...ranking

one of the hot topics discussed at eduniversal world convention in Shanghai was the ranking system... be it eduniversal, financial times or other ranking systems... many deans actually feel uncomfortable with the ranking except those few 'top' business schools or universities... those schools do not even bother to be ranked but people still ranked them highly... remember what a professor from London Business School (LBS was ranked world No. 1 for Global MBA for 3 consecutive years) told me earlier this year... "we at LBS don't really bother about ranking... we know/clear with what we wanna be... and do what we think is right...the ranking is a bonus and of course good for the school's image"... which implies that top b-schools like LBS do not start with ranking in their minds, rather their belief on the right way to run b-schools (LBS in comparison to London School of Economic focuses more on industry/practical knowledge than academic)... similarly those top business schools do not bother to be accredited, yet the accreditation comes to them...even if they do apply, i am sure any accreditation body would be happy to award them...it is kinda like a business...now the burden is on the average b-schools... do we have a choice? the answer is, of course, no... lets accept the fact that we cannot avoid the ranking whether you like it or not...the question is how we gonna deal with it... the pressure is there... ministry/minister, VC, DVC hence the Dean bla bla... sitting on the hot seat is never easy...and to get good ranking one needs to get the international accreditations... the so-called triple crowns AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA (hmm another head cracking tasks)... then good faculty members will come and then good students...moral of the story... we have no choice but what is important is... if we wanna play it, we have to play it well/wisely... understand the detail methodology (criteria) and choose the right strategy... the fact is we cannot excel in everything, so we need to focus and match our strength with the most important criteria... eduniversal ranking itself, for example, is 'debatable' as business schools are ranked based on recommendations from other business schools deans'... in this regard, uum or more specifically othman yeop abdullah graduate school of business is a new player in the b-school's games... regionally and internationally... here networking, other than branding, is of paramount important for us... ranking is like a game anyway... that's what Manchester Business School Dean said.. .wish us luck in future ranking... cheers

...a day without a mobile phone part II

...promised you to share how it feels not to have a mobile phone for a day...to be honest life goes on as usual...yeah did miss few somewhat important (but not urgent) phone calls and messages from friends and bosses...overall its ok...kinda like you miss few but you gain more ha3...managed to settle few important things that day without much interference...just knew that one of my colleagues doesn't have a mobile phone since he lost one almost a year ago...no wonder he seems happier than before...and i guess he is now one of the most productive faculty members in terms of quality researches and publications in to ranked journals...also remember meeting a dean from one of the good b-schools in the US last year...surprisingly he told me that he never use a mobile phone...kinda like privacy reason...if they wanna talk to me call my office number or email me...and no call after office hour please...he told me...anyway, i believe it is up to the individual...the reality is we need mobile phone...in fact other than the internet, it is one of the best things ever invented by human being...

...Shanghai

I was in Shanghai last week attending Eduniversal World Convention, my first time in China...the conventiuon was held at Tongji University, School of Economic and Management, as stated in the brochure...we arrived the university around 8.45am...taxi can't go into the campus, so we have to walk to the convention venue...there was one big red banner about the convention written in chinese characters except the word eduniversal...there was also small signages to the venue but we missed the second one...so we lost...which end up kinda a campus tour early in the morning ha2...luckily the weather was nice about 20 degree celcius...bad news i had to pull a heavy bag full with promotional materials around the campus...worst it's difficult to ask for direction becos very few speak english...we asked students and even professors but everyone seem not to know the event or pointing to different directions...after about an hour touring the campus, we finally found the school...what a relief...after taking a five-minute break we were told that the convention wasn't there, it was held at another building...gosh another 15 minutes walk...i finally lost my patience...we arrived the convention building at 10.30am, about one and half hour late...i have to take out my coat...was sweating from head to toe...then setting up our booth was another story...luckily the convention was great...met many b-school deans from all over the world...very good networking opportunity and learn how other b-schools run their programs...

...being thankful and smile

Got this from a friend of mine...there was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.' One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her, 'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him. Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.' This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations. Life is a Gift...Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak. Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat. Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion. Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven. Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren. Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets. Before whining about the distance you drive - Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet. And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job. But before you think of pointing the finger or condeming another - Remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one MAKER and when depressing thots seem to get u down - put a smile on your face...he knew i'm a bit stressful these few days and wanted to put a smile on my face...thanks bro khaeruddin...may Allah bless us all...

...history

...my son did ok in most subjects except history and geography... he failed history and barely passed geography in the mid-year exam...not that he doesn't like reading...he actually loves gadgets/technology and science books...expecially adventure and science fiction books (not the science subject tho)...he has a complete collection of enid blyton, harry porter, septimus heap, narnia etc...i asked him to try reading history...you may find it interesting, i said...but he told me reading history is boring...he even asked me why is it so important to learn about the past?...hmm i don't really know how to convince him that learning history is important...ok i told him...history kinda tells of a story of why things are they way they are now and how things came to be...and by learning history people won't repeat the same mistake bla bla bla...i think that make sense right?...the final exam is about 3 weeks away...so i ask him to try to read the history book again...but he confidently said...do you know abah? (abah means dad), one scientist said...'we should not look at the past but think of the future...because we simply cannot change the past'...hmm what can i say...his ambition is to become kinda like a mad scientist or one that can invent a super robot like the transformer...yeah whatever he is just a 13 year old kid...

...a day without a mobile phone

...half way to work today, i feel a bit weird...don't feel the normal vibrations in my pocket...alerting me of the new emails, messages or phone calls...then realised that i've left my mobile phone (blackberry) at home...hmmm to go back or not to go back...wisely i decided to forget about the phone and continue driving to my office...i can check my emails later at office...and when i want to ha2...many people said they can't live without their mobile phone(s) even for a day...they would somehow feel disconnected with the world...you'll never know when your big boss or your mama or dearest wife or maybe a girlfriend(s) would call you...that's what they said...so let it be...i wanna know how it feels not to have a mobile phone for a day...I remember the 1980s and 90s, when we had the line telephone to stay connected or wrote letters to stay in touch...no problem with that right...but this technology or gadget has reduced us to freaks, robots and zombies whether we want to believe it or not...that's my reasoning for today...will share with you how it actually feels tomorrow...cheers

...change of profession

...last Friday, i called a friend to my house, he's a plumber...we had some problems with our water pump and the piping system...i haven't met him for quite sometimes, probably 2 years since he last came to fix the same problems...as promised he arrived after Friday prayer...but i was a bit surprised to see him...unlike a normal plumber he came wearing a nice white shirt and a black trouser, carrying a sling bag...and he brought with him few friends…all wearing nice dresses…wow this must be a modern plumber i guess...what i didn't know is that he has changed his profession...he's no more a plumber but a successful salesperson...selling direct selling products...so my wife and i have to put our ears for about 2 hours listening this old friend...telling and trying to convince us about his products...we never like salesperson but he's our good friend...so we didn't say anything...just looking at each other smiling...and not to disappoint him, we bought one of his products, the cheapest one anyway...he promised to come back and fix the piping problem another day...which he did come and fix all the problems...the good thing was he gave us a ‘membership’ price for his service ha ha ha…wish him all the best with his new profession…i know he can be a successful one...