Strengthening Community Engagement in a Research University in Malaysia: Tensions, Dynamics and Challenges
Saran Kaur Gill (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia)
Abstract
The Ministry of Higher Education in Malaysia recently designated 4 universities to be research universities in Malaysia. This is part of its higher education strategic plan to consolidate and jumpstart systems, structures and processes to increase relevant research output essential for the nation. Parallel with these initiatives were moves to reduce the gap between universities, industry and community. The importance with which this was held was reflected by the creation of the portfolio of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Partnerships) at these respective universities.
This paper will focus on a case study of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (the National University of Malaysia) and the tensions, dynamics and challenges faced in efforts to strengthen community engagement in a research university. This will be contextualized in the tripartite relationship between university, industry and community and the challenges in strengthening engagement from the perspective of both academics and undergraduates.
These will involve policy and implementation measures that were instituted to formalize community engagement as an integral part of the ethos of the university. This will begin with the policies, systems and structures that have been developed in the university to strengthen community engagement. Following on from these, it will be the tensions and dynamics that will be raised re: the role and responsibilities of this portfolio vis-à-vis the existing portfolios of the other deputy vice-chancellors, the reward systems for academics and students, the challenges of working towards ensuring academic expertise and research captures the interest of industry and meets with the needs of community and creative methods of providing space for undergraduates to serve the needs of community.
