USM, PENANG, 5 August 2016 – “There is the need for Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) to be responsible in producing the workforce of the future, as well as for them to be thinking citizens. USM needs to offer access to balanced education to society, in areas of the sciences as well as the non-sciences,” said the USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Dato’ Dr. Muhamad Jantan.

Muhamad who represented the USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato' Dr. Omar Osman, delivered the opening remarks at the Global Higher Education Network (GHEN) Open Seminar series. The speaker for the inaugural seminar was Professor Philip G. Altbach, from Boston College, Massachusetts, USA, whose topic was on “Massification, Globalization and the Global Knowledge Economy.”

Philip, as the Founding Director, Centre for International Higher Education (CIHE) at Boston College stated that, amidst the current global academic revolution, dramatic changes are occurring. He highlighted three main points, which are massification, globalization and the global knowledge economy.

Massification relates to the idea of education being offered to the masses. Around the world, there are mass enrolments into higher educational institutions in many countries.

Next, globalization refers to the idea of countries around the world are opening their doors to practices seen as mutually or locally beneficial, and education being one of such activities.

Finally, the global knowledge economy touches on how the global economy is related to the growth and advances in knowledge.

“There is a contradiction in the ideas of massification and the global knowledge economy,” said Philip.

He explained, “Massification occurs from the mass numbers of the population enrolling into universities locally and worldwide, while global knowledge economy demands a more exclusive group of learned individuals to be involved in economic activities, internally as well as beyond borders.”

He also touched on the need for research universities to be involved in more specified areas, as well as the need to adapt to different student demographics.

Other aspects he looked into were on accountability and autonomy, access to education, remunerations, use of technology, managerial issues, retention of services and internationalisation.

The panel of academics comprising Professor Saravanan Gopinathan (Senior Advisor, HEAD Singapore), Professor N.V. Varghese (Director, CPRHE Delhi) and other representatives were also present and offered feedbacks and insights on the topic discussed.

The seminar held at the University Conference Hall (Dewan Persidangan Universiti), USM Chancellory Building was organised by the National Higher Education Research Institute (IPPTN), and The HEAD Foundation, Singapore.

Also present at the seminar were the Director, IPPTN, Professor Dr. Wan Mohd Fauzy Wan Ismail and his Deputy, Associate Professor Dr. Munir Shuib; Heads and representatives of Departments, SEAMEO RIHED, UNESCO Bangkok, FPT University and invited guests from other relevant institutions.

Text: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin / Photos: Mohd Fairus Md. Isa