PULAU LANGKAWI, October 2015 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is setting realistic aims to be achieved by the year 2020 with its highly-focused strategic planning that would entail the involvement of the whole USM community.

According to the USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Dr. Omar Osman, this would be achieved with the confirmation of 3 Strategic Objectives, 9 Key Focus Areas, 33 focused targets, 108 strategies and 225 initiatives that would be based on immediate achievements and those to be achieved within 5 years.

“This was among what has been finalised from the USM APEX 2020 Lab exercise, which had gathered all the Heads of Departments and the USM community across various disciplines to share ideas towards achieving this initiative to be executed by USM,” said Omar in concluding the discussions of the USM 2020 Lab which was held for 3 days here recently.

The three strategic objectives of USM were to develop the talents to be relevant and globally competitive while fulfilling the needs of the country and at the international level, improving the ecosystem for research to support the development and becoming globally-renowned and also to raise the standards of institutional excellence based on the principles of ethics, finances and a sustainable environment.

“We would continue to monitor and affirm achievements set in this strategic planning exercise by utilising methods which can provide updates in real time, including the development of a dashboard system for academics and administration,” said Omar.

He explained further, among the aims targeted are, to be within the top 100 world’s best or Global University 100, instilling strong and stable fundamental basis via ‘Rukun USM’ among the community members of USM, being excellent as a ‘Green Campus’, transforming financial affairs to be more sustainable and independent, as well as transforming Hospital USM at Kubang Kerian, Kelantan to become a source to generate and securing funds for USM.

“All the planning would be entrenched on the 3 basic principles namely alignment that is making adjustments to the needs of the future, being business-oriented and based on competency or better identified as ABC,” said Omar more.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni), Professor Dato’ Dr. Adnan Hussein proposed in his presentation for the university to implement the initiatives to produce graduates carrying the ‘HEBAT’ branding for the future.

“HEBAT stands for ‘Holistic’, ‘Entrepreneurial’ in having the character of an entrepreneur, ‘Balanced’ or in equilibrium, ‘Articulate’ and ‘Thinker’ or being thoughtful,” said Adnan.

He further explained, HEBAT graduates would be able to fulfil the needs of the country and internationally, possessing global mindsets, having a ‘sense of belonging’ towards the university, society and country as well as portraying strong self-identity achieved through the various strategic mechanisms and initiatives.

Among them would be to establish an international network, expanding the student exchange programme, implementing the thrusts of the Malaysia Education Development Plan – Higher Education (PPPM-PT) in the context of student development as well as other programmes, which would be finalised, monitored and assessed continually.

At the same workshop, it was also proposed that USM hastens the establishment of a Specialised Business Unit at all USM departments and to set specific aims for USM commercial companies.

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin

Text: Mohamad Abdullah