The IIUM: internationalizing higher education

Introduction: The hallmark of the new millennium is the ever-increasing interdependence of people of various cultures. People, capital, ideologies, media images, and cultural impulses travel around the world more rapidly and efficiently than ever before. Responding to the needs of global man, higher education policies have become increasingly internationalized. Policy-makers and educators stress internationalization as a principal goal for higher education. This required them to bring about changes in the research agenda, alter the curricula, establish linkages with other centres of learning, and make the composition of professional staff and student bodies more pluralistic. The policies and practices undertaken by academic systems and institutions to cope with the global academic environment is generally referred to as internationalization

Changing political culture and electoral behavior in Malaysia

The reform movement of 1998 and the general elections in 1999 are argued by many to have brought about a shift in Malaysian political culture, which became evident in 2008 elections. Studies conducted before 1999, based on fragmentary evidence, pictured Malaysia as having a “subject” political culture. The post-2008 survey data presents a picture of a high level of participation approximating the “participant” political culture. This change in political culture is due, among other reasons, to the poor regime performance, the emergence of civil society and the availability of alternative media. The 2008 elections, which witnessed the emergence of a “strong” opposition in the parliament, reflect the maturity of theMalaysian electorate, noticeably since 2004, which augurs well for democracy in the country

Academic dishonesty and misconduct: Curbing plagiarism in the Muslim world

Plagiarism is the theft of someone’s ideas or language, and is a form of cheating which is morally and ethically unacceptable. This study analyses the nature of plagiarism from an Islamic perspective and its prevalence in institutions of higher learning in the Muslim world, especially among faculty members. It also examines the ways in which universities attempt to minimise or marginalise plagiarism. This study is warranted by the fact that there is relatively very little research on the issue of plagiarism at universities in the Muslim world and that existing research seldom addresses the issue of academics engaged in such unethical practices. Based upon existing surveys, interviews, and documentary sources, the study found that in earlier periods, standards were not inevitably lower than those that exist today and that the scope for condemning plagiarists has always existed. It also found that despite Islam’s loathing, the incidence of plagiarism has grown significantly among Muslim students and faculty members in the Muslim world. The response to plagiarism varies from country to country. Some Muslim countries tolerate plagiarism, while others are taking steps to curb it. Institutions in Malaysia approach the problem of plagiarism as a matter of morality and crime that emphasise the need to develop writing and researching skills. They resort to honour codes, emphasise law and enforcement, and teach ways to write and cite. However, the success of these methods needs to be further probed

Constitution and constitutionalism

A constitution is a body of formal and effective rules and regulations that govern the relationship between people and formal institutions of a state. It is a body of fundamental rules which determines the organisation or structure of the government, and determines the relations among the organs of the government. It also contains a statement of the rights and duties of the citizens of the country. In democratic systems, the constitution is considered a fundamental social contract among citizens, where government receives its powers from the people and is bound by an express set of human rights. The constitution is thus considered a statute superior to "ordinary" statutes, which it can overrule, and is usually protected by special courts. This chapter analyses the nature and features of the Constitution of Malaysia and examines the way the Constitution produces a government limited by law

Writing research proposals & theses : substance, structure and style

This book provides expert advice to master's and doctoral degree students on the entire dissertation process from selectiong a suitable topic for research to writing and presenting the thesis in an acceptable format. It shows that the scientific method applied in the West is rooted in Islam and was used by Muslim scholars. It shuns the dichotomy between quantitative and qualitative approaches to research and argues that both the methods are required in social and political research and that the two approaches can usefully be treated together. It is organised according to the stages of research-and-writing process

Islam and civilisational renewal: the case for "sacred science"

The Islamic or Muslim civilisation was once at an incomparable peak in terms of all possible indicators of development. But a destruction of the spirit of inquiry and original research so distinctly associated with civilisational development served to sow the seeds of decay and render it easy prey for colonial exploitation. Confronted with a world dominated by Western science and technology, Muslim scholars have been searching for ways to regain their freedom, control their collective lives and link their past to the future. Some opted for a “secularisation thesis”, others advocated liberalisation, still others advocated adoption of science since the Qur’an and science could be seen to complement each other. Seyyed Hossein Nasr asks for the revival of Islamic science. Through a textual analysis of his writings, this study shows that Nasr provides a critique of the Western science and technology, while urging Muslims to study it in depth in order to undertake an authentic critique and to develop a new paradigm to usher in the new golden days of Islam

US Embassy in Jerusalem: reasons, implications and consequences

President Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has been condemned across Arab and predominantly Muslim countries. Based on the documentary analysis, this study analyses the reasons for Donald Trump’s decision, its implication and consequences for Palestinian peace-process. It is found that President Trump was following through on his major campaign promise to recognize Jerusalem and was simply implementing the Congress decision to relocate Jerusalem. The argument that this decision will adversely affect the role of the US as an honest broker in Israel-Palestine conflict is untenable. The US has never been an impartial moderator and has sided with Israel militarily, economically and politically. The peace-process did not materialise simply because Israel was not willing to concede to an independent Palestinian state and because the US was not willing to exert pressure on Israel to agree to a two-state solution. Copyright © IIUM Press Pengisytiharan Baitul Maqdis sebagai ibu negara Israel oleh Presiden Trump telah dikutuk oleh seluruh negara Arab dan sebahagian besar negara-negara Islam. Berdasarkan analisis dokumen, kajian ini menganalisis sebab-sebab yang membuatkan Donald Trump membuat keputusan tersebut, implikasi dan akibatnya kepada proses pendamaian Palestine. Didapati bahawa Presiden Trump telah menunaikan janji utama kempennya untuk mengiktirafkan Baitul Maqdis serta untuk mengimplementasi keputusan kongres untuk menempatkan Baitul Maqdis ke tempat lain. Hujah bahawa keputusan ini akan memberikan akibat buruk terhadap peranan Amerika Syarikat sebagai pengantara yang tulus dalam konflik Israel-Palestine tidak dapat dipertahankan lagi. Amerika Syarikat tidak pernah menjadi moderator yang berkecuali dan ia telah memihak kepada Israel secara militari, ekonomi dan politik. Proses pendamaian tidak berlaku kerana Israel tidak rela mengikhtiraf Palestine sebagai negara yang bebas. Di samping itu, Amerika Syarikat turut tidak bersedia untuk memberi tekanan kepada Israel untuk mempersetujui penyelesaian kepada dua negara

Religiosity of Malays living in Malaysian rural areas: an analytical survey

Religion affects an individual’s perception and the way in which people behave. The Malays in Malaysia observe religious rites and rituals and portray Islamic values in their behavior. Based upon a sample survey, this study examines respondents’ belief in the deity, the frequency and intensity of their involvement in religious rites and rituals, and their devotion to religious ceremonies. It is hypothesized that a person with a higher level of religiosity is more likely to align his/her behavior in compliance with religious belief and practices. This study finds that the Malays are polite in their behavior to their parents, try to help others, refrain from taking interests on loans to friends, and the like. Islam seems to influence all aspects of the behavior of the Malays in Malaysia. Most of them would abide by most of the dictates of their religion in their dealings with others. Religiosity is not significantly related to age, education, gender, and marital status. However, the rural population consistently scores high on all measures of religiosity

Society, politics and Islam : an overview

Malaysia is unique in that it is the only country that has territory on both the mainland and insular regions of Southeast Asia, known as West Malaysia and East Malaysia. West Malaysia, also known as Peninsular Malaysia, has an area of 131,313 sq km (50,700 sq mil and consists of the southern portion or the Malay Peninsula and nearby islands. Thailand borders Peninsular Malaysia on the north, and Singapore lies off the southern coastal tip. Peninsular Malaysia comprises 11 states and the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.! East Malaysia, with an area of 201,320 sq km (77,730 sq mi) occupies the northern section oE Borneo Island, as well as offshore islands. East Malaysia shares Borneo with Brunei, which lies on a small section of the northern coast, and with the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, which lies to the south. East Malaysia consists of the states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. East and West Malaysia are separated by about 640 km (about 400 mi) of the South China Sea, and together comprise an area of 329,758 sq km (127,320 sq mi)