ONE of the critical issues encountered by the medical profession in Malaysia during the Covid-19 outbreak is the shortage of face shields and Personal Protective Equipment.
Amazingly, the research community that is always perceived as working in silos, quietly gathered and shifted their focus to helping the healthcare workers. The 3D printer that was previously viewed as a means to publish in a top journal and fulfil the annual KPI, now finds its use in addressing the shortage.
The face shield bracket design and dimension have been uploaded in an open-access portal, where they can be downloaded, straightaway printed and later distributed to healthcare facilities. Even some of my chemist friends have started to produce hand sanitiser from their chemical labs to tackle the market shortage.
There are two valuable lessons. The first is, academics can solve real-world problems and secondly, open science is important to promote rapid innovation in finding solutions. Another thing that caught my attention is the fake news about the pandemic. The medical community and authorities now have to battle two different viruses.
This is why a few friends and I decided to create ‘Majalah Sains’. We publish articles and visuals online to create awareness of the virus among the public. ‘Majalah Sains’ is not the only one; social media influencers, professional societies and various NGOs also play their roles to counter pseudoscience and fake news.
The research community will find their relevance if they can share knowledge through effective communications to the public. During the early phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO), Malaysians witnessed panic buying. For academics, it was panic online learning as some of us have very little idea of it.
During this time, academicians in universities have to work extra hours to prepare guidelines, infographics, dedicated slots in television broadcast, web seminars including creating a social media platform to assist lecturers to shift to online learning.
With 82 per cent of Malaysians connected to the Internet, online learning is the way forward. Online lectures incorporate collaborative learning and emotional intelligence to compensate for the lack of physical presence. This will help push further micro-credentials or certifications, useful for life-long learners, and ensure university relevancy to stakeholders.
We now have numerous options to upskill. This is in line with the World Economic Forum forecast for 2022 that lifelong learners need an extra 101 hours of training to keep up with the steady growth of workforce automation.
Students may no longer be evaluated merely for understanding and application of basic theoretical concepts, but also for their analytical thinking, creativity and complex problem-solving; all done online, a future demand of the workforce according to the WEF 2020 Skills Outlook.
Students have to be more adept at online learning as different lecturers may use different techniques, mobile apps and online platforms. Physical laboratories will be replaced with online simulations. This means a lessening of fuel use, contributing to a reduction in emissions.
Several studies confirm that air pollution in China has fallen by 25 per cent, and 24 per cent in Europe due to Covid-19 lockdowns.
Other than online learning, working from home will become a new culture. An organisation that is performance-driven and results-oriented won’t have any problem adapting. Workers who can produce similar (if not higher) productivity at home will gain from this initiative.
Decisions can be made at virtual meetings, or via online collaboration tools. This will allow quick decision-making, and reduce red tape and costs. With social distancing, we have to adapt to a new paradigm of socialising too — socialise virtually.
Clearly, Covid-19 is a blessing in disguise. The virus will forever change the way we work, learn and socialise in the near future.
The writer is a specialist in wireless technology and research in the digital communication field at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times