viable chance. What is needed is a strong research leadership at the niche, cluster and group levels and also a great support from both the PPPi and the office of the Bursar. The support from the former had always forthcoming but from latter is more desirable. To my simple mind there should be a group of finacial officers at the Bursar's office who understand what R & D is all about. This had been our cries for the last decade. If the university wants to movea step ahead from a RU to an APEX university, transformations at all levels are called for. This is in line with the VC's address of 17th April 2009