Diversity of Research Niches

1. On 17th April 2009, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tan Sri Dr. Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabuddin introduced 8 strategic research areas for Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. In her lecture she stressed the importance of promoting research frontiers of knowledge to drive research per se, academic excellence and excellent services to the students and the community at large. As one of the senior professors I viewed her lecture as so timely when the government wants university to experience a quatum leap in R & D. In addition, she acknowledged the diversity of natural resources that could spearhead socio-economic development.

2. She was serious in motivating the staffs into doing something different from the past. To my my understanding research has been ploughed back into teaching and curriculum and also publications as a service to the scientific communities. The latter is less appreciated by the government and also the public. Both had wanted products that could generate incomes and thereby solve some of the woes and worries in the present economic slow-down.

3. The 8 research niches are:
a) Climate change. This is so timely as the world is experiencing global warming and climatic craziness as experience by many nations including ours. This niche is headed by Prof. Dr. Sharifah Mastura and I'm sure Prof. Dr. Fredolin Tanggang could play a pivotal role here to educate Malaysians about what to expect in the next decade or more.
b) Content-based informatics. I suppose the ICT people know what to expect and what to do. This is far beyond burning lectures notes into CDs and made available to the students. In the era of ICT and electronic communication this niche has great role to bring progress to the university.
c) Nanotechnology & Advanced materials. Prof. Dr. Burhanuddin Yeop Majlis has been active in nanotechnology and biophysics.
d) Advanced energy. Prof. Dr. Wan Ramli has advanced so far in fuel cell research so as to contribute not only to alternative energy but also the advacecement of solar energy.
e) National identity, nation state, cultural diversity & globalisation. This niche has a long name so much so that I have difficulties to comprehend its mission and plan of action. I understand that this is to encompass ann research in social science and humanities. This is headed by Prof. Datuk Dr. Shamsul Amri
f) Regional sustainability development. Anything goes in here and I am one of the cluster leaders and my job is to steer the research in Langkawi Geopark and other regional scientific development such as Tasik Chini, Bukit Fraser etc
g) Health technology and medicine. All research in health science and medicine go here.
h)Biodiversity for biotechnology development. This is where it is strategic to utilise the rich biodiversity of the country for biotechnology advancement, though we have a long way to achieve any results of significance.

4. A couple of days ago NST reported that only Universiti Malaya & Universiti Putra Malaysia had achieved more than 5% of their research commercial targets. I don't know much about UM but UPM has progressed so much in commercialising their agro-biotechnology products and also kits in veterinary sciences. I am sure UKM and Universiti Sains Malaysia are not far behind.