Introduction
After 17 years of existence as the 12th public university, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) has produced a total of 14,783 alumni from various levels and fields of study. Of these, as many as 97.3% or 14 378 are Malaysian alumni, while the remaining 2.7% percent or 405 are international alumni. They are now scattered throughout the country contributing to the community according to their respective skills and expertise. Not forgetting, the international alumni also devotedly contribute back to their respective home countries armed with useful knowledge and skills acquired in USIM.
Alumni is an important national asset that will help to develop the country to greater heights in the future. Hence, in facing the challenging era of globalization, the alumni should equip themselves with adequate preparation. For example, the alumni should be innovative, possess high cognitive abilities, master various languages with the ability to communicate effectively and be tech-savvy, able to practice noble values as the basis of life, and able to provide social contribution to the community and the nation. Not to forget, many USIM alumni have now occupied key positions in government agencies and the private sectors, thus be responsible to sustain the country’s development.
In the context of contribution to their alma mater or university where they studied before, USIM alumni, undeniably plays a role in supporting and contributing voluntarily to USIM to maintain and expand its development and sustainability. For this purpose, the establishment of Alumni and Career Center USIM can help to create channels and platforms to facilitate strong relationships between students and alumni of the university. Each alumni goes through unique and different experience from other alumni, and therefore has the potential to contribute to the university in various ways and scales.
Career Mentor
The current scenario shows the challenging competition to enter career fields as job offers and opportunities are diminishing whereas the production of graduates from institutions of higher learning in Malaysia has reached tens of thousands of people every year. Job opportunities are critical in certain employment sectors. Prospective graduates, especially students in their final year must be willing to arm themselves and to think more seriously about their career choices. This is where alumni USIM, especially those who are already working, can provide mentoring service on job availability in the industry and open pathway for students to be admitted either for practical training or working experience at institutions where the alumni is located. Alumni can be a reference to the respective faculties in providing for the students and graduands’ needs to locate themselves in a particular career field. University curriculum can be improved to meet the related career aspirations.
Icon dan Inspiration
Many USIM alumni have achieved success in the field of entrepreneurship, owned their business network, become celebrities and TV news anchor-persons and high officials in government departments. Alumni can be effective and exemplary icons to students. The return of the alumni to assist the university will bring credibility and justification as part of a successful university that had gone through similar challenges faced by the current students.
Given the fact that these alumni have also been through the process of learning similar to current students, thus sharing experience by alumni with students either in terms of time management and finance, the formation of personality and character or career field is important and can be accepted as effective guide to inspire students. This way the alumni can help to strengthen confidence, channel the enthusiasm and instil the university culture as an aspiration to pass on to the next generations of students.
Waqf and Fund Contribution Dana
Next, the contribution of funds either in the form of waqf, charity and so on are among the contributions that alumni can give to USIM. The alumni particularly from the earliest generations that are more financially stable can help to ease the financial burden of the poor students in the university. There are now approximately 28.6% of the total of over 12,000 USIM students that come from a family with income below RM 3000 per month. Thus, the contribution of the alumni who had similar experience as students and now have successful careers, can ease the burden of the less fortunate students. Supposed there are 10000 USIM alumni who consistently contribute as little as RM5 per month, then RM 50000 can be collected every month as contributions from alumni. This amount is very significant in helping the less fortunate students to lead a better life. Their success later will help raise the standard of living and economy of their families.
Waqf Funding Development Centre (PPPW) USIM and Alumni and Career Center USIM can be the intermediaries and facilitators to help alumni contribute funds and waqf to the university. Active and registered Alumni Centre and alumni associations can help stimulate the accumulation of trust funds to establish scholarships, to support student activities and cultural programs and club expeditions, to help the provision of infrastructure for the students of disability (OKU) and to support innovative improvements of the University.
Contributing to waqf funds has become the norm for other leading universities of the world. For example, Harvard University in the United States and the University of Al Azhar in Egypt are examples of the world’s leading universities with the highest and largest number of trust funds in the world, largely contributed by alumni. This waqf fund allows the universities to have independent financial ability without having to rely solely on the government. In addition, the waqf fund has also been working on the organization of leading programs, scientific research findings and has produced hundreds of professors in a variety of academic expertise.
Contribution of Expertise
In addition, alumni can also contribute their expertise in areas related to their professions to develop new programs of study at the university. The return of alumni to USIM either as a member of the board of directors, lecturers, advisory committee members of the faculty or centre of responsibility (PTj), industrial experts and partners of joint projects with the university will pursue their flight to make the development of their alma mater successful though they have long left USIM.
In the field of industrial research and innovation, the alumni can open the door to the university for admission to their industrial network either within the country or abroad in terms of collaboration and partnerships. This provides an opportunity for the university to inhabit particular industries through the application of the theories with the results analyzed by USIM researchers and tested together with other industrial experts. The success of knowledge transfer will further enhance the capacity and reputation of the university in the national and international arena.
Upholding the Image and Reputation of the University
USIM alumni, even though they have left USIM, they will still carry USIM name as their degree certificate was obtained from USIM and will be seen and valued by employers and institutions where they work. Quality work performance as a result of the tutelage of the naqli-aqli concept in USIM certainly adds confidence in the industry to take in USIM alumni as their employees in times to come. Positive outlook and the fact that alumni give concerning the university is channelled either through the electronic media, social media and respective forums is a dedicated support to the university’s reputation. It seeks to influence the public as general perception sees that the alumni understand the challenges of the institution at the university better through the last few years of life they have undergone there.
In addition, USIM alumni who have successfully served in various sectors both within the country and abroad have confirmed the quality and effectiveness of the program and curriculum of study, research and the university community. Their reception in the job market confirms the employment marketability they possess through the application of valuable knowledge obtained when they were in USIM. Thus, the more influential position alumni career and his life, the higher the acknowledgement and trust of the community to the university they studied.
Assisting Student Enrolment Process
Typically, before a person chooses to pursue a university, the alumni of the university will be seen as a measuring yardstick of the suitability of the university as an educational destination. In the context of USIM, the USIM alumni can play a role to be the spokespersons and help promote the university to the outsiders as a destination for them to pursue their studies. The alumni can encourage students, especially among the family and friends to consider USIM as their education provider.
Alumni can demonstrate to the students on how to pursue their careers upon graduation. USIM alumni’s experiences and successes in the job are real results that can be shared and can be the deciding factor for students to make decision. Similarly, the alumni act as voluntary ambassador actively involved to help strengthen student’s enrolment and admission into the university. These efforts can be powered either at the national, regional and international level, depending on the alumni’s potentials and status.
Conclusion
Indeed, the role of alumni is crucial in the development of a university. USIM alumni is no exception as an important asset with major roles in the progress and preservation of the university and the nation. Each alumnus can provide a wide range of capacities and contributions based on their expertise that can benefit students, graduands, alumni, universities and communities.
The university welcomes the views of alumni to share ideas for the development of the university and the proposed solutions to the challenges faced by the university. The views and feedback such as this is extremely valuable to help the university achieve its vision and goals in the future. As part of a large family of the university, alumni of an asset to the university as their involvement and contribution can raise the reputation of the university at the national and international levels.
Indeed, successful alumni are important human capitals for the unity and development of the community as well as a major contributor to economic growth and development that may eventually bring significant benefits to religion, race, nation and people as a whole.