NICHE AREA PROMINENCE:

A STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR A RESEARCH UNIVERSITY

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) conducts extensive research in an interesting range of fields; pushing the frontiers of knowledge in a multitude of academic disciplines. However, we must be pragmatic enough to accept the fact that it is impossible to excel in all fields and therefore must take cognisance of the strategy adopted by emerging market companies; they identify strategic and emerging fields not taken up by more established global companies. In so doing, UKM makes choices to build niche areas that may be sustainable enough to take us to prominence and give us the leading edge amongst other universities in these areas.

UKM today is positioning its research strengths and endeavours in eight strategic niche areas. The choice of a niche area is based on the ability to garner strength and consolidate various disciplines that has attained research maturity in UKM or a new area but one that is recognised as an important thrust area nationally as well as at the international level.

The management model is based on a Niche supported by Research Clusters which in turn group several Research Groups. These Research Groups are registered with the Centre for Research and Innovation Management (CRIM) with registered researchers to enable measurement of group performance at the end of the year.

Climate Change

The warming of the Earth is the subject of intense concern of many scientists, policymakers,and citizens of the world. The subject needs to be scrutinised from the theoretical aspect as well as the impact on the environment, agriculture, water resources, population placement, health, energy and socioeconomy and their influence on government policies.The occurrence of massive flooding at the end of 2006 and early 2007 in Peninsular Malaysia could be significantly related to the phenomena of global warming. Another contributing factor that needs to be assessed is the legislation and control in environmental management.

Malaysia needs to formulate and implement mitigation steps and adaptation to climate change. This step necessitates an inter and cross  disciplinary approach involving themes
such as climate change science, socioeconomic impact ,security, law, policies, governance and others. UKM’s strengths in these areas rests on Environmental Science, Space Science, Geography, Marine Science, Geology, Economics, Mathematics, Health, Medicine, Chemical Sciences, Engineering and Statistics.