By Joseph Masilamany
THE recent passing of Prof Datuk Dr Khalid Yusoff at the age of 66 leaves a vacuum in the corridors of Malaysian academia. At the time of his passing, he was UCSI University President and Vice-Chancellor.
UCSI Group founder and chief executive officer Datuk Peter Ng, in a statement, said that the university offers its condolences on the great loss in the Malaysian academic field and said that Dr Khalid was not someone who rested on his laurels.
Ng said Dr Khalid played an important role in increasing UCSI University’s ranking and since heading the university in 2013, UCSI had received various academic recognitions, in addition to forging a strategic partnership with world-renowned universities including Harvard University.
[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”block” ihc_mb_who=”unreg” ihc_mb_template=”3″ ]“Under his leadership, UCSI also emerged as the best private university in Malaysia for two consecutive years in the 2019 and 2020 QS World University Rankings.
“He left a great impact on UCSI students. He arranged the collaboration with Harvard University himself to empower our medical students with various opportunities to be part of high impact research programmes at the best university in the world,” he added.
Dr Khalid had played an important role in increasing UCSI University’s ranking and since heading the university in 2013, UCSI had received various academic recognitions, in addition to forging a strategic partnership with world-renowned universities including Harvard University.
“In addition, the university achieved a five-star rating as a Matured University in the 2018/2019 Setara ranking, a rating instrument that assesses Malaysia’s higher learning institutions in teaching, research and services,” said Ng.
Dr Khalid was trained as a cardiologist and began his medical career as a student at the University of Melbourne, Australia, before undergoing training at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom.
The Petri Dish editor-in-chief and Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre, Dr Mahaletchumy Arujanan shares in anecdotes the soft side of the late Khalid in her tribute to the man often perceived as the Goliath of Malaysian science.
“He is not just known for his excellence in research and academic work. His empathy and humility make him so special. He personally touched my life, recommending consultant doctors from the public sector when my family needed them in any dire situations.
“He personally attends to my request in spite of being such a prominent and busy person. I am ever grateful to him,” said Mahaletchumy.
“During our last international work trip to Pakistan we got stranded there due to the India-Pakistan dispute at that time. I will cherish those moments at the airport where he spoke about the simple Kelantanese lifestyle where values are put above monetary gains. Probably his Kelantanese gene made him transform universities and research to serve the nation and Malaysians as a whole.
“While stranded at the airport trying to find the next available flight the Pakistani media approached us for an interview and the humble man immediately pointed at me, saying she is our spokesperson (since I am a science communicator),” said Mahaletchumy who regarded Dr Khalid as a very eloquent man.
“I would like to end my tribute to my friend and compatriot in science in the words of French philosopher, mystic and political activist Simone Adolphine Weil, who said: ‘Real genius is nothing else but the supernatural virtue of humility in the domain of thought’. – PD [/ihc-hide-content]
