Dzulkifli Abdul Razak Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia

Holistic approach produces results

Before any tree can be cut down on the campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), the Vice-Chancellor must be consulted. “They have to have a very good reason why that tree needs to be sacrificed, pointing out what is achieved by making such a sacrifice, as well as the options exhausted to keep the tree intact,” says Dr Dzulkifli Abdul Razak. “It forces people to think differently.”

This concern with environmental sustainability reflects a determinedly holistic philosophy at USM, which since 2004 has adopted the concept of a University in a Garden, promoting the preservation of green areas as integral to the development of the intellect and indeed of Malaysia itself.
“At USM, we model what development means for us, and what 2020 means for the country,” says the Vice-Chancellor. He acknowledges that it can be difficult to change people’s mindset. “But if we persist, things can change for the better. When we create wealth, we have to create it in a sustainable manner.”

Established in Penang in 1969, USM is another of Malaysia’s four designated research universities. The university offers courses to approximately 22,000 undergraduates and 6,000 postgraduate students, and has 16 research institutes and centres. In a recent academic reputation survey of 17 of Malaysia’s 20 public universities carried out by the Nation Accreditation Board (LAN), it was named best overall university in Malaysia.

The holistic philosophy at USM extends from the campus environment to a trans-disciplinary approach to the work of the university. Dr Dzulkifli cites the natural environment, energy and health as areas that are better approached and understood through a process of trans-disciplinary modelling. “It means looking outside the campus so that we do not become very insular,” he says.

“We have been getting people from various disciplines to collaborate and form clusters. The results have been encouraging, particularly in the area of biotechnology. For example, we got the medical and engineering people working together. They have come up with a new model of how technology could be mobilised in society.”

At the same time, USM has established strong linkages with other universities and institutions all over the world like Cuba, South Africa and Japan. “We encourage outside expertise and collaborations with other R&D institutions overseas. We are inviting graduate students from all over the world to come.” Currently, USM has 1,600 foreign students.

In biotechnology, particularly strong ties have been forged with Cuba. A research project is under way looking into a vaccine for meningitis. “Right now, what we can see as a trend all over the world is the need to use biotech in addressing poverty, health, and environmental degradation,” says Dr Dzulkifli.

In terms of health, USM’s focus is on tropical diseases. “The bulk of what we are trying to do is geared towards helping countries that are suffering from health problems such as malaria, typhoid, dengue etc – all of which are killers in many countries, but nobody has really paid special attention to them because it does not generate enough wealth.”

The university has developed diagnosis kits for typhoid that have won the approval of the World Health Organisation. “We are using technology to hasten the process of diagnosis, making it more accurate and meaningful. Before, to diagnose typhoid, they needed to use kits that required refrigeration, which made it difficult for those who are in the more remote areas. Our kits need only be stored in a cupboard.”