Endowment for family business research
zulita@nst.com.my
FAMILY business research and education in Malaysia recently received a shot in the arm when Nusantara Technologies executive chairman Datuk Dr Mohamed Ghazali Mohamed Yusoff and his family endowed a professorial chair at Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UniRazak).
The Siti Maya Professorial Chair is named after Ghazali’s grandmother and great-grandmother, who had influenced and contributed to the establishment of his family business — Nusatek Group of Companies.
This generous act will lead towards advocating more philanthropic activities and legacy planning among family businesses and society at large.
At the signing ceremony to endow the chair, Ghazali said he believed very much in serving humanity using the experiences and opportunities that God gave him.
“The wealth and good health that I have now are all because of Him, and for that, I want to share with others so they too can experience what I had (or still have) in life.
“I am very passionate in everything I do, and the intention to endow this chair is as simple as ‘just wanting to give back to society’ for all the good values, friendships and happiness around me.
“I’m living proof that once you’ve hit rock bottom, you know you can’t possibly go any lower. You
will bounce back and get a second chance in life,” said Ghazali, who is an avid singer and talented pianist.
Present were UniRazak chief executive officer Amil Izham Hamzah, chief operating officer Mohamed Fairuz Mohamed Noor and chief financial officer Muhamad Firdaus Jamal.
Professor Dr Mohar Yusof, a researcher who specialises in family business entrepreneurship at UniRazak’s Graduate School of Business, has been appointed to the chair.
Mohar, the winner of the Outstanding Entrepreneurship Mentor award in the Education Ministry’s Entrepreneurial Awards 2018, is also a Waesche Family scholarship recipient in the United States.
Mohar said there was so much to learn from his benefactor’s experience.
“Knowing Datuk Ghazali is like a dream come true. He is kind-hearted and a visionary. He is also extraordinary and unconventional. He is truly a rare and incredible human being.”
The purpose of the Siti Maya Professorial Chair is to advance research and scholarly activities in Malaysia and the region; attracting, training and retaining faculty in family business research; and improving relationships and efficiencies of family-owned corporations via research and consultancy.
According to Mohar, the chair’s activities include research, training and education, networking and partnerships, and outreach.
“Under research, there are consulting and assistantship schemes for PhD and Master students. We will also be providing continuous professional development as well as organising regional and international Family Business Case competitions. For outreach programmes, there are roundtables, talk series, conferences and forums,” said Mohar.
An entrepreneur, philanthropist, educationist, social activist and honorary law doctorate recipient from the University of Nottingham, Ghazali is described as an upright and noble man.
Born into a family with service traditions and to a father who was a well-travelled civil servant, Ghazali has developed into an adaptable and easygoing person.
His early education involved attending many schools, allowing him to gain all kinds of learning experiences locally and overseas.
He graduated from Universiti Malaya in 1968 with a degree in economics and geography.
Ghazali then worked in a multinational company that gave him the opportunity to travel extensively.
The company he worked for had encouraged him to be active in outside activities, and therefore, he enjoyed serving in various positions in national, regional and international organisations.
Established in 1991, Nusatek has grown into a leading player in testing, calibration and inspection services in the local industry, and has a presence in Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines.
It has built several laboratories with high-quality equipment to serve the needs of industries, such as railway and automotive; oil and gas; electrical and instrumentation; and, pharmaceutical and medical devices.
Knowing Datuk Ghazali is like a dream come true. He is kindhearted and a visionary.
He is also extraordinary and unconventional. He is truly a rare and incredible human being. DR MOHAR YUSOF
UniRazak’s Graduate School of Business researcher