Research 2011- Companies Can Add Value to Research

From - http://thestar.com.my

FORMING start-up companies can help universities bring commercial value to fundamental research findings independently, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Speaking after declaring open the ministerial-level Innovation Day in Putrajaya on Thursday, he said the start-up companies to be formed under the University Incubator Programme will be operated by the respective universities’ scientists, researchers and students.

“One of the efforts we need to see in an innovation-based economy is not just for a university to conduct new research, but to be able to produce its own technology as well,” he said. Mohamed Khaled explained that prior to this, university research findings were developed by the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation.

At the event, he announced that Universiti Malaya and Universiti Sains Malaysia were named the pioneers of the programme with an allocation of RM22mil and RM51mil respectively.

He also gave away awards to departments within the ministry that strived to be innovative. The winner of the ministry’s Innovation Awards was its Community College Research Department for their lifelong learning monitoring and management software.

“To raise the bar of the country’s achievements, we cannot rely on competitiveness alone, we also need innovation,” said Mohamed Khaled.

He added that transforming Malaysia into an innovation-based economy was an on going process and universities had a very important role to play in it.

“Universities help cultivate innovativeness within society. A large portion of the budget is to further this cause,” he said.

Commercialisation is one of the elements that the ministry is helping out and it is establishing incubators in every university.

“These incubators serve as a platform for the application of their discoveries. They also act as start-up businesses for them,” he added.

He also said that the ministry’s innovative programmes would no longer operate individually but would be done with the collaboration of other government agencies or ministries for bigger impact and success.

Meanwhile, commenting on the recent landmark ruling on the constitutionality of Section 15 of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA), Mohamed Khaled said the purpose behind the construction of the legislation should be considered when looking at the issue.

“What’s important is the stability of the university ecosystem if politics were introduced. Would it still be conducive to learning and research?” he added.

He refused to comment further until the Cabinet had discussed the matter.

On Friday, Mohamed Khaled said that he had briefed the Cabinet. and that the next course of action would be to consult with the Attorney-General before the Cabinet decides on whether to file an appeal against the Court of Appeal decision.

The Court of Appeal had ruled on Monday that the provision under UUCA empowering university authorities to take action against students exhibiting political affiliation was unconstitutional.

The ruling came about from a case involving four former UKM undergraduates (they have since graduated earlier this year).

The four better known as the UKM4 had appealed that section 15(5)(a) of the UUCA was unconstitutional as it contravenes article 10(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech, assembly and association.

The appelants argued that even though Section 10(2)(a) of the constitution allowed the government to impose laws to restrict clause 10(1)(a) for purposes such as public order and morality, the restrictions had to be reasonable.

The UUCA was enacted for the establishment, maintenance and administration of Universities and University Colleges in Malaysia and matters connected to it.