Photos OYAGSB
SINTOK, April 20: The Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business (OYAGSB) reaffirmed its commitment to advancing research, development and innovation through a strategic roadshow led by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Dr Ram Al Jaffri Saad.
In his address, Professor Dr Ram emphasised the importance of cultivating a collaborative work culture grounded in the principle of “we before me”, while encouraging staff to work collectively towards achieving the university’s key performance indicators (KPIs).
“If we fall, we fall together; if we rise, we rise together,” he said.
Reflecting UUM’s broader push towards research excellence, he also disclosed that the Research Management Centre (RMC) is currently reviewing a proposal to raise publication incentives for Q1 Scopus-indexed journals from RM2,500 to RM5,000. The proposed increase is intended to accelerate high-impact scholarly output and further enhance the university’s research standing.
Meanwhile, Dean of OYAGSB, Professor Dr Hasnizam Shaari, announced the establishment of two new research groups (RGs) — Digital Economy, Finance and Analytics, and Leadership, Innovation and Market Behavior — as part of a focused strategy to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and elevate research productivity within the school.
Elaborating on the initiative, Dean of Research and Innovation, Department of Research, Development and Innovation Affairs, Professor Dr Nor Idayu Mahat, explained that the RGs are designed to function as a supportive academic ecosystem, enabling academic staff to contribute meaningfully to research efforts within a more collaborative and less individualised performance structure.
To kickstart the initiative, she announced that each research group will receive an initial seed fund of RM5,000 this year, providing early momentum for research planning, collaboration, and project development.
Evaluation of the groups, she added, will extend beyond conventional output measures and will be guided by both Return on Investment (ROI) and Return on Value (ROV). While ROI will focus on outcomes such as the successful acquisition of external grants, ROV will account for broader contributions, including knowledge transfer, community impact and talent development.
Beyond the research agenda, the roadshow also featured briefings by representatives from UUM Information Technology and the Department of Development and Infrastructure Management, who outlined several planned infrastructure enhancements. These included campus-wide Wi-Fi upgrades, Building Condition Assessments for the OYAGSB Kuala Lumpur campus, and a series of immediate maintenance interventions aimed at improving the school’s academic and operational environment.
Bringing together both academic and administrative staff, the session reflected a unified institutional commitment to advancing OYAGSB’s research priorities while strengthening the support systems needed to sustain long-term excellence.
Also present were Associate Professor Dr Mohammad Azam Hussain, Director of the Research Management Centre; Professor Dr Chandrakantan Subramaniam, Director of the University-Industry Collaboration Centre; Datuk Professor Ts. Dr Norazah Mohd Suki, Deputy Dean (Academic and International) of OYAGSB; and Professor Dr Selvan Perumal, Deputy Dean of OYAGSB. – Nur Shazwani Shariffudin
