PENANG, July 2015 - Academic staff, especially young academics were urged to become involved in community engagement programmes to boost the university’s efforts to enhance the process of knowledge transfer to members of the community who require their knowledge and expertise.

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato' Dr. Omar Osman stated that it is high time for young lecturers to step out from their comfort zone of the purely academic as community engagement is an important agenda of the university that deserves equal attention.

“I would like to urge the young lecturers to undertake a paradigm shift, from pure research and academia to helping those who have long sought after knowledge and expertise that can improve their standard of living,” said Omar.

He added that the Sanggar Sanjung awards this year would acknowledge researchers who actively engage in knowledge transfer activities, including leaders in human capital development.

At the same time, said Omar, the Division of Industry and Community Network (BJIM) would continue to play an important role in acknowledging community engagement efforts among the university community to ensure that such activities would continue to be enhanced.

The Vice-Chancellor also spent time interacting with 30 orphans from the Nasyiatul Aisyiyah, Sungai Pinang orphanage in Balik Pulau who were guests at an iftar organised by the School of Housing, Building and Planning (HBP) USM.

The orphans had earlier on been escorted from Taman Pekaka to the School of HBP by a team of USM Super Bikers led by Associate Professor Dr Hassim Mat.

The Vice-Chancellor also gave out gifts of hampers and duit raya to the orphans and the care-givers of the orphanage.

The Dean of the School of HBP Professor Dr. Aldrin Abdullah, Deputy Deans and other members of the HBP community were also present at the function.

Aldrin expressed his hope that such programmes would continue to be organised from time to time to ensure that the less fortunate are not forgotten.

He also stated that this community project which has been organised by the School of HBP since 2003 will continue to be implemented and improved, to heed the call by the university to ensure that community engagement remains one of the primary agenda that must be accomplished by all schools.

Translation: Dr Nurul Farhana Low Abdullah/Text: Mohd Azrul Mohd Azhar/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md. Isa