UNIVERSITY IS THE BIRTH PLACE OF LEARNED GENERATION – TUANKU CHANCELLOR

PENANG, 18 Sept 2012 - The main task of the university is to produce generations of students that learn to use their knowledge for the benefit of society.

Tuanku Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail said during the Dinner Reception held in conjunction with USM 46th Convocation Ceremony here recently.

He said that universities should not bow to the requirements the world put on academic knowledge and forcing us to follow these requirements.

“When we fail to meet their requirements, we are considered weak and would be left behind or otherwise having to spend large sums of money to meet the standards set,” he said.

His Royal Highness also said that knowledge is meaningless when people are not able to think and to take advantage of shared prosperity, including among those of the global communities.

“We can also to be recognised as the best but we should be sad when the graduates produced failed to maintain their dignity, religion, community and country,” he said.

Meanwhile, USM Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dato' Omar Osman said that as a university leader, he often reminded himself that USM is a university that should be governed based on clear thinking and academia as its mainstay.

He said, therefore, every action to be taken should be examined carefully and strength should be harnessed through team work.

“That is why I see the importance of evaluating the cost-effectiveness of each job done through rationalisation in order to observe the merit of each expense.

“It also makes the university more accountable in response to the need and the extent to which there is actual achievement in the context of its objectives and direction,” he said.