DR BEN ASKED ME TO WRITE ABOUT THIS (PT 2)

(continues from Part 1)

How research can straighten up an academician? I will answer this in point
forms for two reasons; easy reading and because I am very tired due to a long
day.
1. Research is about avoiding and/or against contradiction. In other words,
research is about upholding principles no matter how minuscule or colossal. Is
not this what we do in research? Things must conserve; mass, momentum
and energy. Seeing research as a form of exercise or training, this can
therefore mold an academician into a man of words and man of principles. So,
if we see an academician being a hypocrite, we can say that he or she does
not carry out enough research. If we are witnessing academicians
contradicting even himself and worst ,those who does not even notice all
contradictions around him or her, we can say that he or she was not properly
trained in research. Huh, how about that?
2. Research measures the smartness of an academician. We all agree that to be
an academician or a lecturer or a professor, one must be smart right? Its
wajib right? If not we are not being amanah right? I believe that, it is sinful
for not being smart when one accepts the amanah to become a teacher. But
how can we know whether we are smart enough? The smartness of an
academician is usually and many time solely assessed by his or he research
outputs in the forms of technical writings, famously known as Journals
articles. This is because, for every submitted paper, it will be assessed by a
panel of worldly recognized experts and only if the paper is smart enough, it
can be accepted. Therefore, the acceptance of a paper is also the recognition
of the smartness of the authors; the academician. Is this for self-pride? You
can if you want to, but as a Muslim, it would be better for us to use this for
muhasabah diri; in answering to ourselves whether we have fulfilled the
amanah bestowed upon us by Allah swt, or not.
3. Research can make us good teachers. Many times I heard the statement I do
not want to do research, I only want to teach. Bro and bri, you can be a good
teacher only if you are filled with knowledge, ideas, notions, understanding
which all increases if you keep doing research. It is just logic that you are a
better teacher if you do research as compared to if you do not. Come on, this
is not school where the syllabus does not change drastically, this is university;
arent we supposed to be dynamic and vibrant?
4. Research makes you more sensitive and better decision maker. Is not research
about observing changes, tracing patterns and identifying courses and effects
which then lead us to make conclusions. If we keep doing this, we exercise
ourselves and the most, our brain to be sensitive towards our surrounding and
be critical in weighing what is right and what i wrong, a researcher tend to
make more accurate and relevant decisions, not only in his or her works but
also in life-related matters as compared to those not doing research. It is my
conjecture that the idle state of research activities for the past 50 years in
Malaysian universities what produces those men who now we called
professors but who keep making irrelevant policies and decisions thus seem
to be detached from realities.
By now, the roles of a research as detailed above should be enough to make
it obvious to you that RESEARCH CAN STRAIGHTEN UP AN
ACADEMICIAN. However, this should only lead us to more questions:
1. What went wrong? Why many of us do not realize these earlier? Do not
many of us have PhD? Or is it only me that thinks the above are true?
2. Say that the above are true, why we need to straighten up our
academician? Are we, the academicians really that important? Is it true that a
perfectly straight academician can do great things for the ummah and nation?
How great is great?
3. Say that the above are true and we also agree that there is a pressing need
to straighten up our academicians; now the question is how to do that?
Should we make coup d'tat? Or should we make underground movement?
Should we form a political party to make our voice heard? How?
4. And many more questions that only make those who are straighten up a bit,
people like me trapped in deep hole of anxiety or in the words of Dr. Ben, in
the sate of kegelisahan yang diperlukan.
Wallahhualam. THE END