INVITED SPEAKERS

Keynote, Plenary 1, Plenary 2

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Professor Dato' Dr. Sidek Baba was born in Malacca in 1946. His earlier schooling was in Malacca and later entered Teachers Training College in Tg. Malim. He did his first Degree in Malay Studies at the University of Malaya and Diploma in Islamic Studies at the National University of Malaysia. Later he completed his Masters and Ph.D. in the areas of Comparative Education and Policy Studies in the United States of America.

He was a teacher for 18 years and worked as a lecturer in Aminuddin Baki Institute, Genting Highlands for 5 years. He joined International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in 1992 as Deputy Dean Academic Affairs and later as the Dean of the Matriculation Centre. In 1994 he was appointed as the Deputy Rector of IIUM (Student Affairs) cum the Acting Dean for the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences. In August 2002 he was made the Full Professor in the Kulliyyah Of Education.

Since 1973 till today he is extensively involved in educational works all over the Muslim communities. He delivered his talks and papers in USA, U.K and Canada , Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, China, Japan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Iran and many others. His subjects are on Islam, HRD, Comparative Education and Civilization, Philosophy, Policy Analysis and Strategic Thinking. He developed “I Theory” dealing with IHSAN and INSAN in managing self and the system.

He has written almost 500 articles and working papers and produced ten books on knowledge and education, ethics and civilization. He was made the Secretary to develop the curriculum for Islamic Civilization Programmes for Higher Education and the Centre for Asian Civilization in the University of Malaya. He is also the Board Members of IKIM, Darul Quran Jakim, KUIS, Educational Board on Integrity Malaysia, Board of Majlis Agama Islam Selangor,MUAFAKAT MARA and many others.

He can be reached at http://www.facebook.com/sidekbaba

PLENARY SPEAKER 1

Prof. Mohd. Yusof Hj. Othman is a Professor at Department of Physics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). He was the Head, Department of Physics (1990-94); Deputy Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology (1994-02); Director, Research and Innovation Management Centre (2002-07); and the founding Director of Institute of Islam Hadhari since July 2007 of the university.

Prof. Othman has been involved in renewable energy activities for more than twenty five years. His main contributions are in solar radiation, solar thermal and photovoltaic systems. His major research efforts include designing solar collectors for drying and hot water systems, photovoltaic water pumping, grid connected photovoltaic systems, and currently in photovoltaic-thermal collector (air & water based). He was the founding member of Solar Energy Research Group, UKM and founding Secretary General of Malaysian Institute of Energy (1992-2005). He has been elected as council member of the World Renewable Energy Network (WREN) since 1992, contact person for International Solar Energy Society (ISES) in Malaysia (1990-96).

Prof. Othman was visiting professor at the Department of Engineering, University of Reading, UK (1994), Associate Editor of the International Journal of Renewable Energy since 2005, Editorial Review Board of Scientific Journal International since July 2007. He received “WREN Pioneer” Award from World Renewable Energy Network/Congress in 2004 for his recognition and contribution in renewable energy activities. He has been sitting on various panels and committee on renewable energy and education at ministry level in Malaysia. He has authored and co-authored more than 250 articles in journals, proceedings, and seminars in the field of renewable energy, physics and science education. He has written 22 books in the field of physics and general interests. He received several awards from UKM - Excellence Services Award in 1990 and 1993; Special Award in the Category of Creativity and Innovation (1997); Social Services Award for Academician (1998); and Special Quality Award – Scientific Publications (2003). He is also the recipient of Darjah Kesatria Mangku Negara (KMN) from Federal Government and Darjah Setia Negeri Sembilan (DSNS) from the King of Negeri Sembilan (2008), Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN) from The State of Penang (2009), Special Award of Maal Hijrah (1426H - 2006) from the Government of Malaysia, and Special Award of Maal Hijrah (Tokoh Maal Hijrah) from the State Government of Penang (1429H - 2008).

Prof. Othman has received eight awards from UKM; thirteen awards from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia; four awards from International Exhibition of Inventions, Geneva, Switzerland; and three awards from Seoul International Invention Fair for his contribution in research activities in Renewable Energy since 1990.  He is also the recipient of Henry Goh Award 2000 for Most Environment Friendly Invention 2000; Environmental Protection Prize from Swiss Society for the Protection of The Environment in 2001; Special Award from Taiwan Inventors Association in Seoul International Invention Fair 2004; The International Federation of Inventor’s Associations (IFIA), Geneva, Switzerland Gold Medal (2008), and Special Prize from Korea Invention Promotion Association for commending excellent efforts to create invention exhibited at INPEX 2008 Invention & New Production Exposition, Pittsburgh, USA.

Paper Abstract

CHALLENGES OF SCIENCE BASED EDUCATION

No one can deny that science has contributed a lot in developing and shaping the world. With science people can understand the nature of the world macroscopically or microscopically; living things or non-living things, take benefit from them, and develop the economics and social aspects of this world. Science improves our potential of rational thinking and intellectual capacity. No wonder that developed countries spend so much money and effort in research in science and technology, and the rest become the recipients of their products. At the same time, improvement in S&T also makes them alienated from their cultures, traditional and religions; the more they understand this world scientifically, the more they marginalized their religions and traditional cultures. Education is the best way to improve our living standard and quality, and preserving our culture and religion. But, with the dominance of science in education, we are producing people which have high scientific literacy but less religious and cultural awareness. We are producing more ‘scholars’ who are ‘literates, but uneducated’, and ‘knowledgeable barbarians’.  This is because we are producing people who are motivated by the intellectual capacity, and not by the cultural and religious values.