The Higher Education Minister, Datuk Mustapha Mohamad should slash drastically participation of Malaysian public universities at the 35th Geneva International Exhibition on Inventions April 18-22 to end the obsession with commercial baubles which completely distracts from the search for international academic and research excellence.
I had in the past criticized public universities, particularly University of Malaya and Universiti Sains Malaysia, for their distorted sense of priorities in surrendering their prestigious slots in international best-university rankings and finding comfort instead in easy-to-get gold, silver and bronze medals in foreign exchibitions like the Geneva International Exhibition on Inventions, Products and Services.
Although the Barisan Nasional MP for Ayer Hitam, Dr. Wee Ka Siong, spoke up in Parliament last week against the millions forked out by public universities for these commercial medals with little academic merit, this issue had been blogged by Tony Pua, Economic Adviser to DAP Secretary-General, on 25th November 2005, where he wrote:
My concern is that there appears to be a very unhealthy trend to seek trade fairs glory amongst Malaysian universities and academics. Earlier this year, Universiti Malaya (UM) proudly announced it’s “fantastic” achievements at the 33rd International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques & Products in Geneva, securing 33 medals comprising of 19 Golds, 11 Silvers and 3 Bronzes.
My question is, are trade fairs the best places to “judge” the quality of a university or an academic’s research, publication or inventions? With all due respect to “trade fairs”, the objectives of such fairs are typically not to judge the quality of one’s works but to actually create a “meeting place” between the “inventors” and the potential buyers or investors.
As the world’s best 100 or 200 universities do not have to participate in the Geneva International Exhibition on Inventions, why are Malaysian public universities splashing millions of ringgit every year for these commercial baubles when the money should be better spent in the pursuit of academic and research quality and excellence?
Malaysia is slated this year to submit the second highest number of entries after Russia for the Geneva International Exhibition on Inventions from April 18-22, 2007.
Mustapha should come to Parliament to announce a drastic slashing of such participation and a new policy for public universities to end their obsession with such commercial baubles costing millions of ringgit a year when they do nothing to get the Malaysian public universities restored into the world’s top and best 100 or 200 universities.
In this connection, I have received the following email from a whistleblower from UNIMAS, which I hope Mustapha could also enlighten Parliament on Monday during the winding up on the Higher Education Ministry in the Royal Address debate:
Geneva Here I come!
I write to inform you that despite the criticisms of YB Wee (Universities forking out millions for dubious awards). Universiti Malaysia Sarawak is still going to the Geneva Exhibition. Infact UNIMAS is sending half a dozen group to take part again. Since it is sure thing, I expect UNIMAS to come back with “Gold” medals. UNIMAS went to town last year boasting that it had won “gold” medals!
http://www.unimas.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=73
UNIMAS has to take part because its staff are totally incapable of publishing in real academic journals. UNIMAS’s most competent researcher, Jane Cardosa, who is an expert in virology often called by the UN, is totally isolated on campus. The UNIMAS management don’t like her because she is a real academic so they isolate her. The don’t give her any funding as all her funding are from overseas. Unlike the other UNIMAS kankong professors, she has refused to take part in the exhibitions! They even threatened not to renew her contract!UNIMAS Boleh in Bolehland! The DVC announed that UNIMAS will spend more than RM100,000 this year for the exhibition which will be held end of april but its only money!!