IBTIKAR USIM | JUN 2019

3 2 B i l . 7 J U N 2 0 1 9 and, in doing so, academics regained their credibility and independent voices. Further, universities also played a public role in supplying much needed 3-D printed face shields, hand sanitisers and PPE (personal protective equipment). Indeed, there is now renewed confidence in academia. Two features have emerged from the crisis. First, higher education experts now advocate a convergence of knowledge through multilateral, rather than unilateral, acquisitions of knowledge reinforced with the wisdom of the humanities and social sciences, to steer and rebuild societies. Notwithstanding, too, is a deeper respect for the environment and for safeguarding the unique balance between humans and nature, for it is the folly of humankind that has brought us into this predicament. This is the quintessence of the ‘Oasis of Barakah’ metaphor. Second is the looming global recessionwhichmay take at least a couple of years to recover from. In higher education, this means reduced funding. Under these circumstances, funds for research and innovation, particularly those unrelated to Covid-19, are bound to be the first casualty. The lack of funds will translate into reduced research activities, including the intake of postgraduate students, particularly international postgraduates, all of whom are the backbone of a university’s research and innovation. The anticipated shortage of funds and the urgency for solutions may necessitate a shift to applied and translational research (conducted with rigorous research methodologies to ensure publication worthiness) over fundamental research. However, this may be just a necessary stopgap measure. Faith in Crisis This pandemic is as much a health crisis as it is a human, economic and social one. It has brought to light several issues affecting Malaysian society. These issues warrant in-depth analyses which are valuable for policy makers to prepare us for future disruptions on this scale. With our impressive track record of engagement with communities living in poverty, persons with disabilities, persons with substance abuse and indigenous peoples, we can use this opportunity to form multi-disciplinary teams of experts to research, for example, the mental health and well-being, food security, education, economic consequences and related vulnerabilities of these segments of society, in order to establish the impact of COVID-19. A collaboration between research clusters and units in the Institute of Islamic Science could be the nucleus for such an effort. Although there is still an aversion to religion in academic works, there is now a growing acknowledgement on the need to integrate tenets of faith into academic research to address the deterioration in ethics and values in higher education systems and society.