Universiti Sains Malaysia
(English: University of Science, Malaysia, acronym: USM) is a public university with its main campus situated in Penang, Malaysia. There are two other branch campuses, one in mainland Penang, and the other in Kelantan, on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. With around 29,789 students in 2006 [1], USM is one of the biggest universities in terms of enrolled students in Malaysia. The number of lecturers is about 1606, which leads to a student-lecturer ratio of around 1:23.
USM was established in 1969 as the second university in Malaysia. It was first known as Universiti Pulau Pinang. Initially, the University operated on borrowed premises at the Malayan Teachers' Training College at Gelugor. In 1971, it moved to its present 239.4-hectare site (formerly a military barracks) at Minden, approximately 9.7 kilometres from the city of Georgetown. The site, which consists mainly of undulating land, is indeed an ideal location to house a university campus. There are now two other USM campuses as well, one at Kubang Kerian in Kelantan known as the Health Campus and the other at Seri Ampangan in Penang, known as the Engineering Campus. The former houses the School of Medical Sciences, the School of Health Sciences and the School of Dental Sciences, while the latter houses the six engineering schools.
From the outset, Universiti Sains Malaysia was given the mandate to provide, promote and develop learning in the fields of Pure Sciences, Applied Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Building Science and Technology, Social Sciences, Humanities and Education as well as to conduct research and foster the dissemination of such knowledge. To date, the University has not departed from these terms of reference and has made significant progress in meeting its academic, social, and national obligations.
The University has always been guided in its activities by the need to develop a personality and identity of its own. Since its establishment, it has adopted an innovative approach to higher education and departed significantly from the traditional faculty system of an academic organisation. In its place, the University introduced the school system that allows for a multidisciplinary approach. The policy was to combine subjects and to organise programs in such a manner that a degree of specialisation in a chosen subject was possible.
To date, 24 Academic Schools, 14 Centres and 7 Units have been established. Of the Schools, 12 are applied science and technology-based Schools, namely, the School of Civil Engineering, the School of Aerospace Engineering, the School of Chemical Engineering, the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, the School of Mechanical Engineering, the School of Housing, Building and Planning, the School of Industrial Technology, the School of Medical Sciences, the School of Dental Sciences, the School of Health Sciences and the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The three liberal arts schools are the School of Educational Studies, the School of Humanities and the School of Social Sciences. The pure science schools comprise the School of Biological Sciences, the School of Chemical Sciences, the School of Mathematical Sciences, the School of Computer Sciences, and the School of Physics, all of which offer courses that are similar to those traditionally available in other universities.
In December 1989, the School of Management was set up, having evolved from the Management program within the School of Social Sciences. As part of its continuing expansion, the University established the School of Computer Sciences and the School of Communication as of March 1995.
The centres and ancillary services include the Centre for Languages and translation, the National Poison Centre, the Doping Control Centre, the Centre for Archaeological Research Malaysia, the Centre for Educational Technology and Multimedia, the Computer Centre, the Centre for Knowledge, Communication and Technology and the Islamic Centre. There are also various research centres, namely the Centre for Policy Research, the Centre for Drug Research and the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies. The Distance Education Program offered through the School of Distance Education is another innovative program adopted by the University in 1971. It has gained an encouraging response from working adults and is set to be developed further in this decade to cater for new directions and needs.
In the field of research, the emphasis is on function-oriented or interdisciplinary research. The main focus is on areas that integrate academic interest and practical relevance, thus directing scientific thrusts towards breakthroughs in problem areas crucial to the quality of life and national development.
USM is one of three universities in Malaysia that have been identified as research-intensive universities in Malaysia, with the other being University of Malaya and Universiti Putra Malaysia. This is in tandem with its mission and vision to be a world-class university embarking on world class research programmes via strategic planning and implementation of its R&D mechanism. The university has qualified academic staff and excellent human resource support in order to realise its mission.History
USM was established as the second university in Malaysia in 1969 and it was first known as Universiti Pulau Pinang. At that time, it operated in Bukit Gelugor, Penang. In 1971, USM's campus moved to its present 239.4-hectare site, which was the former site of military barracks.
From the outset, USM was given the mandate to provide, promote and develop higher education in the fields of pure sciences, applied sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, building sciences and technology, social sciences, humanities and education as well as to provide research, advancement and dissemination of such knowledge.
The establishment of USM began with an agreement reached through a resolution which was approved by the Penang State Legislative Assembly in 1962, which called for the establishment of a university college in the state. The acquisition of a piece of land in Sungai Ara for this purpose was then followed by the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Y.T.M Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj on 7 August 1967.
Taking into account the need for a larger campus and a more conducive one in line with future manpower needs, in 1969 a full-fledged university was established under the name Universiti Pulau Pinang. The establishment of USM was eventually gazetted under the Corporation Act signed by His Majesty The Yang di-Pertuan Agong as provided for under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, and published in the Government Gazette P.U. (A) 383/71.
The management of the University is carried out through the executive power of the Board of Directors, made up of members chosen from the University, representatives from government departments and those appointed by the Ministry of Higher Education. As an executive council, the Board of Directors retains the right to wield power entrusted to it by the University Constitution, Statutes, Acts and Regulations.
From its humble beginnings with an intake of 57 science students in 1969, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) had made great strides. Today, USM offers a wide range of courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels to more than 28,000 students. USM has also emerged as one of the most widely-acclaimed universities not only locally but also abroad. The success achieved in various fields especially in research, including the latest through the Asian Innovation Award in which USM emerged as the only winner from this country, has placed USM on the world map.
Education
Graduate studies
USM offers three modes of study for the graduate programmes, i.e. by research, or by a combination of coursework and research (mixed mode), or by coursework. In 2003, there were about 5,122 students in the various study programmes at the master’s and doctoral levels. Almost 11.8% of them are foreign nationals from more than 40 countries. The majority of foreign students are from other parts of Southeast Asia.
Undergraduate studies
Almost all of undergraduate degree programmes at the University require a minimum full-time residence period of three years. Degrees in engineering, health sciences, pharmacy, medicine and dentistry, however, require minimum periods of study between 4–5 years. Most undergraduate courses are still taught in Bahasa Malaysia but the newer batch of undergraduate students are taught using English, especially in science courses. International students still have to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the national language as part of the entrance criteria.
Other study programmes
USM has study abroad programme for foreign students, and they can undertake either one or two semester. These students are considered as full-time students and also enjoy the benefits given as far as academic and physical facilities are concerned. The university and its community benefits from the cross-cultural flow of students as well as it gains international standing.
USM also has school of distance education. It was established in 1971 to provide opportunities for local working adults to obtain a tertiary qualification. These students are able to undertake undergraduate courses while still they are in full time employment. At present only four undergraduate programmes are available through distance learning, namely Bachelor of science, bachelor of social science, barchelor of arts, and bachelor of management degrees.
0 comments:
Post a Comment