SIIUC Signs MoU On PhD Programme & Launches CoE


By Mohd Azhar Ibrahim and Nabilah Saleh

BANGI, May 27 (Bernama) -- The Selangor International Islamic University College (SIIUC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Kingdom based Markfield Institute of Higher Education (MIHE), allowing SIIUC faculty members to pursue their doctorate degree without the need to take a long break from their academic duties.

Under the MoU, which was signed by SIIUC Rector and CEO Datuk Mohd Adanan Isman and MIHE Rector, Professor Dr Manazir Ahsan, SIIUC lecturers who wish to pursue their research for a doctorate degree can do so by attending the final six months of the PhD programme at the MIHE campus in Markfield, Leicestershire, England.

"The split doctorate research programme, which will commence in September, allows our faculty staff access to academic supervision and facilities at MIHE in a wide range of subject areas, specifically in the field of Islamic studies," Mohd Adanan said.

In his speech, SIIUC director, Professor Dr Sidek Baba pointed out that Islam strongly encouraged engaging in academic discourse with various civilisations and cultures.

"Islamic studies cannot be conducted in isolation from the wider society," said Dr Sidek.

According to Dr Sidek, progress is often the result of ideas different from commonly accepted wisdom. The idea of coming up with new ideas and making progress means we have to leave our comfort zones and venture into the unknown.

"It is very important for Islamic institutions to develop cooperation with the West. Accordingly, the MoU should be seen as the beginning of the college's vision and mission towards developing cooperation with the West," Dr Sidek noted.

BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN MUSLIMS AND OTHERS

Dr Manazir is of the opinion that the Islamic institutions of higher learning have a duty to fulfill, in their own way, the needs of a larger society in which they operate.

"If you really want to make a change, you have to reach out to those who are different from you," Dr Manazir told Bernama in an interview after the signing ceremony.

The Markfield Institute of Higher Education, which has the only Islamic library of its kind in Europe, is run by the Islamic Foundation UK that serves as a major centre which promotes inter-faith dialogue between the Muslims of Britain and their non-Muslim fellow citizens.

MIHE has the potential to develop into one of Europe's leading centres for postgraduate study on Islam and the Muslim world.

Working in affiliation with the University of Loughborough and the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, it is the first Islamic academic institution of its kind that seeks to build bridges between Muslims and others by promoting a better understanding of Islam in the West through proactive dialogues between different faiths and cultures.

"In the aftermath of September 11 (2001) incident, there is a negative perception of Muslim communities in the West. We need to put things in the right perspective by engaging in proactive dialogues so that those in the West understand that ours is not a culture of conflict and violence," Dr Manazir said.

"The present global financial crisis presents the opportune moment for Muslims to demonstrate how, finance and banking as it is practiced in Islam, is more just and equitable to society as a whole. But we need to do this by using modern terminologies equivalent to the Arabic terms, which the West may find confusing," Dr Manazir pointed out.

"Already, there is a creeping realisation amongst some quarters in the West, that just perhaps, the solution to the present financial crisis that the world is facing today lies in the concept of profit and risk sharing that is embedded in Islamic banking and finance," he added.

FULL-FLEDGED UNIVERSITY STATUS

SSIUC, which was established as a private college in 1995, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS).

At its 42.1-ha campus located at Bandar Seri Putra near here, some 5,000 students including 180 international students from Asean countries as well as those from Africa and China, are pursuing 42 academic disciplines ranging from foundation level to masters degree programmes.

In keeping with its vision to be an Islamic Institution of Higher Learning of international repute, SIIUC also conducts joint-programmes with universities in Ireland, United Kingdom, London, Egypt and Australia.

According to Mohd Adanan, the college is on course towards becoming a full-fledged university by the end of 2010.

SIIUC LAUNCHES CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

Meanwhile, SIIUC on Tueday launched its Centre of Excellence (CoE) with the mission to achieve excellence in management, academic and character.

Shaya'a Othman, the director for CoE, told Bernama that the CoE would serve as the catalyst for KUIS to excel in organisational and soft skill development.

She noted that among the programmes to be undertaken by CoE include consultancy and training for organisations - local and foreign.

This is in line with KUIS' offering of courses in business, information technology, legal, finance, communication and Islamic studies.

In pushing for excellence, KUIS has introduced the KUIS BEST agenda - Best Students, Best Lecturers, Best Facilities and Best Staff.

"Therefore, CoE will work to push KUIS in this direction and the KUIS BEST agenda is among the early goals to be implemented," she said.

To ensure the CoE is effective, prior to its establishment the KUIS's research and development unit visited Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Turkey to promote KUIS.

She also noted that among the universities that had established MoU with KUIS were Universitas Gadjah Madha, Universitas Andalas, Universitas Sharif Hiyatullah and Universitas Yafsir.

The CoE is confident of giving full attention to efforts in enhancing the quality of education in KUIS with a clear objective to change and develop Muslim organisations in the management, research and development perspective.

"In time to come, KUIS just won't stop at producing graduates to fulfill the demands of the employment market but instead will produce graduates capable of generating employment and business opportunities," said Shaya with optimism.

-- BERNAMA