Institutions of Higher Learning in Islamic countries have been urged to intensify discussions with the aim of developing an Islamic-based model of higher education, regarded as being able to overcome the weaknesses of the present system.

The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, said that serious discussions on an Islamic-based model of higher education will not only help to strengthen ties between institutions of learning in the Islamic world but also in preparing the future generation to understand the realities of life.

“Serious efforts to develop an Islamic-based model of education were last undertaken at the World Conference on Islamic Education in Mecca in 1977. This saw the setting up of two Islamic universities in Malaysia and Pakistan but since then, we have not had any forums of this nature. Consequently, most of the universities are tied to an education model that is based on rankings, as we can see today,” he said at the closing ceremony of the Muslim Universities Vice-Chancellors’/ Presidents’ Forum.

He added that many views have been put forward and that there have been calls to bring back the model of Islamic education. As such, drawing up an Islamic-based model of higher education which is in line with current global developments is no longer impossible to achieve.

“What is important is for us to revive efforts similar to that in 1977, but which is appropriate in the context of the modern world,” he stressed, while describing the organizing of the Muslim Universities Vice-Chancellors’/ Presidents’ Forum as very timely.

Prior to this, Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak presented 13 resolutions made during the two-day forum. These resolutions covered various aspects including evaluation of the Islamic-based approach in higher education, the need to tackle intellectual and structural problems, as well as dependence of higher education on western ideas and needs.

The Muslim Universities Vice-Chancellors’/ Presidents’ Forum was jointly organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, National Higher Education Research Institution and Universiti Sains Malaysia. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 
RESOLUTIONS OF MUSLIM UNIVERSITIES... Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli (left) presenting a copy of the resolutions to Dato’ Saifuddin while Prof. Fauziah Md. Taib, Deputy Director, IPPTN USM looks on.