History was created at UTM on 26th June 2013 when Prof. Dr. Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud, founder-director of the Centre for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science, and Civilisation (CASIS) gave his inaugural lecture entitled, Islamisation of Contemporary Knowledge and the Role of the University in the Context of De-Westernisation and Decolonisation at the Main Hall, Menara Razak, UTM Kuala Lumpur.
It was the first time that such a lecture was given at the UTM KL campus—all other professorial lectures had been given at the UTM Main Campus, Johor Bahru. 554 people attended the event, which is the best record ever for such lectures in UTM’s history, considering the fact that CASIS is one of the newly formed centres of excellence in UTM but has contributed significantly to enhancing the Islamic intellectual tradition. CASIS currently has only 6 academic staff and 38 Masters and Ph.D students.
The overwhelming presence of participants from all walks of life for the lecture was encouraging in spite of the week-long haze that prevented many more people from attending. Among those present consisted of bureaucrats, bankers, politicians from various political parties, diplomats, and scholars as well as students from various institutions of learning such as UM, UKM, UIA, KUIS, USIM, UPNM, UPM, UiTM, and UMK. Various groups from Indonesia and Singapore also attended.
The commentary was given by Prof. Dr. Alparslan Acikgenc, Director of the Graduate School of Social Sciences, Yildiz School of Social Sciences, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey, and the session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Dato’ Aziuddin Ahmad, member of the Board of Governors, Putra Business School UPM, and formerly Rector of KUIS.
In his inaugural lecture, Prof. Wan Mohd Nor put forth compelling arguments for the architectonic and strategic importance of higher education in human and societal development. He also asserted that the Western philosophical and knowledge framework that have contributed much to the rise of European modernity that was initially spread by colonialism and followed by globalization have also produced grave human and ecological deficits globally. This has been admitted by not only non-Western scholars, but also by prominent Western scholars themselves.
Examples of the various discourses and attempts at de-westernising and indigenising knowledge frameworks and related issues by various Western and non-Western scholars and institutions were given. The attempts by serious Muslim scholars for the Islamisation of contemporary knowledge led by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas were placed in such contexts—although these are arguably more universal, spiritual, ethical, civilizational, and comprehensive.
Prof Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud argued that the Islamisation project reflects the spirit of dynamic stabilism, which preserves all the foundational and essential aspects of the Creed, and the intellectual and knowledge frameworks as well as the legal principles of Islam—while adopting all the relevant and useful contemporary ideas, methods, and instruments from the West and other cultures and civilisations.
The key aspect of this venture, which is more urgent now than ever in the global age and pluralistic world, is the production of a spiritual and civilized person; a person of adab, who knows and is able to put everyone and everything in their right and proper places, leading to natural and social harmony and justice. The person of adab is confident of his identity and role and will respect and deal with others with compassion, justice, and moderation. Prof Wan urges that our system of education, especially at the higher educational level, should be reoriented not to reflect the narrow needs of the Industry but of the comprehensive needs of a Good Human Being (Universal Man). He asserted that many prominent scholars, professionals, and public figures in many parts of the world have also expressed their grave concerns regarding the excessive commercialization of the modern university, which seems to ignore the more important aspects such as human growth and the development of a more socio-economically just world.
Prof Dr Wan Mohd Nor is highly influential among the Muslim intelligentsia in South East Asia—especially among the younger generation. He obtained his BSc in Biology and MSc in Education from Northern Illinois University, and Phd in Islamic Thought from the University of Chicago. He has written more than 16 books and monographs, and numerous academic articles in the areas of Islamic epistemology and education, ethics and human development, and knowledge culture. His works are read worldwide and have been translated into various languages such as Malay, Indonesian, Turkish, Russian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Arabic, Persian, Mandarin, and Japanese.