Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) recently held its 55th Convocation Ceremony at the main campus in Penang, from 29th October until 2nd November 2017. The Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Chancellors were present to hand over the certificates to the graduating batch of 2017.

Among the recipients of the degrees was Professor Dr Antonio F. Corno who was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences. Being a paediatric cardiothoracic surgeon and having served in many parts of the world including at USM Hospital, he was also responsible for introducing a paediatric cardiothoracic programme at the hospital, and also for involving USM in the Healing Little Hearts (HLHs) Foundation from the United Kingdom. HLHS is a charity organisation which sends medical teams to perform surgeries on needy patients for free.

In a recorded video of Corno thanking USM for the conferment, he reminded the students especially to continue being a student and to keep on learning. He said that, only by gaining knowledge, one can have one’s freedom. He quoted the words of the polymath, Leonardo da Vinci: “Ancora Imparo”, meaning “I am still learning”.

Leonardo da Vinci was documented for having an interest in a variety of subjects; he studied anatomy, botany, physiology, zoology, engineering, architecture, geography, physics, landscapes, proportion, perspective, light and shade, painting, philosophy, warfare, and theories and inventions among others. Simply put, his interests ranged from the sciences to the arts. It was estimated that during his life, he produced between 20,000 to 28,000 pages of notes and sketches on subjects which he studied or he was interested in.

Corno too, is involved in the sciences, trained as a surgeon, as well as in offering charitable humanitarian services with HLHs. It could be assumed that, that is how he practised what he preached from the words of da Vinci, to continue learning. We can safely assume that Corno too was promoting the idea of learning across disciplines, from the sciences to the arts.

The USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Datuk Dr. Asma Ismail said in her speech during the ninth convocation session that, USM is unique as its learning system is designed to blend between studying the sciences and the arts. Such a combination is necessary and essential in facing future disruptions of different forms. The future is about having a collaborative economy that is people-oriented, or in other words, giving emphasis on ‘social technology’. The graduates from USM would function as those who can balance the needs of society in aspects which are ‘hi-tech’ and ‘hi-touch’. They would be the ones to fill in the gaps between technology and humanity.

Technology and its advancements are meant to empower and enable humanity to shape a future that would be more equitable to all. Leonardo da Vinci combined an astute empirical mind with an extraordinary visual intelligence, and this can been readily seen in both in his scientific sketches and his art. Collaborative or combined efforts then, be they between groups in society or between different disciplines of knowledge, would allow for the sharing and creation of knowledge that would lead to the discovery of new pathways in solving large-scale world problems.

USM has the distinction of being the only university in the country to be accorded the APEX status by the Ministry of Higher Education. This is where graduates of USM in the sciences and the arts could be distinctive too, in emulating Leonardo da Vinci and Corno. Take the challenge of designing change, with the values which have shaped the soul of collaborative knowledge, to benefit future generations. The outcome would definitely ensure society’s safe passage in riding and facing the challenges of revolutions that lie ahead in any form.

Text: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin