Collaboration and Investment
It’s times like these when we can focus our effort on the mechanisms that we already building in order to bring the best value for our country in a downturn crisis. As we all know, science and technology (S&T) are moving up all Government agendas and they recognised our success would depends on this. As we gain from new discoveries we see new challenges that we can only meet through collaboration and investment.
So let us start with Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. (MOSTI) These ministries are currently working together managing Government’s policy and strategy in research and education sector and promoting Malaysia as a partner of choice at the international level.
Together with Ministry of International Trade and Industries (MITI) and through their offices in 11 countries, they can appoint a dedicated officer in these offices to act as a conduit between two countries to collaborate and maximise this sector and to underpin foreign direct investment to Malaysia.
Before we go this far, there is a need to establish a Joint Research and Education Sectorial Committee between MITI, MOHE and MOSTI at the national level to influence and oversee the design and implementation of the Government’s policy and strategy. Its function shall not only advises on any issues relating to collaboration and investment but also contributes to any debates that can make Malaysia to be one of the world leader in this sector.
At the same time, the Government also need to review their existing incentives and grants to support international cooperation and long term engagement particularly in science and technology innovation, with the overarching aim of making the Malaysia as a partner of choice for global investor to fund commercialisation activities, for company to relocate their business overseas or for foreign education institutions and research centres seeking overseas collaboration.
The current practice does show our education institutions particularly research or apex universities are funded by the Government through quality standard and competitive bidding process. However, the big question is: should the Government cover the ‘full economic costs’ of conducting research and commercialising invention as we all know some of these universities are actually running at a loss?
Furthermore, the condition of some of the laboratories and engineering workshops in our universities are not in the whole state of the art. It might appropriate for the Government to start looking into the modernisation of its infrastructure and facilities in line with new technology, customer focused care, evidence based practive and the demand for greater cost efficiencies.
After the corporatisation, the education institutions should be the autonomous bodies and are free to establish their own policy and strategy, including developing links with overseas education institutions. If necessary, they even should look into the possibility of establishing campuses or centres abroad so they can enter into collaborative research partnerships more closely or work with other country’s education institutions to develop a joint research and eduction agenda.
One of the thing we can also learn from UK is that the British House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee published in 2006 a very controversial report on scientific publications, which arise from the publishing activities of learned societies or from the commercial publishing houses. These are in the main ‘user pays’ models. They compared and contrasted those with the ‘author pays’ model, which provides scientific publications free at the point of use, on the internet for example, the so-called ‘open access’ publishing model. They came to the conclusion that ‘open access’ publishing would benefit the emerging nations.
Whilst we rightfully recognise some of our achievements in the last decade, neither should we forget some of the excellent work that the Malaysian Students Department carries out in most parts of the world to establish and maintain links with Malaysian education institutions. Nor should we forget the excellent work that our many learned societies, non governmental organisations and student’s associations carry out in fostering links between Malaysia and the rest of the world.
Our Prime Minister is very keen to encourage more of our education institutions to embark on international collaborations and attract foreign investments. A range of initiatives shall exist to drive these forward, including international networking forums, inward and outward visits, and academic and student exchanges. More effort could perhaps be made in terms of Ministerial-led export missions to key countries and supported by specific service providers, in order to consolidate or initiate more research and education partnerships.
It’s times like these when we can focus our effort on the mechanisms that we already building in order to bring the best value for our country in a downturn crisis. As we all know, science and technology (S&T) are moving up all Government agendas and they recognised our success would depends on this. As we gain from new discoveries we see new challenges that we can only meet through collaboration and investment.
So let us start with Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. (MOSTI) These ministries are currently working together managing Government’s policy and strategy in research and education sector and promoting Malaysia as a partner of choice at the international level.
Together with Ministry of International Trade and Industries (MITI) and through their offices in 11 countries, they can appoint a dedicated officer in these offices to act as a conduit between two countries to collaborate and maximise this sector and to underpin foreign direct investment to Malaysia.
Before we go this far, there is a need to establish a Joint Research and Education Sectorial Committee between MITI, MOHE and MOSTI at the national level to influence and oversee the design and implementation of the Government’s policy and strategy. Its function shall not only advises on any issues relating to collaboration and investment but also contributes to any debates that can make Malaysia to be one of the world leader in this sector.
At the same time, the Government also need to review their existing incentives and grants to support international cooperation and long term engagement particularly in science and technology innovation, with the overarching aim of making the Malaysia as a partner of choice for global investor to fund commercialisation activities, for company to relocate their business overseas or for foreign education institutions and research centres seeking overseas collaboration.
The current practice does show our education institutions particularly research or apex universities are funded by the Government through quality standard and competitive bidding process. However, the big question is: should the Government cover the ‘full economic costs’ of conducting research and commercialising invention as we all know some of these universities are actually running at a loss?
Furthermore, the condition of some of the laboratories and engineering workshops in our universities are not in the whole state of the art. It might appropriate for the Government to start looking into the modernisation of its infrastructure and facilities in line with new technology, customer focused care, evidence based practive and the demand for greater cost efficiencies.
After the corporatisation, the education institutions should be the autonomous bodies and are free to establish their own policy and strategy, including developing links with overseas education institutions. If necessary, they even should look into the possibility of establishing campuses or centres abroad so they can enter into collaborative research partnerships more closely or work with other country’s education institutions to develop a joint research and eduction agenda.
One of the thing we can also learn from UK is that the British House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee published in 2006 a very controversial report on scientific publications, which arise from the publishing activities of learned societies or from the commercial publishing houses. These are in the main ‘user pays’ models. They compared and contrasted those with the ‘author pays’ model, which provides scientific publications free at the point of use, on the internet for example, the so-called ‘open access’ publishing model. They came to the conclusion that ‘open access’ publishing would benefit the emerging nations.
Whilst we rightfully recognise some of our achievements in the last decade, neither should we forget some of the excellent work that the Malaysian Students Department carries out in most parts of the world to establish and maintain links with Malaysian education institutions. Nor should we forget the excellent work that our many learned societies, non governmental organisations and student’s associations carry out in fostering links between Malaysia and the rest of the world.
Our Prime Minister is very keen to encourage more of our education institutions to embark on international collaborations and attract foreign investments. A range of initiatives shall exist to drive these forward, including international networking forums, inward and outward visits, and academic and student exchanges. More effort could perhaps be made in terms of Ministerial-led export missions to key countries and supported by specific service providers, in order to consolidate or initiate more research and education partnerships.
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