From: nor@hekla.pnge.psu.edu (Nor-Azlan Nordin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean
Subject: Re: Research Institute in Malaysia(ASEAN)-A proposal
Date: 17 Apr 92 15:01:23 GMT
Distribution: soc
Organization: PSU Petroleum Engineering

In article <1992Apr17.022104.11207@husc3.harvard.edu> tloh@husc8.harvard.edu (Teck Loh) writes:

>I am just curious whether there is any plan by our government or the ASEAn
>countries in building a research Institute. I think it will be a good
>idea if we can tap the best brain from this region. The aim of this research
>institute will be to develope new technologies that will improve the living
>standard of our life. Of course this is a rather big project and it is still
>in a very premature stage. There are many questions to be answered.

We have Petroleum Research Institute (under PETRONAS) in Malaysia.
Budget is approxiamtely US$18.0 million (based on the recent survey by
the Journal of Petroleum Technolgy).  BTW, this is one of the highest
budgets as compared to other research institutes.   Check out for the
next five years, I am sure this institute is going to be as famous as
the Institute de' Petrole, France, and the Koninklijke/Shell
Exploratie en Produktie Laboratorium, Holland.
And, of course, I am the director :-).  Give me 5-10 years...that's all I
ask. 

>1. Where should we built this institute?
>2. Who is going to invest and what is the budget?
>3. How do we share the fruits of the research?
>4. How do we organise the institute?
>5. What is the criterias and requirements for employment?
>6. Should this be restricted to research or a combination of research and academia?
>7. What is the role model institute that we can refer to (eg. scripps institute,etc) ?

IMHO, to answer all these questions is not an easy task.  Somehow, we
need to gather all the scientists in Malaysia under one organization
first.  Then, start all the efforts to answer the questions.  
We need to create some kind of comprehensive research organization 
comparable to the Academy of Science in the US. (ie.  Academy of Science 
Malaysia).  This institute will have a department that control
research fundings and so forth.  We have been depending on western 
technolgies  and pay a lot of $$$$ for them for so long, now it is the 
time for us to export our technology.  


>international journals. I do not know whether it is due to budget constraint
>, lack of ideas or the quality of students. I think it is time to have a research institute where the best researcher and students are admitted rather than base

Malaysia doesn't have enough expertise in basic research.  We need
people like you (MS and PhD graduates) to jump start the research and
development sectors (petroleum etc.).  Perhaps, produce our own
motherboard for the personal computer (Made in Malaysia).  Maybe they
have it now, I don't know.  But, I am sure we have quite advanced
research in the field of petroelum and natural gas engineering (EOR
etc.).  

So future scientists out there.....my plea is don't run away.  Go back
to Malaysia and be a part of this effort.   If sports can overcome the
racial barriers, why don't we try this one ....RESEARCH!!!


   " If human race wnats to go to hell in a basket, technology can
     help it get there by jet.  It won't change the desire or the
     direction, but it can greatly speed the passage."

 
                                    -Charles M. Allen, 1967-


>T-P Loh


-azlan nordin-             
  Penn State
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean