A Virtual Journey to IIUM 2040

A VIRTUAL JOURNEY TO IIUM 2040
FUTURES SCENARIO BUILDING WORKSHOP

What is likely to happen to IIUM in years The fact that
to come if there is no change? In year ‘adab’ in seeking
2040, IIUM is still trying to realise its knowledge must
raison d’etre whilst holding true to its be preserved,
vision and missions. The foundation of face to face
Islamisation is still being preached, but is teaching and
not translated into action. Despite all the learning should
efforts to advance sustainable development, be emphasised
they do not positively influence the culture but taking into
of the university. consideration the
post pandemic
People are still working in silos. They situation,
show up to work but stay in their comfort heutagogy can
zones. Some of them do not want to join be used for adult
forces to effect change and are not being learners
team players. The ‘People Capability
Maturity Model’ is still very low and they - Noor Lide
comfortably sit at the corner in their ‘safe
zones’. The No Change scenario will
witness the disappearance of kulliyyahs
(departments) as they were no takers due
to the lack of creativity and innovation in
the area of pedagogy, research, publications
and community engagement. The number
of student enrolment will fall.

To make things worse, outdated
infrastructure will impede development
and demoralise staff, students and the
surrounding community. Due to increase in
tuition fees, the number of foreign students
will also decrease, removing a unique
feature of the IIUM community. This will
be a sad reality for the university.

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Figure 8-3: The abandoned building of former Kulliyyah of Education
(Picture courtesy of Hamizuddin Soid Hamidi, Development Division IIUM)

THE IMAGE OF THE SCENARIO
1. An institution that is no longer relevant and becomes a liability to the

stakeholders.
2. Knowledge remains abstract, no innovation and creativity. It is solely

meant to generate certificates, individual pleasure, and not driven by
community needs.
3. The community is ignored and students are unable to do field studies
or conduct research.
4. Underperformance due to the “business-as-usual” attitude which leads to
budget cuts and reduced number of grants from stakeholders and investors.
Questions we have to ask ourselves:
• What are we doing currently?
• What is right and wrong?
• What has been done and what could be done better?
• What do we want to see in 2030, 2040 & beyond?
• How do we create a desirable future for IIUM 2040?

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One of the emerging issues that was highlighted and needed careful
attention is the inexorable rise of the informal learning platforms. Online
universities, colleges, and other institutions offer courses that are flexible
and on a ‘need-basis’. As an example, 12 Higher Institutions in Malaysia
offer online Business and Management courses. Another platform, YouTube,
offers a lot of rich knowledge to be discovered. Perhaps most of us have
used YouTube videos to learn something new. There are billions of videos in
various domains ranging from cooking to statistics, to science experiments,
and history. Billions of people use it for learning with the help from channels
such as TED-Ed, National Geographic, Crash Course and more.

Some of the reasons why YouTube is widely used:
• YouTube services are available to everyone for free. It is beneficial for

audiences to watch a variety of content without payment and for authors
to share their content with a large number of viewers world-wide.
• Everyone can create videos and YouTube can be used to distribute user-
generated content.  Removing the technical and economic barriers, this
encourages people to publish their own content or comment on other
people’s content. 
• YouTube provides an opportunity to create a community. Not only can
content creators upload videos, they can also communicate with their
subscribers through the comment section, which can be used by anyone
visiting the channel or video and has similar interest and goals.
• People use YouTube to construct and build their personal brand and
they can become a Youtuber13.

E-learning and other tools of knowledge-transfer are dynamically changing.
Institutions of higher learning need financial resources and expertise to keep
up with this trend. Technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) continue to
transform our world. The first personal computer (PC) was introduced in
1975 by Ed Roberts. Ten years later, approximately 8.2% of the households

13 Sibel Somyürek, Youtube as a non-formal/informal learning platform (European
Commission, 2019).

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in the US owned a PC (US Census Bureau). Now most of the households
worldwide own a PC and/or a laptop.

Another issue is having university degrees that do not guarantee
employment. According to the Ministry of Higher Education, 75, 000 out
of approximately 300, 000 graduates in 2020 will be unemployed due to
the pandemic crisis. The unemployment rate has jumped from 13.8%
to 25% in 2020.

The last point of deliberation was the increasing number of IIUM graduates
holding various certificates that do not add value to them as a person.
Instead of becoming a balanced human being, they learn to become selfish
and they lack empathy.

CAUSAL LAYERED ANALYSIS (CLA)

The second part of the workshop was for each group to re-visit the findings
of the first workshop. This time around, the Causal Layered Analysis
(CLA) model was utilised to guide the discussion. This analysis aims to
resolve the problems raised, issues and clarifies the process and explore
the preferred vision.

LITANY
IIUM today, depicting “IIUM a Garden of Knowledge and Virtue (IIUM
GKV)”. However, in 2040, IIUM will become the “Museum of Yesterday”.
The difference between the two is that IIUM GKV is producing graduates
with lack of values and has yet to realise the IIUM vision and missions. In
2040, IIUM will be irrelevant and vanish from the educational landscape.

SYSTEMIC
As mentioned before, the culture in IIUM such as working in silos, business-
as-usual and being KPI-oriented are negative values that have been there
for years. Key Ihsan Indicator (KII) has been adopted; however, it was not
properly put into action.

There are some students and parents who are obsessed with paper
qualifications and being elitist. Appointments and promotions are sometimes

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politically motivated and not based on merit. The industry emphasises on
money-making; hence, Universities became factories producing workers,
not balanced individuals. The University should practise leadership through
merit-based election and strengthen its financial planning for sustainability
by means of Waqaf-planning through the IIUM alumni. IIUM can be seen
as an Institution that produces excellent graduates, and gain support from
former IIUM staff to contribute their expertise. However, all this will
not happen for the No Change scenario as the university refuses to make
improvements.

WORLDVIEW

Group 1 identified five stakeholders altogether. For a deeper analysis, the
stakeholders’ perspectives were featured according to CLA as presented in
the table below.

Table 8-1: Group 1’s Casual Layered Analysis

Today Tomorrow

Litany IIUM Garden of • IIUM The Museum of Yesterday
Knowledge and Virtue and Virtue
(GKV)

Systemic • Students & Alumni - • Political: University Leadership

Certificate oriented through election – for the people,

• Parents - by the people, guided by relevant

Employability-elitist criteria

• Administrators - • Financial: Independent, block-

business as usual-get chain projects (halal industry,

income monthly Islamic finance, Islamic medical

• Academics - KPI care). Strong support by 100k

oriented for promotion alumni and enhanced waqaf ilmu

• Government - Politicking program by retirees

• Industry -Profit • IIUM Scholars/Graduates are the

Orientation Most Sought-After

Worldview Return on Investment (ROI) • GKV in Action, Unity, and
Diversity

• KhAIR, Insan Sejahtera, FAST

Myth Abandoned Garden GKV - Light upon light –‫اﻟﻨﻮر‬
Metaphor

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54
Table 8-2: IIUM 2020 vs IIUM 2040 (Group 1)

Students Parents Industry Government Community Transformed

Litany Students are How much fees, Universities Another IIUM should IIUM Museum
Systemic feeders to how many years, need to meet bureaucracy drop the title of Yesterday
Industries how much income our need Why GE Islamic and
Worldview after graduation extremely low International

Myth- Study - This is what you Profit oriented Politicking Imbalanced Humility
metaphor graduate - SHOULD DO Rich getting culture
work - Joy richer Holacratic
Management
Teamwork
Financial
independent

How much I Employability Certificate Return on University is Development
will earn Elitist based Investment not relevant process
Elitist recognition for the encompassing
majority of inclusivity
people

Clown Lion tamer Ring Master Kermis and Circus IIUM Museum
charade of Yesterday

A VIRTUAL JOURNEY TO IIUM 2040
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The metaphor for Student is ‘Clown’, as they joined IIUM just to get their
certificates and prove themselves better than their peers, not for the sake
of seeking knowledge to practise and do amal. They are self-centred and
only think of themselves, not even their own family members. They have
no substance. Some are like ‘Jack of All Trades, Master of None’. The
transformed students appreciate and gain both knowledge and virtue in
IIUM and give back to their family and surrounding community.

The Parents are ‘Lion Tamers’ where they pre-plan their children’s line
of studies. They do not take into consideration their children’s interest and
are happy as long as they graduate with a degree. They push their children
to specialise in what they think would be best for their future. The students
develop mental health issues and an imbalanced personality.

The Industry people are the ‘Ringmasters’ as they control everything;
every movement and step in the ring, just like they control the demand
and supply of job openings. The Government is more like the ‘Kermis
and charade’ where they work out funding and raise money to support the
system although sometimes the outcomes are not of quality.

Community metaphor is ‘Cirque du Soleil’ or circus. They will be seen as
happy and entertained but only to the charade performed. The community
has lost its touch with values and lack of knowledge. Hence, the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) 2030 articulated across 17 goals, focusing on
people, planet and shared prosperity, will not become a reality.

MYTH-METAPHOR

The final domain is the myth-
metaphor. Group 1 reflected the
Qur’anic ayah Surah An-Nur.

The group related light upon
light to the existing Garden of
Knowledge and Virtue. It reflects

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the awareness of the IIUM community of their amanah and responsibility,
which is to uphold and translate the vision of the IIUM into reality. To
enable the University to attain the goal of being an International Centre
of Excellence, they must pursue the goal of excellence in all its field of
activities, be it in their teaching, research, administration, or other services.
IIUM needs to make changes before they can attain the above-mentioned
goal. Please allow me to remind the readers that this team belongs to the
No Change scenario.

Garden of Knowledge and Virtue is not merely a tagline, but it produces
scholars and graduates who are most sought after. Leadership through
election – for the people, by the people, guided by relevant criteria on
the basis/foundation governed by the Qur’an and Sunnah. Holacratic
management transformed the culture and organisational climate of IIUM
towards high productivity at a global scale for Ridhwanullah. IIUM is
financially independent through its waqaf initiatives with strong support
from IIUM alumni all over the world.

RECOMMENDATIONS

At the end of the session, the members were asked to recommend three
suggestions to 2020. All members agreed to the following suggestions:
1. Financial Sustainability
2. Garden of Knowledge & Virtue in Action
3. Future Studies to be Institutionalised

All the above MUST be aligned with the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Hence, initiatives and all efforts toward humanising education as per the
University’s strategic agenda presently must be guided through Maqasid
ash-Shariah. IIUM must strive for financial sustainability to ensure
institution stability and its community must embrace values and becoming
Insan Sejahtera where KhAIR is the basic foundation. This is so that the
Garden of Knowledge and Virtue can be heard, can be seen and brings
benefit to all mankind. Lastly, the group feels that it’s time to institutionalise
Future Studies to properly equip the future generation.

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MAKING THE VISION REAL

‘Museum of Yesterday’

Figure 8-4: No Change Futures Triangle

The Push The Weight

• The post pandemic • Western/ secularism ideology
• Insan Sejahtera/ balanced human • IT/social platform that gives
• Revelations and Reason
huge return and popularity minus
(Knowledge Integration) education
• Integrated IT system • Silo performance/ individualistic
• Self-learning • National Education system

The above items address all elements with regards to pull, push and weight.
These are explained in more details below.

Pulls: Co-creation, collaboration, participatory planning, and crowdsourcing
of ideas. The first are the contending pulls of the future. These are current
images of the future which could be or should be for IIUM
Pushes: The second is the critical drivers pushing the future. A demand for
new and more relevant content across different platforms and media, pushes
towards sustainability, diversity, etc.
Weights of history: These are the barriers preventing the realisation of a
particular image of the future of IIUM. A weight for one image of the future,
of course, can be a driver for another. Weights are more difficult to quantify
but there are real weights such as the existing priorities and structures of
IIUM, the demands of authority such as the Ministry of Higher Education,
and a reliance on the past.

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2040: IIUM – Museum of Yesterday

2035: Minimum Financial Independence due to
enforcement on budget cut by government

2025: Online learning (post
pandemic factor)

2020: Insan Sejahtera in
‘framework’

Figure 8-5: IIUM journey to transformation for No Change scenario

Excellence is an ideal and collective goal for the whole academic and
administrative community of the University. Achieving that goal requires
an administrative and policy structure that, without being overly intrusive
and oppressive, supports and PUSHES everyone in the institution to
achieving excellence in their respective areas. Additionally, it will be a
commitment to betterment among academics and administrators who will
be the torchbearers of excellence and role-models for others to follow. It
is this group that will create the culture of excellence in the University14.

CONCLUSION
IIUM must make a change and strive to realise the vision and missions
that was established with regards to the University’s raison d’etre. To
realise the vision and missions, IIUM needs to drive everyone and create
an empowering culture in the University and be visible at the International
level. As per IIUM’s song, ‘Leading the Way’, the University should
lead the way especially in its niche areas. In addition, all academics and
administrative staff should work together. Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
must not be the only way to measure achievements of individuals and the
institution as a whole.

14 M. Kamal Hassan, IIUM’s Vision and Mission for 2020 and the 21st Century (IIUM, 1995).

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Figure 8- 6: Is Everyone Included?
The most important element in an organisation is the Human factor. To
realise the preferred future and operationalise the University’s vision and
missions, staff members must be in a state of full readiness for change.
All bosses and subordinates must feel included and be motivated to make
collective steps towards their shared future. Apart from that, strategic
initiatives planned must support the IIUM vision and missions to arrive
at our preferred future. Everyone counts; everyone matters. Students will
watch and learn from the IIUM environment. The IIUM community has to
put on the murabbi’s hat and instil students with the right values to ensure
that IIUM will go a long way and paving path to possible CHANGE!
Group Members:
Abdul Rahim Ahmad | Idayu Mumtaz Iskanda | Muhammad Faris Abdullah | Noor
Lide Abu Kassim | Norbik Bashah Idris | Shukran Abd. Rahman | Sayed Munawar
Facilitator: Abdulwahed Jalal Nori
Rapporteur: Zurina Abdul Ghani

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MARGINAL
CHANGE
SCENARIO

“Now those who submit their wills – they have sought out (the path) of right
conduct”

Qur’ān, 72:14

A VIRTUAL JOURNEY TO IIUM 2040
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Marginal change can be defined as a process that modifies, adjusts, or
refines the status quo via relatively simple and minor changes. This
kind of organisational change, is also referred to as first order change,
succinctly meaning that marginal change does not alter an organisation’s
core. Marginal change also refers to relatively minor adjustments, in
the grand scheme of things, to pre-existing systems, hierarchies, models,
products, services, and processes.

Group members assigned to this marginal change scenario found it rather
perplexing as they were all set for the ‘bigger’ and ‘brighter’ future, thus
stepping back to the marginal was close to inexplicable. Some distinct
narrative of a Marginal Change Scenario, among others are, degenerating
competition, mental block, silo-working culture, conformist, education
without soul, disconnected from society and exam-oriented academics.

Such image of the future does not befit the utopian image envisioned by
IIUM. Pushes towards the preferred future commands for IIUM to disown
the work-in-silo culture prevalent among academicians and especially
researchers. Financially, the university is still largely dependent on
allocations from the government, taxes, and fees from students. Lack of
sources and resources to be financially autonomous will only hamper plans
and decisions to be in tandem with the dynamics of the Fourth Industrial
Revolution (IR 4.0). The Marginal Scenario must be reconstructed to assure
IIUM’s viability as a player in the global tertiary education by 2040.

In this section, the rapporteur Suzanna attempted to capture discussions
of the marginal scenario team members. This task was a challenging one,
because this approach had to be delicately balanced between “No Change”
and “Adaptive Change”. Zainal was the facilitator and needed to ensure
that the debate didn’t “encroach” on others, so to speak. They could make
incremental changes just to “get by”: to remain average and become
relatively useful for demands of the day with little motivation to stand for
anything more. The chance that they will be irrelevant soon is daunting.

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GROUP 2: MARGINAL CHANGE
“McDONALDISATION” OF IIUM

IIUM: University at a Cross Road
Learning is one of the tools in the education system at any level; from
kindergarten, schools, to higher institutions. In realising that approach,
universities as learning institutions should play the most important role in
society. Since the establishment of University Malaya as the first university
in Malaysia, learning institutions started to expand and more universities
were established, including International Islamic University Malaysia
(IIUM), which was built in 1983. Universities have provided programmes
and degrees for people to pursue, so as to build their professional careers.
Universities earned a reputation of being the ivory tower of a society; that
entering a university is the ultimate aim and offers a relatively fast track
to success.

However, times have changed, especially in this millennial era. Our
graduates can no longer find and obtain good jobs as before. The labour
market is more competitive and there is a great demand from stakeholders,
especially from industries. Leaders and players in the corporate sector
have been criticising universities for not producing work-ready graduates.
Consequently, our graduates are less marketable, do not possess a global
mindset and are not equipped with the right set of skills to keep up with
the rapid development of technology. In addition, the research agenda in
local universities have not had a positive impact on university teaching
and learning.

Universities have become a source of multi-product, multi-system, and
businesses under the commodification of education. This change has been
imposed on them because of budget constraints, as government funding
has been cut yearly and this will continue until the universities learn to be
financially autonomous.

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THE SCENARIO
Based on the earlier scenario discussion, we used the metaphor – “THE
AVERAGE FACTORY” with university staff who function like mere
operators. The institution that produces human capital with skills and
knowledge meant for the profit -making segment of our nation.

We began to ponder over the statement, “University [that] functions as a
Factory?”

Universities are no longer about building wholesome and balanced
individuals. It is all about equipping our students with skills, so that they
can become employable quickly. It has become all about what the market
demands.

Group Discussion, Here We Begin!
Initially, there was a confusion with regards to the metaphor. We started off
with “The Average Factory” and later changed it to “Sejahtera Transformer”
when we momentarily lost our way, but then decided to re-adapt the original
metaphor.

The facilitator, Zainal Abidin, Director of Sejahtera Centre for Sustainability
and Humanity, gave a general briefing about the practices and plans for
Group 2 which led to our group defining ‘Marginal Change’ as small
incremental adjustments to an existing plan of action which do not affect
the larger totals. We have to keep in mind that ‘margin’ means ‘edge,’ so
marginal changes are adjustments around the edges of what you are doing.
Actually, we were warned not to become confused and overlap with Group
1 (No Change) because of the similarities in terms of incremental change,
as said by Ahmad Faris, Deputy Rector (Academic & Internationalisation).
The degree of changeis the differentiating factor. Zailan, Director of Finance
later expressed, “…marginal change only involves a small percentage of
change.”

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Ahmad Faris raised the word “complacency” as a feeling of smug or
uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements. This attitude
would decrease competition to be the best among the best. “When university
turns into business”, Zailan warned the group, the end result would be: the
dehumanising effect of “counting people as profit through the increase
numbers of admission”, an expression which denotes that student
admission is purely a numbers game.
However, the university provides an education system that is ‘One Size
Fits All’, according to Hassanuddeen, Dean of Kulliyyah of Economics and
Management Sciences. From the Pagoh campus, Mohd Azrul Azlan, Dean
of Kulliyyah of Languages and Management (KLM) pointed out that top-
down instructions are the norm and is meant to control everything and stay
in power. The university suffers from ‘leaders without vision’ said Zulkifli,
Deputy Rector (Student Development & Community Engagement).
What does it mean to educate students if education pays no heed to the
soul? Ahmad Faris again voiced out that “we are also disconnected from
our society”. This statement was agreed by Fazidah, who emphasised that
a university should be part of the society and not exist in isolation.

Figure 9-1: Another Factory?

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Marginal Change and its effect on IIUM in 2040
In the year 2040, IIUM is still relevant in the society, but the image they see
is that IIUM is a place to produce graduates with knowledge and skills which
are mainly dictated by demands of the job market. University courses that
teach sustainability or Islamisation may be abandoned completely. IIUM
will remain as an ivory tower with no soul nor values.

THE IMAGE OF THE SCENARIO
a. Working in silo among staff and lecturers will drive away integration
b. University depends on stakeholders and will always be financially

dependent
c. The world changes but the university plays no role in it.
d. Campus life will become passive, boring, and demotivate students from

learning new things
e. IIUM will be a dying institution unless we use technology well

Questions we need ask ourselves:
• Where are we heading to?
• Are we ready to exit status quo?
• What will happen if we are not ready to face the future?
• How do we see ourselves in 2030 and 2040?
• How do we create a preferable future for IIUM in 2040?

The university is pictured as a business entity by offering degrees and
certificates to students as part of commercialisation and commodification
of knowledge. It puts away leadership without mission and vision so that
holacracy is the driver to centralise management in order to maximise its
strength.

Non-flexible, top-down management must be omitted and be replaced by an
autonomous system where everybody has the right to make decisions based
on what needs to be done, without bureaucracy.IIUM must abandon the
culture of working in silos among academicians. For financial stability, the
university is still depending on monetary source from the government, taxes,
and fees from students. Lack of financially independence will delay some

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major decisions on the way to the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Technology
keeps expanding and changing. IIUM needs to be part of the large arena of
tertiary education by 2040.

Lack of courage to change

- Dzulkifli Razak
CAUSAL LAYERED ANALYSIS

We used the CLA as a model to get an overall picture of the futures,
divided into four domains which are litany, systemic, worldview
and metaphor. The levels are: (1) litany: visible and disconnected
news events, unquestioned data & headlines (2) systemic: social,
technological, economic, environmental and political causes, approaches
& solution (3) worldviews: stakeholders, ideologies, ways of knowing
and alternative discourse and (4) myths and metaphors: stories, legends,
and myths.

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LITANY
Our university will be seen as an ivory tower in many perspectives. Parents
are forcing their children to study hard for the sake of entering the university
as the symbol of success. However, if this ivory tower stays with minimal
changes, it will be labelled as a factory that produces as many graduates as
possible. The world sees the university as an intellectual machine to provide
brilliant robots – not humans.

SYSTEMIC
The university’s bureaucracy is a result of four harsh realities;
top-down management style, a research driven by assessment and
performance targets, teaching with a prescribed formula and bureaucratic
administration. The analysis draws upon a range of illustrative examples.
Academicians and researchers working in silos which prevents
disciplines from being integrated.

Financially, the university depends too much on the government, this
is one serious limitation. The other is: the development and progress of
the university is heavily influenced by global corporatisation. Group 2
recommends that the university uses a waqaf system to sustain financial
support in order to produce quality research and graduates.

WORLDVIEW
Group 2 identified seven stakeholders altogether. Their perspectives are
studied using CLA and depicted below.

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Table 9-1: Group 2 Causal Layered Analysis

IUM TODAY 2020 IIUM 2040

LITANY IIUM as Ivory Tower Average Factory

SYSTEMIC Bureaucracy Flexible policy
Work in silo Adaptation and customer friendly
Dependent system
Rigid Alternative financial funding
Responsible research

STUDENTS: A factory STUDENTS: A garden nurturing

to prepare them for the them to be Sejahtera beings.

jobs ADMINISTRATIONS: Everyone

ADMINISTRATIONS: is manager - Holacracy

LILO culture and salary ACADEMICIANS: Mujtahid

beings and Muhaddid oriented –

ACADEMICIANS: Research Trans-disciplinary;

CICO culture and exam- Traditional Research

WORLD oriented culture GOVERNMENT: University as

VIEW GOVERNMENT: As an kingpin for knowledge sector

executer of government CIVIL SOCIETY: Sejahtera

agendas Agora – Alternative Social

CIVIL SOCIETY: Ivory Media

Tower CORPORATE / PRIVATE:

CORPORATE / Humanising machines through

PRIVATE: Robotic collaboration; Indigenous

Human capital provider Technology

ALUMNI: Ambassador ALUMNI: Funder

MYTH- Another Factory Losing the Race
METAPHOR

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Metaphors for Stakeholder:

Table 9-2: IIUM 2020 vs IIUM 2040 (Group 2)

LITANY SYSTEMIC WORLDVIEW METAPHOR

STUDENTS Customers Central Factory Robot
Regulation

Knowledge as Exam Transmitter of Market
ACADEMICIAN Knowledge

Commodity Oriented

PARENTS Job’s Machines
Marketability Ivory Tower

preparations

CORPORATE Human Standardised Scroll Factory Factory
Capital Industrial
Skills

GOVERNMENT Civil Servant SOP Government Big Boss
Agents

COMMUNITY Disconnected Source of Ivory Tower Bees
from Society Knowledge

TRANSFORMED Sejahtera Reasonable 3H – Human, Average
Culture Research Heart, High- Factory
Sejahtera
Leadership touch

The metaphor for Student is ‘Robot’, it represents their admission to campus
for a certificate at the end of their studies through the graduation ceremony.
ICC or CAC15 as the name is before, is the witness for the production of mass
human capital. The transformed students should adapt Sejahtera culture in
their campus lives, and bring themselves to the university for the purpose of
gaining knowledge and giving back to society. The Academicians, represent
‘Market’ as they provide subjects and curriculum in different areas, and
students come and choose subjects to fulfil credit hours.

15 IIUM Cultural Centre, previously known as Cultural Activity Centre, the venue used
for IIUM’s graduation ceremonies
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The Parents are ‘Machines’ or ‘ATM machine’ as they provide funds,
materials, and devices for their children and teach them that the certificate
is achieving paper qualifications is the best way to good jobs and success.
The Corporate people are the ‘Factory’ as they provide jobs and
opportunities to students and academicians whereas they supply data for
research in sciences, social sciences and humanities. The Government is
the ‘Big Boss’ where they control and govern everything according to their
policies and laws but not fully supporting the role of the universities. The
Community represents ‘Bees’ as they are a large group of people with
capabilities to change some policies in the university, especially for funding.
MYTH-METAPHOR
This is our myth-metaphor. Group 2 interpreted it as ‘Losing the Race’. We
do not achieve great things when marginal change takes place.

Figure 9-2: Losing The Race

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RECOMMENDATIONS
At the end of the session, the members were asked to recommend three
suggestions from 2020 to 2040. These three components are based on
agreement from group members:

Waqaf University provides Financial Sustainability

1

Sejahtera Campus is the Preferred Place to Study

2

Future Studies as an Academic Program

3

The philosophy of IIUM is based on Qur’ān, Surah Al-Alaq, verses 1-5. The
word Iqra’ means ‘READ’ and is an important aspect in a Muslim’s life
to seek knowledge in this world and the next. Aligning with that, financial
stability should be emphasised and to transform IIUM into Sejahtera campus
so it will be the chosen institution for anyone to further studies, from first
degree until third degree. We agreed that Futures Studies should be made
into an academic program and introduced to all students and staff.

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MAKING THE VISION REAL

METAPHOR: ANOTHER FACTORY
MYTH: LOSING THE RACE

FUTURES TRIANGLES AVERAGE
FACTORY

PUSHES/ WEIGHT/
DRIVERS BARRIER

• Sejahtera Culture • Bureaucracy
• Education with Soul • Work in Silo
• Advancement of • Dependent
• Rigid
Technologies • Boring
• Humanised Value-Based • Non-Humanised
• Global access
• Lifelong Learning Education
• Democratisation of • Ministry-led
• Fear of the Unknown
Knowledge • University as Market-
• Competition
• Commercialisation driven
• Value-driven Philosophy • Dominance
• Towards financial • Status Quo Tradition
• Business
Autonomy
• Good Governance/ Discrimination
• Interfere Politics
Corporate accountability
• Holistic Development

Figure 9-3: Marginal Change Futures Triangle

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Emerging Issues

• Education is increasingly being standardised due to globalisation,
leading to “McDonaldisation” of higher education

• Living in the comfort zone due to perceived advantages of standardisation
• Standardisation kills creativity and produces robotic mindset
• Standardisation generates knowledge-transmitters (teachers), not

knowledge-creators (educators)

Trends

• Increasing number of unemployed graduates suggests the failure of
current system and calls for a revolution in the higher education

• Expectations that universities become idea-factories and entrepreneurial
incubators

• The need for human capital capable of innovative thinking
• Universities and government in consultative and participatory process

The above items address all elements with regards to pull, push and weight.
These are explained in more detail below.

Pulls: First, co-creation, collaboration, participatory planning, and
crowdsourcing of ideas. Creation idea to what IIUM should be in the
future.
Pushes: The second driver is pushing the future. Pushes: Looking for
trends that relevant with current situation to change the future.
Weights of history: IIUM might still consider the pushes of the present,
but the history of the institution is considered not relevant. History
becomes a weight – a weight pulling an institution away from its desired
future. Too many practices cling to historic successes and processes,
products or services, which may blind them to necessary changes
required to keep their offerings relevant in the future.



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BACKCASTING


2040: Average Factory

2030: Budget Constraints and
Ineffective Governance

2025: Hybrid Learning
(post pandemic)

2020: IIUM as Ivory
Tower

Figure 9-4: IIUM Journey To Transformation

When focusing on the preferred future in 2040, all stakeholders must stick
together as one body to translate IIUM’s vision and mission into reality. In
order to abolish ‘One Size Fits All’, the university needs to make preparation
for a big change to prevent higher institutions from becoming intellectual
factories that will only be producing more robotic minds and attitudes with
the same style and pattern.

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DAILY LIFE OF A PERSON

This the daily log of an academician with the post at the university level.

One day in 2020

8:00 a.m. Starts the day by logging into the HURIS system, the machine
that captures every staff’s attendance on campus and makes sure hours
are fulfilled. For non-academicians, 8 hours must be fixed into the system
without fail. Academicians have flexible daily hours, but they need to fulfil
40 hours a week. Then they continue on with their morning by checking
emails and having breakfast.

9:30 a.m. Prepare for his meeting and lesson plans. The meeting is with
colleagues for administrative works and researchers for grants from different
kulliyyahs.

11:30 a.m. Discussion on final year project with students and teaching
undergraduate classes. In the class, he must give the lectures face-to-face
and put the students in one circle to have a discussion on what they have
learned.

2:30 p.m. Appointment with the rector for a new project under the flagship
with association SDG number 4. The Rector wants him to a lead a project
to build a school for refugees. He needs to prepare a proposal and it will
be proposed in the Senate meeting for approval.

4:30 p.m. He has another class for postgraduate students where he listens
to their presentation of their projects. After that, he enjoys hi-tea with his
friends after class. Then logs out of the system to capture that he has done
his work.

8:30 p.m. He returns home and spends time with his family. However,
he continues to answer or give feedback through his handphone or reply
emails until he sleeps.

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CONCLUSION
Taking marginal steps in moving the university’s direction while the rest of
the world is changing rapidly will only push IIUM backward. Soon enough,
IIUM will not be able to stay relevant and lose its vision and fail to uphold
its missions. As IIUM continue to lose its ground unable to cope with the
change of requirements in teaching and learning experience, IIUM will stand
out just as another ‘Average factory’ by the year 2040. The community at
large will soon view IIUM as another ‘business entity’ that offers scrolls to
students as part of commercialisation and commodification of knowledge.
In order for IIUM to reach its preferred future, IIUM should be able to
accommodate well with the changes, internally and externally, while staying
true to its purpose - its vision and missions!

Group Members:
Ahmad Faris Ismail | Ahmad Zailan Shaari | Azmi Md Nor | Fazidah Haji Bakhtiar
| Hassanuddeen Abd. Aziz | Mohd Azrul Azlen Abd. Hamid | Nor Aminah Kostor
| Zulkifli Zainal Abidin
Facilitator: Zainal Abidin Sanusi
Rapporteur: Suzana Suhailawaty Sidek

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ADAPTIVE CHANGE
SCENARIO

“Each of you is a keeper or a shepherd and will be questioned about the well-
being of his fold. The head of the state will be questioned about the well-being

of the people of the state. Each man is a shepherd to his family and will be
answerable about every member of it. Each woman is a shepherd to the family

of her husband and will be accountable for every member of it. And each
servant is a shepherd to his master and will be questioned about the property of

his master.”
Bukhari and Muslim

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Islam is an all-embracing way of life and does not leave out any field of
human existence to become a playground for the forces of evil. There is
a balance between the Individual and Society. There is always a balance
between the Individual and Society. This concept of a holistic balance is
apparent in the Adaptive Change scenario which hones on the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) 2030 5Ps i.e. “People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace
and Partnership”.

The contending pull for the Adaptive Change Scenario is that by 2040, all
of IIUM graduates will be equipped with the Insan Sejahtera attributes,
thus fulfilling the National Education Philosophy. Subsequently, IIUM
aspires to remodel itself from being the “Garden of Knowledge & Virtue”
to the utopian, human-centric higher learning institution – the “Sejahtera
Garden”, providing sanctuary to anyone who wishes to embrace its vision
and missions.

Insan Sejahtera, which means a balanced and harmonious person,
does not contradict the Qur’anic concept of being a Khalifa
of Allah SWT. The excellent ones may become Insan Budiman16.

In this section, the rapporteur Amelia summarised the discussions of her
group members which were facilitated by Zarina. This team had an easier
role to play compared to the Marginal Change team. They knew that they
were moving closer to being Radical but they were not entirely Radical
and needed to demonstrate that difference. As Adaptive Change members,
the organisation and all stakeholders were portrayed as being skilled in
surviving in any conditions they were in as they are agile and quick to
adjust. They blend in well like a Chameleon, if you like, responding quicky
to emerging trends but would never champion one. They would not quickly
lead the way.

16 A wise and courageous person

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GROUP 3: ADAPTIVE CHANGE
VIRALING KNOWLEDGE IN 2040

From the initial discussion on the first day Life is a series
of the workshop, it was suggested that of natural and
the scenario for the Adaptive Change spontaneous
group to be “Peace, Partnership, Planet, changes. Don’t resist
and People”. After further deliberation them; that only
among the Group 3 members, while creates sorrow. Let
taking into account the original 5Ps of reality be reality. Let
SDG 2030, it was unanimously decided things flow naturally
that the 4Ps (which were extracted from forward in whatever
the Sustainable Development Goals way they like.
2030) are to be replaced by “Shared
Prosperity and Well-Being” scenario. - Lao Tzu
This is especially in line with IIUM
direction of implementing its Sejahtera
Academic Framework (SAF).

The expectation from this workshop is to be
able to produce strategies to support IIUM
SAF framework, strategies that tackle the
tangible and intangible issues achieving the
sustainability of higher education ecosystem.

- Nur Hidayah

THE SCENARIO

Paul Woodgates, in his published article17, describes that an institution that
has the ability to adapt to the fast pace of change will continue to exist and
succeed. It is fair to say that the path of rigidity is no longer an option.

17 Paul Woodgates, Universities Must Innovate to Adapt and Succeed (Times Higher
Education, 2019)

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Figure 10-1: First task on the second day of IIUM FSB workshop

In viewing the scenario of ‘adaptive change’ in IIUM, Group 3 defined

‘adaptive change’ as IIUM being highly progressive, robust and dynamic

to meet the ever-changing environments (internally or externally) to ensure

its sustainability to become a leading international centre of educational

excellence with the mission to serve humanity. This is also to qualify itself as

an institution that shares its prosperity while caring

Adaptive for the well-being of others in all aspects in life.

scenario is During the discussion in completing the tasks
basically illustrated in Figure 10-1, the group decided

you creating to concentrate on three key domains to be
a scenario scrutinised further at a later stage. Especially so
– ‘you’ die when deciding the quantitative drivers and the
and then likelihood of disruptions. They are: 

‘you’ create 1. Governance;

something 2. Financial Autonomy; and 
that is 3. Curriculum Structure.

better In describing the factors that could lead to change,
group members highlighted three areas: a shift
- Gairuzazmi

in government policy (e.g., cutting funding),

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pandemic (e.g., COVID-19), and advancement in technology (e.g., high-
speed internet connection). Pushing the factors closer to the three domains,
the members came out with; 1) ageing population; 2) Artificial Intelligence
(AI); and 3) automation as the main quantitative drivers. It is interesting to
know that the two latter points are similar to Maryville University ‘Future
Universities’write up18. Increased in religiosity in society, hologram education
and the demise of libraries on the other hand were seen as possible disruptions
in the IIUM setting.

Group 3 members declared that disruptions can also be a positive force
i.e., creative destructions. With the group’s selected title for the adaptive
IIUM to be ‘Viraling Knowledge in 2040”, they highlighted that it is
important for IIUM to adapt by creating ‘products’ that younger generations
would be able to relate to and enjoy. Just like the virus, IIUM creates a
‘virus’ and sets the trend. An example for this creative destruction could
be ‘Humanising/Islamising Artificial Intelligence’. That way, while IIUM
embraces the change in technology, the university also adds its own value-
based component into the AI.

\ ...instead of looking at disruption as a negative
force, we look at it as a positive force

- Ida

In selecting the metaphor for the group, all members settled for ‘IIUM
Sanctuary’. Why IIUM Sanctuary? The IIUM Sanctuary metaphor
establishes the idea that IIUM is like a ‘safe house’ – always serene and
welcoming. It also brings the sense of peace, refuge and safety which
are the key elements of IIUM’s hope to achieve in fulfilling its mission
in humanising education. The metaphor also closely connects with the
dominant worldview of ‘IIUM culture is like a family’.

18 Maryville University, Future Universities: Changing Times Means Adapting Education
(Missouri: Marryville University, n.d.).
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Figure 10-2: IIUM Sanctuary
To help others understand better of the selected metaphor for the adaptive
change scenario of IIUM in 2040, a probable “a day in the life of a
graduated student” was carried out.

It has been 5 years now since Ali graduated from IIUM. Today in the
year 2040, Ali made plans with his other friends to visit IIUM to meet
their Murabbis who have been very dedicated in nurturing students.
For some reasons, Ali continues to feel at home in IIUM. He could
not forget the warm and welcoming feelings he had being part of
the IIUM community. He had friends from different background and
some of whom he only knew virtually with the changing teaching and
learning policy that allows students and lecturers to come from across
borders as well as the advancement of online learning.

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CAUSAL LAYERED ANALYSIS
The second part of the second workshop day (17th November 2020) was
for each group to re-visit the first task. However, this time, the Causal
Layered Analysis model was utilised to guide the discussion. This step
aims to resolve standing issues and clarifies the process while unpacking
the preferred vision. All groups were informed that they were not tied to
the findings which they reached in the earlier part (first task). Groups were
also allowed to decide on a new core metaphor for each scenario context.
The CLA template is divided into four domains: 

Litany Systemic Worldview Myth-Metaphor

Figure 10-3: Four Domains of CLA

The litany can be quantitative or easily understood as reading a reliable
newspaper headline that summarises the content of the newspaper article
as a whole. The systemic on the other hand, is the core characteristic of the
system i.e., what created that litany (headlines) or the causes/reasons for the
current state of IIUM. When coming out with systemic for the ‘tomorrow’
(transformed), it can be seen as recommendations to achieve the vision. Next
is the worldview which is the wider part. It captures stakeholders view of
IIUM. Within the worldview itself, there is the metaphor. Finally, the myth-
metaphor is the story or the narrative of either the current state of IIUM
or what we wish IIUM to become, also known as the core metaphor. The
table below summarises Group 3’s CLA for the adaptive scenario context
and the following subsections give details of the discussions on the four
CLA domains.

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Table 10-1: Group 3 Causal Layered Analysis

IIUM Today (2020) IIUM Transformed (2040)

Litany IIUM a Garden of IIUM Sejahtera Garden
Knowledge & Virtue
Systemic Silos are broken
Working in Silos Holacracy
Students Bureaucratic Bottom-up
Parents Top-down Co-creating
Alumni Not self-driven
Individualistic Highly interactive
Collective
Degree oriented IOT/IOE

Degree oriented University as sanctuary for
holistic personal development
Degree oriented
University as sanctuary for
holistic personal development

Strong relationship with IIUM
sense of belonging

Administrators Jobs as a means to an income As facilitators, advisor-oriented
Academicians
Focused on logging in & out Selfless and committed to
Worldviews Government building Insan Budiman
Funders IIUM as another factory multi-profession - wear several
to produce ready-made hats (professor+civil society
Civil Society
labourers leader)
Corporate/ Sponsors fund universities Policy makers look at
Private Sector universities for vision and
Myth-Metaphor for tax exemption
guidance
Using IIUM as an avenue to Sincere sponsors
promote their agenda
Philanthropy
Sponsors fund universities Waqaf fund
for tax exemption Inclusive in knowledge/
On the Way development
Partnership
Intensifies collaboration locally
and internationally
Works in tandem with IIUM and
share IIUM vision and mission
Working together in the IIUM
environment
Leading the way; serving
humanity

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LITANY
The selected headline for IIUM today was ‘IIUM a Garden of Knowledge
and Virtue’. In 2040, IIUM will have a headline of ‘IIUM Sejahtera Garden’.
The difference between the two is, currently the IIUM ‘Garden’ is merely
process-oriented without a soul as originally and intended and reflected in
the university’s missions. The narrative on the adaptive IIUM 2040 headline
would be on IIUM success story in nurturing balanced (Sejahtera) students
as well as highlighting the human-centric programmes offered in IIUM.

SYSTEMIC
Among the causes that led IIUM to be process-oriented is the culture
of working in silos among the IIUM community. There is also less
empowerment by the top management i.e., too much bureaucratic, red-tape
and top-down. More importantly, the IIUM community is not self-driven.
Changes are usually due to external forces or pressure from the outside
rather than internal realisation. Therefore, the recommendations that were
made by Group 3 members for IIUM to become the Sejahtera Garden are
actions opposing to what have been listed for the IIUM Today as given in
Table 10-1. The additional point that was added to the IIUM Transformed
column is the Internet of Things/Everything as part of IIUM’s required
action when adapting to the rapid technology change.

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WORLDVIEWS
Group 3 came out with eight stakeholders before adding the Alumni to the
existing eight. The nine stakeholders are shown in Figure 10-4.

Students Parents Alumni

Administrator Academician Government

Funder Civil Corporate/
Society Private Sector

Figure 10-4: Selected Stakeholders for the Worldviews

The first six stakeholders are self-explanatory. Unlike the Funder, the
Corporate/Private Sector is categorised as those who provide assistance
not limited to monetary but may also be in the form of knowledge transfer,
sharing expertise, sharing of equipment, etc. Civil Society on the other
hand, refers to the non-profit organisations (NGOs). To capture the depth
of the stakeholders’ view of IIUM, the table below is created detailing each
stakeholder according to the four CLA domains.

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Table 10-2: IIUM Today versus IIUM Transformed

IIUM TODAY (2020)

Students Parents Alumni Administrator Academician Government Funder Civil Society Corporate/Private IIUM TRANSFORMED (2040)
Sector
Where our
Systemic Litany IIUM Produces My Daughter IIUM Alumni: Life’s in a Day The Lack of The Caretaker Returns on IIUM Not Academics need to IIUM Shared Sejahtera Sanctuary
Employable of IIUM A Rolling Stone Motivation of Higher Investment Giving Step-up their Game
Graduates among Lecturers Learning (ROI)t? -
Graduated is Gathers no Institution Funders asked Back to the
still Hunting Moss Community
Top-down, IIUM
for a Job Bureaucratic,
Clientelism Dependability,
Individualistic Authoritative Erratic Top-down, patronage Exploitation Poor collaboration Silos are broken, Holacracy, Bottom-
Bureaucratic, Working in Silos politics up, Co-creating, Highly interactive,
Not self-driven
Collective, IOT/IOE

Students/parents: University as
sanctuary for holistic personal

development

Alumni: Strong relationship with IIUM
sense of belonging, brand ambassador

Administrator: As facilitators, advisor-
oriented
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Worldviews FUTURES SCENARIO BUILDING WORKSHOPDegreeDegreeDegreeJobs as aJobs as a meansIIUM asSponsors fundUsing IIUMSponsors fundAcademician: Selfless and committed
oriented oriented, oriented, means to to an income, another factory universities for as an avenue universities for to building Insan Budiman
87 employability employability an income, tax exemption to promote tax exemption,
Focused on focused on to produce their agenda separation of multi-profession - wear several hats
logging in logging in & out, ready-made academics and (professor+civil society leader)
focused on KPI labourers
& out industry Government: Policy makers look at
universities for vision and guidance

Funder: Sincere sponsors
Philanthropy
Waqaf fund

Civil Society: Inclusive in education &
IIUM development
Partnership

Intensifies collaboration locally and
internationally

Works in tandem with IIUM and share
IIUM vision and mission

Corporate/Private Sector: Working
together in IIUM environment

Myth Smart Alec Cashier Product from Battery Encyclopedia Big Brother Ah Long The Uncles Money Making IIUM Sanctuary - Leading the way
Methaphor factory Factory serving humanity

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Taking the Students, Group 3 thinks that the most suitable metaphor for the
current IIUM students is ‘Smart Alec’ who sees IIUM as just another place
to obtain a degree to allow them to be employed in the future. Their notion
of having a degree is a means to lift their stature in the community. Their
individualistic behaviour would mean that they are more concern of their
own achievement and well-being without caring for others or wanting to
know more beyond oneself. Future students in transformed IIUM would see
IIUM as a sanctuary i.e., a place where they grow holistically and wanting
to give back to the community and the world.
The Administrator of today’s IIUM, who is not self-driven, is like a
‘Battery’ with limited power. They come to IIUM focusing only to log-in
and log-out to secure a fixed income, at the end of the month regardless of
their performance on a day-to-day basis. During Group 3’s presentation,
Sohail suggested ‘Solar’ as a suitable metaphor for Administrator in a
transformed IIUM i.e., Administrator with limitless sustainable energy
to go well with the group’s future image for Administrator who became
facilitator or as advisor with the automation in place to assist monotonous
administration tasks by 2040.

Figure 10-5: Just Do It

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There is the myth-metaphor that depict as ...if there
Academics as an ‘Encyclopaedia’ who is no tax
knows everything. This is highly unlikely. exemption,
The main problems among the Academics they
are their lack of motivation and their habit (Funder and
of continuing to work in silo. Just like the Corporate/
Administrator, Academician is also KPI- Private
driven, focusing on log-in and log-out. In Sector) would
a transformed IIUM, Academician would not give any
be selfless and committed in building (sponsorship)
Insan Budiman among IIUM student and
community at large. They would break the - Wan Hilmi
silo, wearing several hats given enough
support by the university management.

The Funder and Corporate/Private Sector whose metaphor is ‘Ah Long’
and ‘Money Making Factory’ respectively for the current IIUM would soon
become sincere sponsors who are not motivated by tax exemptions from
the government. In 2040, Group 3 hopes to see Corporate/Private Sector to
have a healthier relationship with IIUM. They would be seen as investors
for the future generation. Civil Society who is like ‘The Uncles’ no longer
uses IIUM to promote their sole agenda but working well in tandem,
sharing IIUM’s vision and missions. The Civil Society would intensify
collaboration with IIUM by becoming partners as they began to understand
the true missions of IIUM.

Government a.k.a. ‘Big Brother’ who is the caretaker of higher learning
institution perceived today’s IIUM as another factory producing ready-made
labourers for the market or the industries. IIUM, just like other universities, is
to take all the top-down instructions without any question as the relationship
between IIUM and the government is asymmetric i.e., clientelism basis. By
2040, Group 3 wish to see the Government looking more at universities for
vision and guidance in formulating policies for the country.

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MYTH-METAPHOR
The myth-metaphor is the final domain of CLA. Group 3 quickly arrived at
IIUM as still “On the Way” for the current IIUM. In 2040, IIUM Sanctuary
will be realised, “Leading the way for the Humanity”.

Figure 10-6: Leading The Way

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RECOMMENDATIONS
At the end of the second day of the workshop, based on the two tasks, all
groups were asked the following question:

You are in 2040, what are your recommendations to 2020?

The answers must be in three components:
1) Philosophical;
2) Policy; and
3) Actionable.

Figure 10-7 is Group 3’s recorded recommendations.

IIUM community is recommended to be collective, especially in the
way we think so that everyone is in sync to achieve IIUM vision and
missions. The second recommendation is to embrace the whole institution
transformation i.e., to transform collectively as one whole body and not
by parts. Last but not least, Group 3’s recommendation for IIUM 2020 is
to ‘implement, implement and implement’ what have been planned in the
road map i.e., walk the talk.

1. Be 2. Whole 3. Walk
Collective Institution the talk
Transformation

Group 3 Recommendations
Figure 10-7: Recommendations from IIUM 2020 to IIUM 2040

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MAKING THE VISION REAL
On the final day of the workshop (25th November 2020), all groups were
to discuss on the visioning. For this part, all groups had to revisit their first
and second tasks, elaborating the drivers (push) and weight further. Figure
10-8 is the triangle map for Group 3’s adaptive change scenario with IIUM
Sanctuary as its core metaphor.

IIUM Sanctuary

The push: The weight:

• Globalism • Ageing population
• More Islamic mindset • More secular mindset
• Limited/Cut-off funding
and Qur’anic imperatives • Lesser students going to
• Automation
• Integration of Artificial tertiary
• Individualism/Not self-
Intelligence and
Ummatan Wasatan driven
• Flexibility in policies • Bureaucratic/Top-down
• Descent of western • Working in silo
worldviews • Rigid curriculum

Figure 10-8: Adaptive change scenario preferred vision together with the push
(drivers) and the weight to reach the top

In making the vision ‘real’, Group 3 discussed on the process and strategic
change that can be employed by IIUM to achieve its goal by 2040. This
transformation process will leverage on governance, financial autonomy
and curriculum structure.

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Governance
Governance comprise all of the processes of governing, whether undertaken
by formal or informal authority over a social system (community,
organisation, or state) either through laws, norms, power or language. It
also refers to the process of interaction and decision making among actors
involved in a collective problem that leads to the creation, reinforcement,
or reproduction of social norms and institutions. 

In this context, IIUM governance embraces adaptive change as its
transformative paradigm. In a practical sense, IIUM will move away from
centralised governance to empowering every agency. It adopts “green tape”
over “red tape” in the institutionalised operation. IIUM community also
embraces interactivity and connectivity in every level of their activities and
thus it breaks the silo culture and mentality. By doing so, decision-making
process will be faster and transparent. 

IIUM community appreciates the culture of consultation (shura), mutual
respectability, and Raḥmatan li’l-‘Ālamῑn as a core value in its decision-
making process, policy implementation, academic activities and overall
governance of the university. This culture aims to enhance mutual
understanding, collaboration, and community spirit (ukhuwwah) consistent
with our vision ‘shared prosperity and well-being’. 

In a practical sense, IIUM top management would listen to the needs and
expectations of the IIUM community which mainly consists of students,
supporting staff and lecturers. By listening more to the IIUM community,
the management sees the need to reduce burdensome paperwork especially
among the academics. Students are absorbed as supporting staff that will
facilitate the conduct of SOPs to ensure documentations are in order.

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Financial Autonomy
Financial autonomy in this context refers to the university’s ability to
decide freely on its internal financial affairs without external interference.
This ability empowers the university to manage its funds independently and
to set their strategic goals and priorities more effectively. 

Under the IIUM transformative plan for 2040, IIUM is set to embrace
adaptive approach in meeting the challenge of government policies of
shrinking in the central budget for higher education. It aims to start off
an entrepreneurial initiative in order to provide conducive eco-system for
developing entrepreneurial mindset and culture among its community.
Being an “entrepreneurial university” enables IIUM to realise its vision to
be financially autonomous. 

Practically, the IIUM community will work together in creating start-ups as
well as creatively develop its own capacity for income generating activities
incorporating Islamic economics, e.g., endowment, waqaf, donation, etc.
Additional incentives can be created and awarded to IIUM staff who strive
beyond requirements set by the university as per their contribution. The
initiative of waqaf among the IIUM community can be structured and
promoted.

The transformative plan also sees the need for change in direction of
research grants especially those coming from external funders. Grants that
are offered are no longer tied to designated themes that solely benefit the
industry. Selections of researchers will be skewed to value-based research
that would bring larger benefits to the community in general.

Curriculum Structure
Curriculum structure can be defined as to the way the curriculum is
organised, the emphasis of subject and learning areas, the period and the
length of study, and pattern of learning. The curriculum may compose of
the core subjects, electives, specialisations and can even allow students to
take subjects from various disciplines, which would benefit them greatly.
These are among the key components of curriculum structure. 

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A VIRTUAL JOURNEY TO IIUM 2040
FUTURES SCENARIO BUILDING WORKSHOP

Under the IIUM transformative plan for 2040, we believe that the curriculum
structure for higher education of IIUM 2040 should adaptively change into
the synergy of technology-led education with the integration of humanising
and Islamising artificial intelligence. IIUM is foreseen to go further with the
ideas of personalising education i.e., the ‘Buffet Learning’ or a ‘Jukebox’
for a collection of songs’. However, this “people-centric education” is
moulded within the IIUM vision and missions. 

IIUM 2040 is centering on the self-learning education, based on the
epistemology of the Qur’an. It celebrates the diversity of good ideas and useful
perspectives in the spirit of multi- and interdisciplinary knowledge, within
the paradigm of Tawhid, especially after the collapse of secular humanistic
or agnostic paradigms of knowledge construction. This adaptive paradigm
underscores the importance of exploration of ideas without regurgitation of
information to ensure the students are well trained to think critically, creatively
and strategically to solve problems rather than rote-learning.

With the change in the direction of future studies, IIUM offers online
courses. Learning space is no longer limited to physical space, beyond the
four common walls.  Portability and flexibility of IIUM adaptive direction
will flourish. Students will be learning from anywhere. Experts from
anywhere will also gather under the IIUM umbrella sharing knowledge
from IIUM sanctuary.

BACKCASTING Consolidation Implementation Fondational
Phase
Acceleration Phase Phase
Phase

2040 2035 2030 2025 2020

IIUM Sanctuary IIUM Garden of
Knowledge & Virtue

Figure 10-9: Adaptive IIUM Journey to Transformation

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A VIRTUAL JOURNEY TO IIUM 2040
FUTURES SCENARIO BUILDING WORKSHOP

Attending this workshop is a life-changing
experience. It basically trains our mind to
function outside the comfort zone, to see the
future as an asset, a capital and an opportunity

that can work for us than against us.

- Ahmad

CONCLUSION
IIUM is deeply rooted in its raison d’etre as enshrined in its vision and
missions. However, IIUM is highly adaptive, robust and dynamic to meet the
ever-changing environments to ensure its sustainability as one of the leading
higher education providers locally and internationally. The adaptive change
of IIUM for the future emphasises on the creation of a trend embracing the
diversity and inclusiveness of different stakeholders in Leading the Way
to serve humanity. By 2040, IIUM aims at becoming a technology-led
education closing the gap of technology-led education and human well-
being. The preferred future is realised through the holistic model of Shared
Prosperity and Well-Being shaping humanised education for the future.

Group Members:
Abdul Rashid Moten | Ahmad El-Muhammady | Muhammad Uthman El-
Muhammady Gairuzazmi Mat Ghani | Idah Madieha Abdul Ghani Azmi |
Kamaruzzaman Yunus | Nur Hidayah Abd Rahman | Raja Badrol Hisham Raja
Mohd | Wan Mohd Hilmi Wan Kamal
Facilitator: Zarinah Gulam Rasul Nalla
Rapporteur: Amelia Wong Azman

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RADICAL CHANGE
SCENARIO

Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have
[the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence
of] what [evil] it has earned. “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have

forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You
laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have
no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are

our Protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.”
Qur’ān, 2:286

We did not send you (O dear Prophet Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon
him) except as a mercy for the entire world.
Qur’ān, 21:107

A VIRTUAL JOURNEY TO IIUM 2040
FUTURES SCENARIO BUILDING WORKSHOP

Islam manifests an ideology that propitiates the requisites of stability as well
as change. Tenacity and change coexist in the human society and culture and
they are bound to remain so. Too much emphasis on tenacity makes a system
rigid and hinders flexibility and progress, while a lack of tenacious values
and rigid elements generate moral relativism, shapelessness, and anarchy.

In 2040, IIUM’s trajectory is that of a university with an unflinching vision
and missions to be stalwarts of Islam and to ultimately serve humanity,
yet at the same time malleable to transform to radical institutional culture,
academic environment in its endeavour to emerge as an oasis of knowledge,
staffed by global scholars (budding and established).

This Renaissance of Islamic Education gives life to a community of learners,
of the learned and the community-at-large who are not only working
together but also embracing the Islamic worldview and work ethics, bringing
forth innovations and solutions.

Every person is an integral part of the university - the Centres of Studies
once seen as custodians of knowledge, no longer exists. Every scholar
(students or staff) pursues their interests wholeheartedly, for the goal is
to give rise to a new breed of polymaths of the future – a Muslim scholar
who is not only well-versed in his own area of study, but straddles many
different branches of knowledge, with everyone understanding the concept
that with knowledge comes responsibilities.

The image of the preferred radical future of IIUM 2040, among other things,
is that of a Waqaf virtual-based university with the mandate of an education
for all. The Waqaf model is an ideal vision that conforms to IIUM’s
aspiration of assuring a sustainable human and economic development for
the future. This noble intent is in consonance with IIUM’s quintessence of
bringing individuals closer to his Creator as evidenced in the Qur’ān, Surah
Al-Baqarah, verses 261-262. where Allah SWT mentioned “The example
of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed [of grain]
which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allah
multiplies [His reward] for whom He wills.”

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