Professor Dato' Dr. Omar Osman
Vice-Chancellor
Universiti Sains Malaysia

As 2015 draws to a close, let us be grateful for all the blessings that we have received and the achievements we have attained. All these achievements would not have been possible without the hard work, sheer determination and commitment of the University community.

We have gone through it with full confidence and laid a solid foundation to continue with our efforts to transform the university for the future.

Many lecturers have carved out a name for themselves in research and innovation by producing various impactful research products in their niche areas, receiving various academic recognitions in the world stage, churning out acclaimed publications among the most referenced and cited, and scientific publications in reputable national and international journals.

USM researchers also made similar headlines in discovering new innovations in various fields, the signing of the memorandum of understanding for a variety of purposes at the national and international level including the commercialisation of products worth millions of ringgit, signing of collaborative research agreements/contracts with various agencies for additional funding and technology transfer, and so forth.

The university continued to make its name known in the international arena, notably in the areas of exploring e-book usage, offering of off-shore programmes, producing graduates through cooperation with various institutions abroad such as the USM-KLE International Medical Programme venture and other postgraduate programmes, strengthening of research collaboration in aging science and cooperation with other well-known institutions and agencies in Japan, empowerment of knowledge transfer initiatives which saw the establishment of a knowledge transfer centre in the campus utilising external funds, construction of a sports arena for the commercialisation of sports and recreation services, as well as the development of water sports outside Penang, and many more achievements that made us proud.

Obviously many major challenges await us as we enter 2016 that requires the combined efforts and empowerment of knowledge nexus in seeking for opportunities to generate more revenue to meet future needs.

Universities are in an era of transformation in many areas, including achieving a more autonomous financial management and improved income generation. USM is also in the process of undergoing transformation in human resource development especially equipping the administrative and academic staff to be 'multi-tasking' to increase productivity, hence intensifying the university excellence programmes at all levels in all advanced areas.

All these need to be done in 2016 with the same renewed confidence and mindset involving the entire university community working together across various disciplines based on the newly conceptualised USM Tenets of Values (Rukun Nilai USM) as an important basis while we strive to meet the needs and demands of the present and the future.

We hope for all our aspirations to work in tandem – becoming a global university with strong and trusted intellectual values that upholds its fundamentals as a university built on scholarly principles, knowledge and strong integrity yet at the same time, fulfils market needs and strives towards autonomy by reducing its dependency on others.

USM Tenets of Values (Rukun Nilai USM) will form the soul and personality that drives excellence, enhances work and administrative ethics with integrity, and builds a harmonious organisational spirit besides developing characteristics of a holistic USM community which stands by wisdom and intelligence, and is sensible in life and action; upholds Truth by always being fair, defends the righteous whilst rejecting dishonesty, advocates purity of thought and rule of reason, honesty, sincerity, dedication and responsibility.

We should also be skilled communicators, transparent in all our actions and dealings, always prioritising togetherness, openness and mutual well-being in upholding high standards of humanity, always caring and humane even as we champion that which is aesthetic, pleasing and enhances our well-being.  

Such Tenets of Values of USM (Rukun Nilai USM) must be synergised with the 9 Thrusts of USM-APEX which are knowledge, humanity, the future, universality, sustainability, uniqueness, wellness, change and sacrifice.

We need to approach 2016 more health-consciously, take care of our health whether mental, spiritual or physical, prioritise the institution and values of family besides uphold moral values, ethics and the good name of our organisation.

These are the ingredients that will determine our success or otherwise in steering our ever larger, more complex and composite Tower of Knowledge be it within the context of restructuring or within the unique world of academia which promotes universal and humanitarian values that develop from the strength of knowledge. These in turn will draw support from other parties towards the upholding of knowledge to enhance strength and future sustainability.

These are also the core values of a global university that will attract scholars to converge and work together developing knowledge for the world premised upon positive values that we have developed over time, which will fortify us in facing various challenges to come.

These core strengths too will ensure our continued existence and serve as a resource for continuous collaboration based on mutual trust and a firm belief in the quality and ability of knowledge and expertise that we possess.

I wish to all a Happy New Year 2016, with a prayer that we will all be blessed by the grace of Allah SWT and given strength to be united in embodying the true meaning of a global university towards which we all aspire for our sustainable future well-being in the spirit of “We Lead, Driving Excellence”.