PENANG, 25 March 2013 - Senior lecturers and university staff should always reach out to students and always be creative in bringing the university to a high level of excellence. 

“We see that our students are achieving successes and they helped to glorify the name of the university. There are also undergraduate students who wanted to pursue even a higher degree and they should be supported by all, especially the lecturers, officers and support staff,” said Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Omar Osman during a meeting with the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences community today. 

He added that each personnel in the university needs to place undergraduates as a priority for their ability as youths who are able to mobilise a variety of activities that can elevate the university’s name to the world pedestal; moreover, the students expect leadership from lecturers and other university personnels to help them realise their dreams and strengths.

In saying so, Omar cited the recent achievement of a USM undergraduate, Ng Cheon Yuen who was selected to represent Malaysia in the Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI) competition together with 3 other undergraduates from other Malaysian universities to compete at the Asian level competition in Bangkok this July. 

“We need to be more open, creative and innovative in moving the university and Schools, including exploring commercialisation opportunities by using methods that are different from the existing ones by searching for new models for scholars to carry out business.” 

“However, the university should maintain the main focus as an institution of knowledge providing useful discoveries that have an impact on society, country, and the environment,” said Omar. 

He added that all parties should work together for developing strength in the university to enable it to survive and compete in the global context, not just to move a department or school. 

More than 60 staff from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences were present during the Vice-Chancellor’s presentation and an opportunity to have a dialogue with him. The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences has 49 lecturers, and 35 officers and technical staff. 

The Vice-Chancellor was earlier briefed by the Dean of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor Munavvar Zubaid Abdul Sattar on the development of the School which is the first to offer study of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Malaysia in 1972, and that the School is a member of the Association of American College of Pharmacy (AACP) and the Asian Association of Schools of Pharmacy (AASP), and is recognised by the Pharmacy Board of Singapore. 

School of Pharmaceutical Sciences has produced a total of 3,300 graduates of whom there are about 600 undergraduate students and about 300 postgraduate candidates from 18 countries including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Yemen, besides from Malaysia. 

Omar also visited several laboratories and officiated the opening of the Research Laboratory for Cardiovascular and Renal Physiology located here. - Text: Mohamad Abdullah/Photo: Pharmaceutical Sciences/Translation: Tan Ewe Hoe