The monograph ‘Sustaining APEX: Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Mission to Transform Higher Education’ seeks to expand on and elaborate themes found in the previous two monographs in our Intellectual Discourse Series. In this monograph, we also take a deeper look at the problems of values and national development as well as issues of legitimacy and the efficacy of change and transformation in conditions of complex globalization. This monograph seeks to engage the difficult issues around science and technology and values, the social legitimacy of reform, and addresses the issues of newness, reputation, ranking and the problems of leadership. In doing this, we hope to tease out more of the implications of USM’s reform agenda and locate discussions of it within a broader discourse of globalization and its vicissitudes. The essential argument made in this monograph is that USM’s transformation agenda is a direct challenge to contemporary neo-liberal project for higher education. USM’s agenda entails a fuller idea and engagement with the educational and ethical mission of the university. Ecological sustainability, scientific and technological advancement as well as the sustainability of Malaysian culture, values, and sense of social justice is central to the mission of USM. Seeking to advance these in the current conditions of globalization and ensuring continued legitimacy for this project within such an environment is the challenge ahead. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia

The agenda of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) aims to engage the problems of values and ethics in the context of knowledge production and teaching in universities. The essential argument of this monograph is the USM's educational philosophy is founded in an effort to overcome the problems of mental captivity and the degradation of values that accompanies neo-liberal influences on higher education. In this sense, USM is seeking to re-imbue the soul of higher education by articulating a normative 'vital centre' to the mission of USM. This normatively-based vital centre based on cultural respect, sustainability, and commitment to the bottom billions is the critical touchstone for reforming pedagogical practice in USM. Educational change is fundamentally based on the principles of social responsibility and inclusiveness. The USM agenda is fundamentally an effort to realize these values through educational transformation. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia

This book fills an important gap in the literature, and presents contributions from scientists and researchers working in the field of sustainable development who have engaged in dynamic approaches to implementing sustainability in higher education. It is widely known that universities are key players in terms of the implementation and further development of sustainability, with some having the potential of acting as “living labs” in this rapidly growing field. Yet there are virtually no publications that explore the living labs concept as it relates to sustainability, and in an integrated manner. The aims of this book, which is an outcome of the “4th World Symposium on Sustainable Development at Universities” (WSSD-U-2018), held in Malaysia in 2018, are as follows: i. to document the experiences of universities from all around the world in curriculum innovation, research, activities and practical projects as they relate to sustainable development at the university level; ii. to disseminate information, ideas and experiences acquired in the execution of projects, including successful initiatives and good practice; iii. to introduce and discuss methodological approaches and projects that seek to integrate the topic of sustainable development in the curricula of universities; and iv. to promote the scalability of existing and future models from universities as living labs for sustainable development. The papers are innovative, cross-cutting and many reflect practice-based experiences, some of which may be replicable elsewhere. Also, this book, prepared by the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP) and the World Sustainable Development Research and Transfer Centre (WSD-RTC), reinforces the role played by universities as living labs for sustainable development.

This book documents and disseminates experiences from a wide range of universities, across the five continents, which showcase how the principles of sustainable development may be incorporated as part of university programmes, and present transformatory projects and programmes, showing how sustainability can be implemented across disciplines. Sustainability in a higher education context is a fast growing field. Thousands of universities across the world have signed declarations or have committed themselves to integrate the principles of sustainable development in their activities: teaching, research and extension, and many more will follow.

USM became the first institution of higher learning to be inducted in Malaysia’s APEX in early September 2008. With induction into APEX, the Ministry of Higher Education (MQHE) is expecting USM to be amongst the world‘s top I00 universities by the year 2013, and in the elite 50 by 2020. Excellence and Sustainability." USM and the APEX Jozlrney, Volume I: The Road Ahead charts the experiences of the University’s community (staff and students) drawn from the research findings of the APEX University Research Agenda (AURA) Project (2008-2014). AURA’s researchers focused on the pre-APEX phase (last quarter of 2008), the period prior to the implementation of the transformation plan. Basically, Volume I: The Road Ahead examines the readliness of staff (academic and non-academic) and students (undergraduates and postgraduates) in gearing themselves for the challenges ahead in the context of APEX.

The culture of volunteerism, of selfless service to your fellow beings, must be an integral part of every person and community. This book brilliantly captures the spirit, essence and practical application of that culture. It provides frameworls and real experiences from the field that can assist universities, civic, institution and others in moving forward their community engagement programmes more vigorously, effectively and deeply. While based primarily on the rich Malaysia experience, the Universiti Sains Malaysia has produced an excellent broad-based and unique resource that will also have.