MARK OF DISTINCTION

“Power is education - with education, you can become a changemaker that makes a difference.”

“Power is education - with education, you can become a changemaker that makes a difference,” says Professor Datuk Dr. Asma Ismail.

The first woman to be appointed twice as the vice-chancellor ( VC) of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), she has nur tured a new generation of scientists toward impac t ful research. These scientis t s ef fec tively use government and publicly f unded grants, translating academic ef for ts into real-world solutions for real-world problems. Dr. Asma also ser ved as the first female direc tor-general of the Higher Education Depar tment and became t he first female President of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM).

Although Dr. Asma is ser ving her last term as the President of ASM, she has many achievements to take pride in. “What I am most proud of is the 10-10 My STIE framework introduced by ASM to make a dif ference in the nation’s i nnovation landscape,” she says. This i mpressive framework lays out key f ac tors t o identif y a star t-up with high potential to drive Malaysia from it s current produc tion-based economy into a knowledgeintensive one.

“Academics have a huge responsibilit y. We are in the business of shaping the minds of the future. We nur ture our future generation with a qualit y education that will make them future-ready with skills, competency, knowledge and values that will turn them into nation builders and global players,” the distinguished professor explains. Respec t, integrity and trust wor thiness are defining values as she believes it is essential to lead by example. “People will emulate what you do rather than what you say.”

In 2022, Dr. Asma’s contributions to the academic realm earned her the Tokoh Akademik

Negara (National Academic Laureate) Award. A humble recipient grateful to her students, staf f, colleagues, superiors, friends, and family, Dr. Asma explains she i s not commit ted to the work for the sake of awards.

“I take into cognisance what the award means. It is not j ust about recognition but also about being a role model, inspiring and motivating more leaders i n academia. This added responsibilit y has no time limit. The onus is upon me and other winners to continue carr ying the flag to uphold academic excellence. This i s no small feat faced with uncertainty in the new normal that has created a t sunami i mpac t on higher education. Education has the power to create changemakers that dare t o make a dif ference to the world, guided by values.”