Academics, like many others, often focus on only what is right in front of us. However, many do not know that much of our works take years to reach completion. My recent submission of research grant last month, began with a simple proposal I wrote back when I first joined UM in 2013. As many of us academia are constantly behind and barely meeting deadlines (we normally receive grant announcement just a week before the submission due date, most of the time three days earlier), it can feel as though we are unproductive, even when we are getting things done. The trick is to have a top-drawer (from the name, it implies that it is a half-baked proposal prepared earlier and being stored on the top-drawer, ready for submission) proposal but nevertheless, you still need to brush it up according to the various formats and requirements for any specific research grant application.
This year, marking my fourth year in UM as an academic, I would like to reflect on what I have accomplished along the year 2017 in this blog post.
In 2017, my biggest accomplishment for the year is the increasing visibility of my academic career, being featured on TV1, a national TV on a program called "Selamat Pagi Malaysia" for the Asean Students' Environmental Platform and having my climate change awareness project covered in Utusan Malaysia, a national newspaper. I have been also invited by the Ministry of International Trade to share my experience at the Panasonic Scholarship Award ceremony and for the first time invited as forum moderator for the Forum of Islam, Civilization and Science (FICAS 2017), organised by Pertubuhan Legasi Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and invited as expert panel by IKIM on environmental impacts of GM microalgae. In addition, it has also been an honour for me to be awarded the Environmental Sustainability Professional Fellowship from the US Department of State, giving me the chance to spend the spring of 2017 in the United States of America.
This year, I wrote and edit two chapters in a book (one on climate change risk adaptation and another one energy saving culture challenges) but I guess it will only be published next year in 2018. At least, half of the articles I prepared with my students this year are still under review. On the other hand, I have several articles that came out published this year that required little to no effort.
This reality makes it hard to track what I actually accomplished this year. It will be useful to break down the achievements by categories listed below;
Works started and finished in 2017 (for the most part of it)
1. Book chapter on climate change risk adaptation on highlands
2. Book chapter on the challenges of incorporating campus energy saving efforts
3. Non-ISI/Non-Scopus article on Leucaena leucocephala biodiesel with Idham published
4. Applied for 7 research grants (both international and national) and managed to secure two from it
5. Full research article with Idham - under review
6. Full research article with Khalil - under review
7. Full research aritcle with Maryam - under review
Works accepted and published in 2017 (that involved substantial revisions this year)
1. Brucea javanica biodiesel optimization article with Khalil
2. Brucea javanica antioxidant article with Khalil
3. Co-authored article on campus residential college energy outlook with Dr. Adi
Khalil is catching up as his work in Lasbella University, Pakistan is waiting for him and he must submit his thesis soon (Up to date, his thesis is submitted and currently under review).
Works accepted and published in 2017 (where most of the work was done in 2016)
1. Zeynab's review article
2. Zeynab's Ocimum basilicum original research article
3. Maryam's Leucaena leucocephala microcrystalline cellulose article
Zeynab has been productive and efficient but she recently moved to Australia. Hope we will have future co-authored publications together soon.
Works accepted and published in 2017 where all the work was done in previous years
1. Dr. Radzi's research article on hyrogen fuel
2. Maridah's research work
No efforts needed in 2017 for these 2 articles.
Finally there are various works that involved research, reading, writing, community service, secret service and faculty duties, yet there are no publications or worth-to-mention credits. We academics are mostly "wira tak didendang".
I always marvel and think how much more I could accomplish if I could focus for an hour or two everyday to write but finding a peaceful time undisturbed to write is definitely a challenge. In the meantime, meetings (some are important and some are unnecessary) and 256 hours of lectures are always here and there. It's the whatsapp group world Zul! Ping ping ping! Maybe I should initiate a writing retreat with interested colleagues or create my own mini writing retreat - no whatsapp.
After taking into account of what I have done, I can say that 2017 has been a great year and Alhamdulillah for that. Thank you everyone for making it a wonderful year! I think I can take it slow from now and enjoy my well-deserved end of the year break and see you all in 2018! Towards finding a better formula of work-life balance in 2018!
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