Kamalanathan says that political differences should be set aside and local universities used as research source for better contribution to the country's development.
GEORGE TOWN: Political differences should be set aside when it comes to issues involving academics and knowledge sharing, said deputy education minister P Kamalanathan.
Cooperation is important, to ensure that all will receive the same education benefits from research conducted by universities even though they are located in the opposition states, he said at Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) main campus in Minden Heights, today.
“By right, there should not be any room for problems in cooperating with each other despite having different political ideologies and directions in terms of academics,” he said.
Kamalanathan who is also Hulu Selangor MP, described universities in opposition-led states as an education hub.
He was responding to questions on whether USM faced difficulties in getting cooperation from the Pakatan led Penang government in various areas.
“When we make academics as a priority for all, such issues should not even arise. If there is, then the problem lies with them.
“So if anybody finds cooperating with USM a problem, then the problem starts with themselves,” he told a press conference during a campus visit.
Earlier, Kamalanathan attended a briefing on the university’s plans to strive for further academic excellence.
Asked whether USM had been approached to give input on state policies and state projects involving the environment, namely the underwater tunnel and hillslope development projects, Kamalanathan said it was impossible to give input when input was not asked from them (USM), even if the university had the specialisation and a host of experienced consultants.
USM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Omar Osman was however quick to add that all the university’s researchers are made available online and through journal publications.
“We conduct researchers to reach out to all quarters across all divides so it is up to them to make this as their reference in all subject matters,” he said.
He said that the university has a healthy platform of cooperation with the private sector, entrusted with carrying out 33 researchers in the electrical and electronics industry for 17 private companies amounting to RM8.5mil in Penang and other places.
“We’re now in the midst of strengthening more industrial ties through post graduate research funded by the government and private firms.
“We look forward to closer ties and cooperation from the industrial sector, to strive towards further excellence of the prestigious APEX status university so that the university can contribute towards the country’s development, better,” Omar added.
In terms of patent files, Omar said that the university has seen an increase from 50 patent files to 250 patent files in the last five years.
“Our top focus now is to look into ways to commercialise the products designed and formulated by the university,” he said.
GEORGE TOWN: Political differences should be set aside when it comes to issues involving academics and knowledge sharing, said deputy education minister P Kamalanathan.Cooperation is important, to ensure that all will receive the same education benefits from research conducted by universities even though they are located in the opposition states, he said at Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) main campus in Minden Heights, today.
“By right, there should not be any room for problems in cooperating with each other despite having different political ideologies and directions in terms of academics,” he said.
Kamalanathan who is also Hulu Selangor MP, described universities in opposition-led states as an education hub.
He was responding to questions on whether USM faced difficulties in getting cooperation from the Pakatan led Penang government in various areas.
“When we make academics as a priority for all, such issues should not even arise. If there is, then the problem lies with them.
“So if anybody finds cooperating with USM a problem, then the problem starts with themselves,” he told a press conference during a campus visit.
Earlier, Kamalanathan attended a briefing on the university’s plans to strive for further academic excellence.
Asked whether USM had been approached to give input on state policies and state projects involving the environment, namely the underwater tunnel and hillslope development projects, Kamalanathan said it was impossible to give input when input was not asked from them (USM), even if the university had the specialisation and a host of experienced consultants.
USM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Omar Osman was however quick to add that all the university’s researchers are made available online and through journal publications.
“We conduct researchers to reach out to all quarters across all divides so it is up to them to make this as their reference in all subject matters,” he said.
He said that the university has a healthy platform of cooperation with the private sector, entrusted with carrying out 33 researchers in the electrical and electronics industry for 17 private companies amounting to RM8.5mil in Penang and other places.
“We’re now in the midst of strengthening more industrial ties through post graduate research funded by the government and private firms.
“We look forward to closer ties and cooperation from the industrial sector, to strive towards further excellence of the prestigious APEX status university so that the university can contribute towards the country’s development, better,” Omar added.
In terms of patent files, Omar said that the university has seen an increase from 50 patent files to 250 patent files in the last five years.
“Our top focus now is to look into ways to commercialise the products designed and formulated by the university,” he said.
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