USM vice chancellor denies the university has stumbled

GEORGE TOWN: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) vice chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Omar Osman today refuted the suggestion the university has stumbled in its journey to become a world class institution of higher learning.
He said USM was on track to become the top research varsity in Malaysia by 2020 and that it remained committed to excellence.

He dismissed the allegation the RM11million Science and Engineering Research Centre (SERC) at the campus in Nibong Tebal on the mainland was under-utilised.

He said SERC provided common laboratories for all schools, especially the Nibong Tebal engineering campus, as well as providing services for industries to generate income over the long term.

"SERC has since generated RM104,000 in income in 2014 with 20 to 30 users each month making use of the facilities," he said in a press conference today.

Omar also addressed the issue of the uncompleted RM14.29million Integrated Research Centre (IRC) which was supposed to have been finished by 2012 after construction started in 2010.

He said the contract of the first contractor was terminated after work was delayed by 20.3% while a new tender has been called since and a Class A contractor appointed.

"Work started in 2013 and is expected to be completed by this month," he said.

On foreign lecturers having their contracts terminated, Osman said these faculty members were hired when there was lack of academic manpower in a certain field.

He said they were let go when lecturers returning from their studies could meet the need for a particular subject.

The defence comes after a report in an English daily highlighted alleged weaknesses in the country's sole Apex university.