Research Collaboration in
Response to Globalisation
- The UM Experience?
Ghauth Jasmon
Vice Chancellor
University of Malaya

University of Malaya, or UM, Malaysia's premier university,
is situated on a 750 acre (309 hectare) campus in the
southwest of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It was
established in April 1949 in Singapore with the merging of the
King Edward VII College of Medicine (founded in 1905) and
Raffles College (founded in 1928). The University of Malaya
derives its name from the term 'Malaya' as the country was
then known. The University comprises of 12 faculties, 6
institutes, 2 academies and 5 centres.
2
Collaboration or Competition
Healthy Competition Will Produce Quality
Research Output and Speed Up Solutions to
Problems
 Collaboration Will Ensure Greater
Productivity, Sustainability and Cost
Effectiveness

University Ranking and Global
Competition
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University Ranking have intensified Global
Competition among TOP institutions
Universities are judged by their Research
Performance, Production of Quality Graduates,
Attracting Quality Faculties
Increased Investments in Research Universities
Better University Leadership
Growth of Financial Resources/Endowments
Smarter Partnerships in Asia – Shift in Priority
Benefits of Global or Regional
Cooperation

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Ensure Cost Effectiveness by Sharing of Physical
Resources and Human Capital
Greater International Understanding, Peace and
Harmony
Development of Global Graduates
Closing the Gap between the West and the East
– Leveling the Playing Field
International Cooperation
Broad Access to Foreign Students to Pursue
Higher Education
 Undergraduate Exchange Program
 Academic Icon Program
 International Research Networking/Joint PhD
program
 International ”Bright sparks” Program

Examples: UM Research
Collaboration
a) HIV research
b) Natural Product
Examples of International Research
Collaboration – HIV Research

Social Network, HIV Risk Behaviour and HIV Prevalence
amongst Drug Users Using Fishermen i
◦ Columbia University

Intervention of HIV & Drug Use – A Randomized Controlled
Trial
◦ Yale University (NIDA funded)

Risk Behavior & HIV Prevalence Amongst Homosexuals
◦ The World Bank

Molecular Epidemiology of the HIV Epidemic National Institute of
Infectious Diseases,Tokyo, Japan
Producing Leaders Since 1905
To be the regional centre of excellence for natural product
research and drug discovery .
To promote R&D on natural products through interdisciplinary
collaborations between academia and industries.
To enhance the discovery of novel biological compounds from Malaysian
natural
products through:
a) Establishment of a highly diverse natural product
database
b) Development of wide range of assays including
high throughput screening
c) Characterization and quantification of secondary
compounds from natural products using state of
the art analytical technologies
d) Global promotion & collaborations between
natural product researchers & institutions
Collaboration

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Strathclyde Institute of Drug
Research (SIDR), Glasgow
AvantiCell Science Ltd,
Glasgow
Nationale des Recherches
Scientifiques (CNRS) –
France
Aga Khan University,
Pakistan
Pharmacology Department,
National University of
Singapore
Ghent University, Belgium
Hoshi University,Japan
Shimadzu Corporation, Japan
Internationalization of Education
To promote Malaysia as the regional
education hub
 AEI is an example towards achieving the
mission on internationalization of
Malaysia’s Higher Education

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International Research and
Strategy Co operation
Number of universities having MOU with UM
since 2005 onwards
Region
Number of Universities/
Collaboration
Africa
Asia
Australia/ Oceania
Europe
North America
3
68
7
24
2
13
NUMBER OF MOU SIGNED WITH INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITIES BY YEAR
INTERNATIONAL
AFFILIATIONS
Member of :
• Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)
• ASEAN University Network (AUN Board Member)
• Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher
learning (ASAIHL)
• Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)
• World Association for Cooperative Education (WACE)
• Asia-Pacific Association for International Education
(APAIE)
UM signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)and
Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with various universities
to collaborate, scholars/ students exchanges,
joint
supervision, academic programmes and others, including;

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
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National University of Singapore
University of Fribourg, Switzerland
University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Monash University, Australia
City University of Hong Kong
Al-Azhar University, Egypt
19
Capacity Building
Human Resource Development aspects:



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Exchange of students, researchers/ scientist,
academicians, administration staff;
Reciprocal assistance for visiting academic staff;
Joint supervision; and
Internship placement
20
Capacity Building
(contd.)
Global Knowledge and Global Classroom

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Joint research activities;
Joint seminars, symposia, workshops and conferences;
Exchanges of documents, information and research
materials;
Facilitation of in-country work experience’; and
Other cooperation activities for mutual benefit of the
parties.
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International Recognitions
1. Center for Arbovirus Research & Reference (Dengue
Fever/ Dengue Hemorhagic Fever)
Prof. Dr. Shamala
Devi A/P K.C Sekaran, Faculty Of Medicine Awarded by:
WHO Collaboration Centre
2. Fellow In The American College Of Cardiology
(FACC) Prof. Dr. Wan Azman Bin Wan Ahmad, Faculty Of
Medicine Awarded by: Scientific Sessions in Las Vegas
3. Fellow in the Society For Cardiovascular
Angiography And Interventions (FSCAI)
Prof.
Dr. Wan Azman Bin Wan Ahmad, Faculty Of
Medicine Awarded by: Scientific Sessions in Las Vegas
4. GOLD
Prof. Dr. Yip Cheng Har, Faculty Of
Medicine Awarded by: International Union Against Cancer
22
UM in the Limelight…

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: NEW FINDING IN
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS RESEARCH

NEW PROJECT IN FORMULATION SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY WHICH BRINGS WORLD'S TOP
SCIENTISTS TOGETHER

UM SURGEON WINS INTERNATIONAL BREAST
CANCER AWARD

UM WINS THE 2009 PHILIP C. JESSUP
INTERNATIONAL LAW MOOT COURT COMPETITION

UM TEAM ROBOGAMEZ 2009 CHAMPION

ASIA-EUROPE INSTITUTE HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS
A PARTNER MYEULINK PROJECT (EU OUTREACH &
VISIBILITY)
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Asia - Europe Case Study
24
Asia-Europe Institute (AEI)
-an Introduction

The idea to establish AEI was mooted in Bangkok
at the inaugural summit ASEM in 1996 by the
former PM of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir
Mohammad.

UM management took on the task with
enthusiasm and commitment because we saw
possibilities for engaging Asia and Europe in the
field of higher education which is one of the
important pillars of the ASEM process.
25
Asia-Europe Institute (AEI)
- an Introduction (contd.)
•
UM first established the Asia-Europe Centre
(AEC), on1 December 1997. It commited to
promoting and enhancing linkages in higher
education between Asia and Europe.
•
On January 2, 2000, AEC was upgraded to a
full-fledged academic institution and renamed
as the Asia-Europe Institute.
26
AEI Statute

Is an autonomous body (Own Statute).
Interacting with public and private institutions and
companies in Asia and Europe.

Is an educational infrastructure and knowledge
network.
Teaching and training (post-graduate students).
Conducting academic research.
Faculty exchange among ASEM Universities.

Is a novel approach to the challenge of
internationalizing, democratizing, and liberalizing
education.
27
AEI Academic Programmes

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4 International Masters Programme:
International Masters in Information Management (IMIM)
International Masters in Regional Integration (IMRI)
International Masters in Small Medium Enterprises (IMSMEs)
International Masters in ASEAN Studies (IMAS)
Its programmes, courses and internships are designed with our
European and Asian colleagues on the basis of a partnership of
equal and mutual understanding.

Ph.D at AEI focuses on Comparative studies between countries
of Asia-Europe,Asia-ASEAN and others.
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AEI establishes smart partnership with universities and
relevant institutions in Asia and Europe in developing
curriculum for its International Masters Programme
• Asia-Pacific Center for Security
Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii
• New Zealand Asia Institute,
Auckland, New Zealand
• University of Giessen, Germany
Examples
International Masters in
ASEAN Studies
(IMAS)
Partnership with:
• ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta,
Indonesia
• De La Salle University,
Manila, Philippines
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International character of AEI Masters Programmes
1. International Visiting
Professors for academic year
2002/2003 – 2010/2011
Country of Origin
No.
Belgium
Denmark
Germany
Greece
India
Indonesia
France
Italy
Netherlands
Malaysia
New Zealand
Norway
Philippines
Singapore
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
United Kingdom
United State of America
South Korea
3
1
7
2
1
3
2
13
10
2
3
1
12
1
13
1
1
3
3
8
5
1
Total
96
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International character of AEI Masters Programmes
2. International students
AEI students came from various parts of the world
Europe
Asia
America
Africa & Middle
East Asia
Netherlands, United Kingdom,
Germany, Finland, Hungary, Italy,
France, Switzerland, Spain
Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar,
Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand,
Philippines, Japan, South Korea,
Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, China
North America
Somalia, Iran,Yemen, Zimbabwe,
Nigeria, Albania, Oman
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AEI Graduates from 2004-2010
Year
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Total
IMIM
16
11
-
-
-
4
5
36
IMRI
17
15
14
16
-
11
10
83
IMSMEs
-
-
9
1
-
10
10
30
IMAS
-
-
-
-
8
8
10
26
Jumlah
33
26
23
17
8
33
35
175
Numbers of AEI Graduates from 2004-2010
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2004
2005
2006
IMIM
2007
IMRI
IMSMEs
2008
IMAS
2009
2010
TOTAL
JUMLAH
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AEI’s On-going Collaborative Research and Projects

Europe through the Eyes of Asia (ESiA), Malaysia – Research Grant
ASEF, NCRE

Japanese Economic Activities in British North Borneo before World
War II – Research Grant SUMITOMO, Jepun

MYEULINK, Services Sector Dialogue & Business Cooperation and
EU Outreach & Visibility, Malaysia – Research Grant EC, Malaysia

Patterns of Complex Networks in Business: Socially Sustainable
Gender Based Business Networks (BAGSoN), Research Grant IPPP,
UM, Malaysia
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Examples of Internship Placement
Country
Internship Placement
United Kingdom
Innovation North:Faculty of Information & Technology, Leeds Metropolitan
University, Leeds
Belgium
United Nations University-Comparative Regional Integration Studies
(UNU-CRIS)
Egypt
Department of Malaysian Studies, University of Cairo, Giza, Egypt
South Korea
Embassy of Malaysia, Seoul
USA
Matrade, Los Angeles
Singapore
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological
University
Malaysia
EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce & Industry (EUMCCI)
Australia
Australia Institute of International Affairs
Indonesia
ASEAN Secreatariat, Jakarta
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Split and Joint PhD Programs
◙ University of Sydney
◙ Liverpool John Moores University
◙ University of Melbourne
◙ Imperial College London
◙ University of Nottingham
◙ Consortium of French University Presidents
(The Conference Des Presidents D’Universite)
◙ Queen’s University Belfast (In progress)
◙ University of West of England (In Progress)
Page 7
UM’s Future Approaches
36
To move UM forward, we initiated various new
initiatives since Jan 2009
UM Academic Transformation 2009 –
Phase 1 Initiatives
Introduction of Standard Academic Performance Target
H-index, Minimum citation
Research Culture Workshops
ISI Journal Paper Writing Seminars –
A new unit created for ISI/WoS Publication Unit
Phase 1 – Initiatives - Cont
ISI journal submission as requirement for Thesis submission
- PhD : - 2 ISI journal submission
- MSc : - 1 ISI journal submission
Rewards for ISI journal Publication according to ISI Journal Tiering
Q1 – Top 25% : RM 6,000.
Q2 – Top 50% : RM 4,000.
Q3 – Top 75% : RM 2,000.
Q4 – Others : RM 1,000.
Reward to Staff/Student for Early Completion of PhD
- Less than 4 years  RM 1,000.00
- Less than 3 years  RM 2,000.00
[Supervisor  50% of the amount]
Phase 1 – Initiatives - Cont
An alternative PhD award scheme by way of 5 ISI journal
publications
Commercialization Scheme: Academic staff are
allowed to set-up companies for
commercialization of their research fundings
Balancing postgraduate to undergraduate ratio as 1:1
Bright Sparks Program introduced in
Phase II
Bright Sparks Program
Identifying top
foreigners who can
contribute as short and
long term measure
Attracting and Retaining the
Best Malaysians
Identifying the Brightest UM students
for building the best human capital
resources for UM in the future
UM strategy:
Impetus needed for HIR Projects to provide the foundations
to catapult UM to the Top 100 by 2015
The aim of this HIR projects’ to be introduced in UM is
committed to meet the challenges of ranking and meet the
national agenda to put a Malaysian IPTA in the Top 100 in the next
5 years and Top 50 by 2020.

This is a tough challenge but can be achieved.
A recent study at UM illustrates the high
bar, that Malaysian IPTAs need to climb!
 UM publication trends (done in June
2010)show that NUS has 1.2 papers per
staff but UM productivity is about 0.53.
There UM needs to double output of ISI.
 UM citations in 2009 is 2.65 citations per
staff. In NUS, it is 21 citations per staff!

CHANCELLORY’S SPECIAL PROJECT –
INTERNATIONAL SMART
PARTNERSHIPS
InternationalizationCollaborators from overseas to match
with UM researchers
Emphasis on fundamental
research in Medical,
Biological and Physical
Sciences in priority areas
TOTAL REQUEST = RM125 MILLION
i) Eminent scientists and research groups
from ivy-league universities and institutions.
ii) Overseas Malaysian Scientists.
High Impact
Research Funding
- Targeting 100
papers in Tier 1
(possibly in high
impact journals
such as Lancet,
New England
Journal, Nature
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“ You have a dream to be the best in your
quest. Be it work or study, there is a way
at UM. Discover yourself and develop
your potential at UM. Give yourself a
chance to excel...”
(Discover UM, a World of opportunities, 2009)
44
Terima Kasih
Thank You