MAY 29 — A university is a part of a formal package of our modern education system. According to the​ ​Oxford English Dictionary, a university is a high-level institution in which students study for​ ​degrees and ​where ​academic research is carried out​. ​

Etymologically, the word ‘university’ is from​ ​the Old French word ‘universite’ and from Latin meaning ‘the whole’. The modern European​ ​languages use the same word "university” to refer to the institution ​albeit ​with different spellings and​ ​pronunciations.

According to the origin of the word ‘university’, the first ‘university’ was founded in the​ ​Medieval Age in Bologna (1088), ​followed by​ Oxford (1096), Paris (1150) and Cambridge (1209). In​ ​actual fact, Unesco recognises the Medina of Fez as a World Heritage Centre and home to​ ​the University of al-Qarawiyyin (859)​, ​the oldest university in the world, given the fact that it​ ​was the first institution to award degrees.

During that time, some similarities ​developed. ​Religio​n played a key role​ in​ universities in​ both Arab​ic​ and European traditions​ where the control and influence of religion over​ ​academic programmes was strong. Research ​​did not​ play​ a crucial ​role​ in​ ​defining​ the​ purpose the​ of a​ university​ at the time.

There was al​so similar conceptual meaning​s ​of a university. As​ "university” in English semantically means "universal” covering all kinds of knowledge, jami’ah​ ​in Arabic also refers to a place of different kinds of knowledge and where different groups of​ ​people gather.

It has been said that the literal meaning of jami’ah (gatherer) is the translation of​ ​the word "universal”.

What is a university all about? There are similar academic elements between a university​ ​and a school. There are leaders, teachers, masters, students, administrators, support staff,​ ​curriculums and assessments where teaching and learning takes place, in dealing with knowledge​ ​and truth.

However, there are activities that make a university differ from a school, which are​ ​supervision, research, publication​s​ and presentation​s​ in conferences.

What do we really need from a university? Is it about lifelong learning or seeking for knowledge​ ​and truth? Or is it about finding a career and future development?

Since Humboldt, a Prussian​ ​educational philosopher proposed the idea of mixing teaching and research in 1810, the meaning​ ​of universities in Europe, the United States and other countries all over the world has been​ ​associated with a scientific approach in teaching and research.

It is true that to gain knowledge​ ​and truth systematically, we have to teach and do research ​in a scientific manner​. The teaching and​ ​research areas offered in universities are closely related to the interests of the society in terms of​ ​national​,​ economic and political ​interests​.​ ​

Although the meaning of universities has been debated endlessly, we must have a clear picture​ ​about the purpose of a university.

​The university is a place for the teaching of​ ​universal knowledge and the ​cultivation of curiosity.

Nevertheless, a university is also for​ finding​ solution​s​ ​to​ problems, the critical appreciation of achievements and the training​ ​of the mind at the highest level for intellectual purposes. All these relate historically and​ ​epistemologically to the basic principle of philosophy which are love of wisdom and seeking for​ truth.

In our Malaysian context,​ universities are associated with an ivory tower where​ ​gurus teach and research centres produce research, to help gain knowledge and transform the​ ​nation.

The establishment of the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur in 1958 followed by a​ ​number of other universities until today shows that a university has an important meaning in the​ ​Malaysian context.

The purpose of the university​ in Malaysia​ can be divided into three perspectives: economics, politics, and​ ​collaboration. The role of the university in particular is about the education and training of​ ​personalities in forming a civilised society for the sake of the nation.

As described by Brennan,​ ​King and Lebeau (2004), a university is also about providing ​a ​’protected space’ — intellectual,​ ​temporal, physical and political — to allow people, individually and collectively, to think the​ ​unthinkable, to push the limits of the possible, to reflect and re-assess. Not quite an ‘ivory tower’​ ​perhaps, but a safe environment set apart from the interests, orthodoxies and pressures of the day.

In order to fulfil the needs of people and the needs of students, universities offer various areas​ ​and levels of programme​me​s, from soft sciences to hard sciences. Public universities offer specific​ ​programme​me​s which are supported by the ​G​overnment while private universities are funded by​ ​Government Linked Companies and private companies.

The current programmes offered are better​ ​than those of the last ten years, especially in connection with the expertise that we have.​ ​However, the programmes offered cannot cater to the needs of the nation as a result of​ ​budget cuts and financial problems. The critical areas to be offered are medicine, transportation​ ​and infrastructure.

On one hand, the needs of the people include industrial, employable and economic skills, and to​ ​fulfil this, the number of universities is being reduced ​while the number of polytechnics is being​ ​increased.​​

On the other hand, the needs of students are indicated by ​the encouragement for them to​ ​continue pursuing their studies at universities for lifelong learning.

To cultivate an intellectual tradition, we must have a strong academic culture. Some of the main​ ​challenges in our academic culture relate to university autonomy, political interference, academic​ ​freedom, captive minds, academic dependency, local knowledge, lack of systematic knowledge​ ​development and market forces.

* ​​Munif Zarirruddin Fikri Nordin is a researcher for the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) project on autonomy in higher education institutions in Malaysia​.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.