Public universities must achieve high impact research results

Public universities must optimise their intellectual resources via high impact research findings to create wealth and entice the private sector to contribute funds.

Malaysian National Council of Professors Economics and Management Cluster Chief Datuk Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali said this would ensure they stayed competitive despite the reduced allocation in the 2017 Budget for the Higher Education Ministry.

In fact, Noor Azlan, who is also Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Vice-Chancellor said, this is in line with the government's desire, via the Higher Education Development Plan, that every public university generates its own income.

"The quality of studies by our universities is crucial. Non-government entities will surely offer them funds if their researches can generate wealth," he said.

Noor Azlan, who was a panelist in a 2017 Post Budget Discussion organised by the Economics, Finance and Banking Studies Centre of Universiti Utara Malaysia, said this to reporters here on Sunday.

Citing UKM, Noor Azlan said the Sime Darby Foundation, which manages the biggest palm oil plantation hectarage, had so far contributed more than RM20 million in funds to UKM on a research on waste materials technology. - Bernama