Speech at the Launching of IIUM 2013-2020 Strategic Plan

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Assalamualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

Salam Sejahtera

dan Salam 1Malaysia

YBhg Dato’ Sri Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin, Rector of IIUM,

Deputy Rectors, Directors, Deans and members of IIUM community, Colleagues, Brothers and Sisters.

2. It is an honour and pleasure to be with all of you today to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of our beloved IIUM. Our 30 year journey has seen us grow from strength to strength, chalking-up many achievements along the way. Despite our relatively young age, we have been able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with many of our much elder brethren in the local higher education arena. Great! Everyone here, and those who were here before us, deserve a pat on the back for the perseverance in moving our University forward despite being in a relatively unknown territory, especially in the early days. Teaching in English and recruiting foreign students were just not done then. But we did it. And here we are. It is as much a time for celebration as it is a time for reflection. What’s next? As the saying goes, we are only as good as our most recent results. To be relevant tomorrow, we must be successful today. Yesterday’s achievements only belong in history books, and nowhere else.

Dear Colleagues,

3. The Malaysian Government has embarked on the ‘National Higher Education Strategic Plan Beyond 2020’ with the aim of meeting the nation’s developmental needs and to raise its standing in the international arena. The seven strategic thrusts of this plan are formulated to support the  transformation of Malaysia into a knowledge-based economy that places a premium on creativity and innovation. But frameworks, strategies and action-plans will not deliver results by themselves. They are just the roadmaps. We need the vehicle, we need the fuel, and most importantly we need drivers to get us there. Competent, creative and motivated drivers. And I have full confidence in the drivers that IIUM has, the ones I am addressing today, to get us there, InsyaAllah.

4. In moving forward, it is important that we are guided by our founding principles and raison d’être, lest we go astray.  Inspired by the world-view of tawhid and the Islamic philosophy of the unity of knowledge and its concept of holistic education, our University aims to become a leading international centre of educational excellence which:

1. Revitalizes the intellectual dynamism of Islam and the Muslim Ummah;
2. Integrates Islamic revealed knowledge and values in all academic disciplines and educational activities;
3. Seeks to restore a leading and progressive role of the Muslim Ummah in all branches of knowledge; thereby,
4. Contribute to the improvement and upgrading of the qualities of human life and civilisation.

5. Suffice to say, our objective is beyond educating the young, beyond educating Malaysians and most importantly, beyond replicating what other universities may offer as education. We have set ourselves to integrate revealed and acquired knowledge therefore redefining what education means in a liberal secular environment. We aspire to restore the leading role of Muslims in education and knowledge  acquisition which can only be achieved when we create and expand new areas of knowledge that addresses emergence of new fields of study. Our stakeholders are also defined as the broader ummah, beyond geographic boundaries. It is important to be reminded of the implication of our founding principles so that we don’t short-change the Ummah, and ourselves, in charting our way forward. Along the journey, we may benchmark ourselves with local competition, and collaborate with our equals, but should never forget that it is not where we aspire to belong. Our founding principles call on us to be the one benchmarked by the best and to collaborate with the best. That’s where we should be heading. Our Strategic Plan for the next eight years is to guide us to get there.

Dear colleagues,

6. Our journey so far has been guided by two earlier Strategic Plans. The first was for the period 2001-2010 and the second was a supplementary plan for the period 2007-2015.

7. The first plan spelled out what was required for each of the eight core areas, namely: academic programmes, students, postgraduate programmes, research and consultancy, infrastructure and facilities, human resources, finance, smart partnership and networking. Looking back at the action plans formulated, it is clear that the plan was about getting the basics in place, enhancing internal processes for the long haul.

8. The second plan was intended to transform our university and begin the journey for international recognition for our teaching and research excellence. What we have achieved is not bad at all. In fact, it is pretty good. We are now in the band of 401-450 in the 2012 QS World Universities Ranking and in the band of 151-160 in the 2012 QS Asian Universities Ranking. We achieved SETARA Tier 5 in 2012 and MyRA “5” star rating in 2011.

9. And now the third plan is upon us. Broadly, this plan provides continuity from the first and second IIUM Strategic Plans. After all, our raison d’etre hasn’t changed, our vision has always been consistent. I must congratulate the management, led by Dato’ Sri Rector, and assisted by the Office of Corporate Strategy and Quality Assurance, for the encouragement and space given to IIUM community at all levels to participate and propose solutions to be incorporated into the plan. I am a passionate believer in ‘engagement’ and was very heartened when informed that this plan was an ‘inclusive’ plan that better reflects views of all stakeholders. It is not Dato’ Sri Rector’s or the Management’s plan. It is our plan, and we are collectively responsible for its outcome.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

10. The IIUM 2013-2020 Strategic Plan is formulated to achieve IIUM’s aspiration to be The Premier Global Islamic University by the year 2020. That means becoming a world class research and innovation hub, a global brand for Islamic educational excellence, the university of choice for top talents and world-renowned for producing well-balanced students rooted in Islamic principles.

11. This plan has six pillars sitting on the foundation of Islamisation and core value of Good Governance. In other words, Islamisation shall underline every effort to be taken under the six pillars, and good governance will continue to define our way of achieving results- full of integrity and zero tolerance for any breach. The six pillars, of course, are Quality Teaching and Learning, Research and Innovation, Internationalisation, Holistic Student Development, Talent Management and Financial Sustainability.

12. I would now like to speak briefly on selected pillars in the plan. The first pillar, Quality Teaching and Learning, is aimed at producing top quality graduates through innovative and effective teaching and learning environment. We should be open and creative in trying new solutions. Universities usually reserve their best ‘superstar’ professors for postgraduate students. MIT however, does the opposite. The ‘superstar’ professors teach at undergraduate level. The reason is, as I was informed, at undergraduate level, there is a clear need to mould the young minds and develop a culture for inquisitive learning and a passion and attitude for knowledge. Who better than the most popular and animated professors to keep the class glued to the lesson. At post-graduate level, the passion for knowledge is a given, otherwise one wouldn’t pursue further studies. So at that level, we don’t need the pulling power of superstars. Quite an interesting approach indeed, especially coming from MIT!

13. The third pillar is Internationalisation. The goal is to be a globally renowned brand for Islamic educational excellence. This requires us to remove certain fences in our mindset. The world is our playground. Not Malaysia, not ASEAN. Not even the Islamic world. If we are to stake our claim for educational excellence at International level, we don’t plant our flag on Mount Kinabalu or Kilimanjaro. We plant it on top of Everest.

14. The fifth pillar is Talent Management. The goal is for IIUM to be the university of choice for world class talents. To be a Premier Global Islamic University, we must attract the best students, the best universities to partner us and the best organisations to fund our research and recruit our students. The key requisite to attract the best, is to have the best talent in IIUM. Quality attracts quality, top talents attract top talents. We need to both nurture and attract top talents. And we need the best in both academic and administrative fields. Sometimes, the administrative part is not given the focus it deserves. Administrative staff play a vital role as enablers to support a positive, progressive and high performing culture for the academics to excel in what they do best. When every part of the university works to its best capability, we do not need to waste talent in sub-optimal  cross-functions. Top notch financial management, infrastructure management and services are equally important for a world class university. This pillar is about bringing out the best in each  and every one of us.

Dear colleagues,

15. Our position in IIUM is an amanah entrusted upon us. The transformation of the University is our devotion to move forward to achieve the aspirations of the Nation and the wider Ummah. It is a highly challenging undertaking and, I would like to believe, it is also a highly satisfying one. While it has taken a lot effort to develop the Strategic Plan, it is only the beginning. What matters is the outcome. What each of us can do and will do to make the Plan a reality. As Mahatma Ghandi once said, “A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history”.

16. I wish all of us the best in doing our part to change the course of IIUM’s and Islamic Education’s history, InsyaAllah.

Wabillahitaufiq wal hidayah, wassalamu’alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.