MSRC-KAF Intercultural Discourse Series
Learning To Think: Education for Greater Competitiveness

Released by: MIM
Date: 19 September 2006

Dr Wilson Tay, CEO MIM on `Learning To Think: Finding The Right Approach' at the MSRC-KAF Intercultural Discourse Series on Learning To Think: Education for Greater Competitiveness.

"If I give you a fish, I feed you for a day; If I teach you how to fish, I feed you for a lifetime. And as in learning - If I teach you, you are limited to my knowledge; If I show you how to learn, the sky is the limit," said Dr Wilson Tay, CEO of the Malaysian Institute of Management in a lively exchange with delegates at the MSRC-KAF Intercultural Discourse Series on Learning To Think: Finding the Right Approach. With the articulation of the 9th Malaysia Plan and the nation at the final sprint towards our national mandate of Vision 2020, the education and training sectors play important roles in providing the nation with relevant human capital resources with `first class mentality.'

The number of degree students attending tertiary institutions has been steadily increasing over the years but there are laments that the quality of graduates remains an issue. In education and training conferences, representatives from the academia and industry recognise that demands on tertiary education has increased and there is concern about the ability of our institutions to cope with the increasing number of students. This has resulted in an emphasis on quantity over quality as standards of higher education suffer in the bid to cater to the ever-increasing numbers.

Statistics has put the unemployed graduates in Malaysia in the region of 80,000. Employers frequently complain about the lack of critical thinking skills and creativity in graduates, whom they claim, are not equipped with the necessary work place skills and not able to `think'. Hence, there is an urgent need to explore and undertake a paradigm shift in the way we teach and learn in our school system.

"Our present school system adopts a one size fits all approach where each student's potential has not been fully maximised. Over the years, we have accepted a school system that evaluates a student's ability based on school exam results. This gave rise to fragmentation of knowledge silos that does not encourage the concept of questioning and reflection, which are key parts of learning.

"As we move into the knowledge economy, there needs to be a paradigm shift from a `command and control' to `enrol and enlist' style of management." This remark set the mood for the rest of the session where Dr Wilson spoke about recognising that every individual has his own unique learning and thinking styles and the action learning concept of learning, questioning, reflection and actioning as a powerful tool to draw out the capability of students.

The event organised by the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre (MSRC) and Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF), was attended by about 130 delegates, with a second session in the afternoon on Towards Greater Competitiveness - What is the Private Sector looking for?

Speakers at the session on Learning To Think - Finding The Right Approach were (from left to right): Dr Peter Shephard, CEO of Brain Dynamics Global, Prof Dr Mahani Zainal Abidin, Deputy Director General, Private Higher Education Management Sector, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, Mr Abdul Razak Baginda, Executive Director of MSRC (the Chairperson) and Dr Wilson Tay, CEO of MIM.

Some of the delegates at the MSRC-KAF Intercultural Discourse Series.

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