"Academic Intolerance Hurts Growth Of New Ideas"

by Professor Datuk Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim, Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy Studies UCSI University

ALL great things start with an idea. This applies to national policies, business undertakings and societal projects. They would always begin with ideas coming from someone, somewhere. More often than not, tracing back such ideas would confirm they originate from those with knowledge and experience who constantly think of new ideas to bring to the table. These people are idea-centric, seldom stingy with their ideas. Over the years, we have seen how great scientists and business icons of the world often share their thoughts before they submit them for application. Many such greats would most likely have their early beginnings in higher learning institutions. This is understandable since university academics are constantly doing research and discovering new things.

    Some of the new ideas are also accidental outcomes of research. There have been many such cases. The story about the MP3 technology spotted accidentally from a research project is well known.The Fraunhofer institutes in Germany made that accidental discovery which earned them millions in licensing royalty. 

    Here at home, we have also borne witness to the emergence of great ideas coming from university academics. One such idea is the Tabung Haji model introduced by the late Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid. He also had a hand in other ideas, such as the business of cooperatives, which have now assumed national significance, and the establishment of Angkasa. Admittedly, when Ungku Aziz helmed Universiti Malaya, discourse and debates among academics were common. 

    That was how new ideas were born and polished till they became ready for real adoption. Thought leadership was then the hallmark of universities. It is unfortunate that tolerating differences of opinion has seen much erosion in recent years. It was such tolerance that has been important in churning out new ideas. Oftentimes, the crude ideas when mooted could even be controversial. But, they were debated and argued, further improving their acceptance. It has become clear in recent times that many new academics are not comfortable with controversial ideas. They are quick to pass judgment and brand them unacceptable. Some even say they should be avoided at all costs. If we continue with such intolerance, universities will one day be no longer the nation’s repository of knowledge and birthplace of new ideas.

    It is still not too late to stop this decline in thought leadership. Some say the root cause is the fear of failure among today’s academics—the fear of making mistakes. It has driven many to hide in their comfort zone. This is unhealthy and will not give rise to new ideas. They may not realise that without fresh ideas there can be no great innovation, which is now recognised as a critical recipe for human development. We will succumb to development paralysis if we continue to deny the need to generate good ideas. This is where the culture of critical thinking needs constant nurturing by having a healthy ecosystem of agreeing to disagree and inculcating the respect for idea sharing in others.