UM is a research university

WITH reference to “UM should adopt an open-door policy” ( The Star, Feb 17), the writer implied that University of Malaya should strike a balance between its pursuit of ranking and the quality of education provided.

Ranking per se does not solely rely on publications and citations. Therefore, it is unfair to comment that publications and citations are all for the ranking. I suppose UM is pushing for the aspect where it is lacking.

UM was honoured with the status of “Research University”.

Therefore, it is only right that the university puts emphasis on research.

Consequently, one of the outputs of research will be publications.

Since the university is given grants or funds for research, it is only right that the information or knowledge obtained through the research be made known via publication.

The published research, if of impact, will in turn generate citation, which is one of the means to gauge the importance of the research.

Lecturers and professors, who are supposed to be experts, should be conducting research that impacts their respective fields.

Naturally, if a university has many experts, then that university will have much research that generates many publications, and thus many more citations.

I do not feel that the university is over-emphasising research and neglecting quality education.

The university has in fact adopted a system of evaluation for courses taught in the university via its Course and Teaching Evaluation System (CTES).

It is compulsory for students to evaluate the subjects they have registered for.

Students who fail to complete the CTES should be barred from examination.

Components of evaluation include the overall aspect of the subject, the lecturer(s) and the facilities used.

Lecturers, in turn, should be made answerable if they are not up to mark under CTES.

Lecturers in UM, or at least in the Faculty of Science, not only must be able to do research and teach but also be involved in the industry of their field through consultancy.

It would not be fair to comment that lecturers are teaching only from textbooks as lecturers are required to be consultant, resource person or expert advisor to industry.

Hence, lecturers must remain relevant to the industry in order to provide consultancy.

I do not think industry will need the lecturers if they are not relevant.

Many a time, UM’S policies were challenged without taking into account its objectives and goals.

If the university truly applies the carrot-and-stick approach, and lecturers abide by their KPI, then the lecturers in UM would be influential through their research, providing quality education that is relevant (or important) to industry. KNOWING, Petaling Jaya.