After 35 years of existence, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has built itself as a reputable university in the country, if not the region. USM aspires to be a “World Class” university. To achieve this goal, it has to formulate strategies that will greatly enhance its research capability, since as is apparent with reputable universities around the world, research expertise and output are the primary measure of a university’s strength and international standing and reputation.
Therefore, USM has continually strategise efforts to dynamically strengthen its capability in research and development (R&D) according to challenges that it faces. The latest of such efforts is the establishment of research platforms as a mechanism to encourage cross-disciplinary research in selected niche areas.
RESEARCH DIRECTION OF THE USM HEALTH CAMPUS
The Health Campus aspires to excel in specific foci of research to enhance its overall research capability in the understanding of human health and diseases and in the promotion of health.
OBJECTIVE
The USM “Research Platforms” were created in 2003. The main objective of their creation is not to replace the role of schools in conducting and promoting their existing research activities but to consolidate these research activities and encourage collaborative research which transcends schools and departments.
In general, selected Schools/Centres/Institutes will be more suitably grouped under a particular research platform although this categorization is loose and highly flexible depending on the actual research that is being conducted. Headed by a research dean, the research platforms are entrusted to deliver the following:
1. To create research clusters so as to promote niche areas under each platform that involves players across disciplines and schools.
2. To facilitate the solicitation of research grants, the approval of grants and the smooth operation and monitoring of research projects.
3. To push for high quality and high impact research results and where possible to promote the innovation agenda through the Research and Development (R&D) to Commercialization route.
4. To help formulate sustainable human resource and increase the critical mass of experts and researchers in selected niche areas.
