[COLUMNIST] Back to the future: Reinventing IIUM

AT a time when leadership in academia necessitates not just administrative aptitude but also a profound appreciation of cultural patrimony, intellectual inheritance, and the techno-social nexus where science, technology, and social dynamics coincide to shape modern society, the selection of Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar as the new Rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) is both opportune and auspicious. His extensive background in Islamic philosophy, coupled with his unwavering resolve towards educational brilliance, uniquely situates him to steer IIUM towards a new epoch of academic novelty and intellectual development.

The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) recently publicized that Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar, starting on September 23, 2024, until September 22, 2026, will serve as the seventh Rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He takes over from Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, who served as Rector from August 1, 2018, to July 31, 2024. This fresh appointment marks a significant leadership transition for IIUM, with high expectations for renewed academic excellence and growth under Dr. Osman's stewardship.

Undoubtedly, Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar boasts an impressive track record that renders him exceptionally qualified to spearhead IIUM. This includes his outstanding academic prowess, having obtained a Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degree in Mathematics from the University of London, as well as a PhD in Islamic Philosophy of Science from the Temple University in the United States.

Moreover, his extensive scientific publications, both as an author and editor, span across a plethora of fields, encompassing science, technology, art, Islamic philosophy, Islamic science, and civilization. Such profound interdisciplinary expertise enables him to seamlessly amalgamate traditional knowledge with contemporary global trends. His contributions not only underscore his scholarly depth but also his unparalleled ability to navigate and integrate diverse disciplines, rendering him an invaluable leader in today's academic milieu.

Furthermore, Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar has held prominent leadership roles and academic positions in numerous countries, including the United States and Japan, which have exposed him to diverse cultural and intellectual environments.

Also, one cannot help but observe the striking similarities between Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar and another highly revered scholar who not only played a pivotal role in the establishment of IIUM but made profound and enduring contributions in shaping its trajectory for many years, and ensuring that the Garden of Knowledge and Virtue, IIUM, remains true to its original vision—the late Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr. Mohammad Kamal Hassan.

Notably, both Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar and Professor Tan Sri Dr. Mohammad Kamal Hassan have made significant contributions to Islamic thought and education, with some noteworthy similarities. Both scholars hold advanced degrees from prestigious institutions and have made substantial contributions to Islamic studies that transcend their scholarship and academic leadership. They have both received high recognition locally and internationally for their work, with Dr. Kamal Hassan widely regarded as a leading authority on contemporary Islamic thought in Southeast Asia while Dr. Osman Bakar was named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world in 2009. Furthermore, they have both emphasized the importance of integrating Islamic values with contemporary knowledge and global trends. Additionally, both have a remarkable record of publications and have contributed profusely to the intellectual discourse in Islamic philosophy and civilization.

These shared similarities and spirit between two renowned scholars hold great significance, particularly in light of the need to realign IIUM with its original vision. This vision had once made the university not only a source of national pride, but also an institution of international repute. However, in recent times, the university's regional and international rankings have slipped. Notably, the university's appraisal in terms of its alumni impact remains remarkably high, as reflected in an independent metric-based ranking of 14,131 universities from 183 countries by edurank.org—likely still largely reflecting the legacy of the original IIUM architects and early rectors.

In its statement on the appointment of Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar, the MOHE has expressed its high belief that Dr. Osman Bakar will be able to raise and improve IIUM's ranking as a prominent university in Islamic civilisation at both the national and international levels.

Apparently, the prominence of the main mission brought about by the almarhum Professor Tan Sri Dr. Mohammad Kamal Hassan through the IIICE (pronounced as Triple I CE), namely Islamicisation, Integration, Internationalisation, and Comprehensive Excellence, has become obscured and disappeared altogether in the recent five to six years.

It is hoped that with the apt leadership of Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar, IIUM can once gain return to asolah or the original spirit of its establishment. A university of such a scale is not just a factory producing graduates, but rather it "begets" human beings who integrate knowledge, servants who have their feet firmly grounded on earth but whose souls rely on Allah SWT the Most High, reaching global standards and leading the world ("Leading the Way"), academic "creations" that have good and sound marketability and that possess high-value human capital—not haughty but principled, and lastly, people who possess human karamah (human dignity) and are able to contribute towards the good of religion, nation, country, and the world as a whole.

Furthermore, given his scholarly profile, particular love for science and as clearly transpires from his writing (refer to “Defining the Core Identity of a 21st-Century Islamic University”), Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar appears to be the most suitable person to inculcate in IIUM (as an institution shaping national future) at every level the profound visionary model of transformational leadership (Figure 1) by the late Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr. Kamal Hassan that serves as an imperative for becoming a better version of society—a community of Justice, Goodness, Moral Excellence, and Just Balance (refer to “Prof M Kamal Hassan's Transformative Leadership Towards Malaysia Madani” by EMIR Research).

With such a sound grounding, university graduates are naturally positioned to excel in any Sustainable Development Goals and beyond!

This encompassing framework will not only strengthen God-consciousness but also help leaders at all levels in society devise impactful intervention programmes backed by data, science, and economics to achieve positive, sensible outcomes and lasting intergenerational impacts for the nation—something that Malaysia direly needs.

Meanwhile, under such leadership, IIUM can certainly expect to regain its position as a beacon of hope for Malaysia and the world.

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Dr Rais Hussin is the Founder of EMIR Research, a think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research. He is also an alumnus of IIUM.

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.

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