VARSITIES TOLD TO UP THEIR GAME

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 13 (Bernama) — All higher education institutions (IPT) in the country must embrace the concept of sharing knowledge and expertise to produce greater innovations, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

Speaking at the Malaysia’s Research Star Award (MRSA) 2025 ceremony here today, Zambry emphasised that such collaboration benefits not only the institutions themselves but also the nation as a whole.

"This concept is crucial because we constantly emphasise its importance to the world.

"Therefore, let us not be too closed off in our approaches. Universities should not compete to outshine one another but instead work together," he said.

He urged all academic staff to support one another in research and development (R&D) so that the outcomes can be shared with society.

Zambry also called on IPT communities to eliminate any culture or practice that could create negative public perceptions and tarnish the reputation of educational institutions.

"We must distance ourselves from unhealthy university cultures. Internal conflicts will only undermine the academic traditions of our institutions," he stressed.

.On academic publications, he said that producing scholarly materials plays a vital role in enhancing the reputation and quality of local universities.

"I congratulate all MRSA 2025 award recipients. May these achievements inspire even greater success," he said.

Introduced in 2012, the MRSA presented 26 awards across four categories: Frontier Researcher, Outstanding Research in Phytochemicals, Researcher Cluster, and Journal.

Universiti Putra Malaysia emerged as the top winner, securing two awards in the Frontier Researcher and Outstanding Research in Phytochemicals categories.

-- BERNAMA