By Athira Liyana ABD. Latiff
GOMBAK, 12 March 2022: Graduates with a PhD qualification who are licensed to teach and to do research on their own were urged to utilise research as the powerful tool to conduct research to contribute back to the society.
IIUM President, Tan Sri Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar made this call in his speech during the 36th IIUM Convocation Ceremony at the IIUM Cultural Centre (ICC), Gombak campus.
He called on the graduands to be humble at all times with everyone, and never look down on others as “humility is the perfect mirror of intellect.”
“You should be a man of substance, don’t be engrossed with formalities and externalities as the substance will make you less dependent on others, but fully dependent on the creator, the All-Mighty Allah (SWT).”
Mohd Daud Bakar also encouraged graduands “to make use of whatever they have to connect all the dots in life because life is too short to try and reinvent the wheel”.
He added, “Life will be more meaningful, purposeful, and impactful if we can covert the high quality in the mind into anything that benefits the society.”
He also stressed that one should never overestimate their knowledge, their position, and their credentials whilst never to underestimate others even for a second as “this is the perfect recipe for failure and the loss of dignity.”
Mohd. Daud Bakar furthered his speech by advising the graduands to never stop at their doctorate degree considering that the world is very much in need of their services.
He noted that the demand and supply of the world have become haphazard whereby the input of supply is only when there is a demand.
“In Islam, I would argue differently. We need to create the demand in order to create the supply for the future.”
The President also alluded to Surah Yusuf with the achievements of the doctorates by emphasising the importance of contributing more and using the powerful tool of research to unlock the truth, to unlock the need of society, and to make the planet a better place for everyone to live, to work, and to enjoy while building the everlasting life in the hereafter. ***