Historic Visit by Distinguished Professor Datuk Dr. Shamsul Amri Bin Baharuddin to Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) had the distinct honour of welcoming Distinguished Professor Datuk Dr. Shamsul Amri Bin Baharuddin on Wednesday. This marks the first time in the university’s history that a Distinguished Professor (Professor Ulung) has visited. He was accompanied by a delegation from the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA-UKM), consisting of Deputy Director Professor Dr. Kartini Aboo-Talib and three research fellows.

The visit was facilitated by the UNIMAS Academic Staff Association (PPAU), UNIMAS Corporate (UC), and the Centre for Applied Learning and Multimedia (CALM).

The Distinguished Professor delivered a public lecture titled “Menuju Jalan Ke Puncak: Dari Pensyarah ke Profesor Ulung” at Pusat Islam Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce (PITAS). The lecture was attended by students, academicians, and deans from various faculties.

In her welcoming speech, PPAU President Dr. Juna Liau expressed her delight and tremendous honour at receiving such a prominent public intellectual. According to the PPAU President, as one of the remaining four distinguished professors in Malaysia, Professor Datuk Shamsul is seen as highly qualified to inspire the scholars at UNIMAS in their pursuit of academic excellence by sharing his journey to the summit of an academic career.

In his lecture, the Distinguished Professor shared his 50-year “long and winding road to the summit,” highlighting three ingredients of success: hard work, perfection, and learning from failures. He emphasized that academics should persevere in facing the multiple challenges that await them in their duties and remain focused and consistent. In his “Shamsul Model,” the Distinguished Professor clarifies the priorities for a true scholar: performing academic analysis, engaging in public advocacy, and being involved in professional consultation. During the question-and-answer session, moderated by Dr. Sharifah Sophia Wan Ahmad, he addressed questions from lecturers and students on topics such as Malaysian versus global education content, the challenge of unethical publication, the recent demolition of Bajau dwellings in Sabah, and the collaboration between social sciences and other disciplines.

Reflecting on the lecture, Dr. Juna commented, “The content of Professor Datuk Shamsul’s talk is timely. He spelled out the roadmap and pathways for an academic career. Also, he identified priorities for a good scholar in deepening research and content knowledge, extending networks and collaborations with researchers and academics beyond the university, and disseminating knowledge to the public and relevant stakeholders.”

Following the lecture, Distinguished Professor Datuk Dr. Shamsul Amri Bin Baharuddin made a courtesy call to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dr. Ahmad Hata Rasit. They exchanged opinions about the university’s direction and the ongoing development occurring on campus and in the wider community.

Concluding his visit to UNIMAS, he was invited to CALM’s main office, where he was greeted by its director, Dr. Kartini Abdul Ghani, deputy director AP Dr. Nor Mazlina Ghazali, and unit heads. Dr. Kartini briefed the delegation on the roles of the centre, services, and activities conducted for teaching and learning at UNIMAS. The visit ended with light refreshments, including sumptuous traditional delicacies from Sarawak.

Overall, PPAU considered the event a resounding success. The President and her team expressed their deepest appreciation to all who participated in the events, notably Professor Ramlah Zainudin, Director of Pusat Khidmat Pelajar Hajjah Azeemah Ahmad, UNIMAS Corporate Zulkarnaen Ali, the technical team from FSSK, and Puan Nurul Huda Marwan. It is hoped that similar collaborations can take place in the future.

This historic visit signifies a milestone for UNIMAS and highlights the university’s commitment to fostering academic excellence and collaboration.