PENANG, 10 Jan. 2013 - Three major initiatives were identified in order to strengthen the role and the excellence of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) within the direction frame of the Accelerated Programme for Excellence (APEX) Phase Two 2014-2025.

USM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Omar Osman said that the three initiatives of short-term nature will be implemented soon, including offering places to underprivileged students through special channels that are in the process of being approved by the Senate.

He said two other initiatives include expanding the offering of programmes at professional and postgraduate levels at localised learning centres in Kuala Lumpur and to ensure that the core of the university internal system can be run successfully in an effective and cost efficient way.

“For the special channel programme, the university hopes to create a platform to develop talent among underprivileged students, including the indigenous people (penduduk pribumi), the inhabitants of the interiors of Sabah and Sarawak and other groups.

“These people do not even have academic qualifications that are high enough to apply for USM but they will be evaluated through their potential and ability to develop skills to excel so that they are able to return to serve their community upon graduation,” he said.

Omar said this in a press conference after delivering the Vice-Chancellor Annual Address 2013 at the Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra (DTSP) to more than 3,000 people, including the top management of the university.

This year’s message from the Vice-Chancellor revolves around the topic Together for University’s Excellence(BUKU2013): Synergizing the Ecosphere of University for Excellence that illustrated the framework and the initiative for the commencement of APEX Phase Two 2014-2025.

He added that the university will also accept a wider range of international students through post-graduate programmes that have the potential to be offered at the local learning centres in Kuala Lumpur.

“The One-Stop Centre which has been in operation for two years offering Integrative Communication Masters programme would be further developed to accommodate programmes at the professional working level,” he said.

Omar also emphasised on three fundamental issues that formed the basis of the future construction of the university so that it would not just rely on government funding alone.

Instead he said that in APEX Phase Two implementation, USM will look into specific measures to be taken to generate its own funding in order to become an autonomous university that can drive excellence.

“We hope to make USM as an autonomous university with a high governance system (self-governance) and able to generate its own income (self-sustenance).

“USM also aims to ensure that its community is able to manage its own programmes effectively without involving complex bureaucracy and much cost (self-empowerment),” he said.

In the same event, he also launched four new USM books, namely BUKU 2013: Synergizing the Ecosphere of University for Excellence, The APEX University: The State of the Art, The APEX University Second Phase 2014-2025, and USM in Numbers: Facts and Figures.

These books are deemed to be very beneficial, especially in outlining the efforts undertaken by USM to date and the potential expansion of the initiatives undertaken.

“As a whole, these books will enable us to carry out specific strategies to provide meaning in the transformation of higher education and to add value in raising the quality of local talent,” he said. Text: MARZIANA MOHAMED ALIAS / Photo: MOHD. FAIRUS MD. ISA / Translation: YONG CHECK YOON