IBTIKAR USIM | JUN 2019

B U L E T I N P E N Y E L I D I K A N D A N I N O VA S I U N I V E R S I T I S A I N S I S L A M M A L AY S I A 3 1 Ride theWinds of Change and Fly Professor Dato' Dr. Roshada Hashim, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia Three years ago, at a Foresight workshop, the desired metaphor that emerged for USIM in 2035 was as ‘an Oasis of Barakah.’ It envisioned a values-based university that championed the interplay between the convergence of knowledge, flexible education and human- centric technology; embedded within was a deep respect for each other and nature. The backdrop of this metaphor was the 4th Industrial Revolution, characterised by artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital and technological disruptions. However, the unexpected appearance of an organic inanimate disrupter (read: virus) that does not discriminate against region, social background or status and would cause more chaos than any technological advancement, was not part of this future narrative. The COVID-19 crisis created upheaval for many essential and non-essential sectors. Higher education has not been spared. Like a hurricane, it swept through our educational institutions in one fell swoop, forcing us to divert from our ‘norm’ and to adapt to new situations and conceive creative solutions at very short notice, and it looks like there is no looking back. Now more than ever, higher education faces many challenges including shrinking government funds which threatens the sustainability of brick-and-mortar universities, the inequitable power of online learning and transnational activities. Not surprisingly though, the fundamental function of a university to create and disseminate advanced knowledge through research and innovation while developing ethical and able citizens has not only persisted but has been accentuated instead. At the peak of the crisis, universities stepped in to become sources of accurate, evidence-based information