Adopting scalable systems to support research excellence
Universities across APAC are strengthening their investment in research. Yet many still face problems in scaling output, maintaining consistency and meeting their research goals. When the systems needed to ensure collaboration and standardisation lag behind, workflows can remain disjointed, which undermines efficiency and limits insights. A THE webinar, hosted in partnership with Covidence, brought together university leaders from APAC to discuss how today’s institutions can build scalable systems to support research.
Julie Brown, principal consultant systematic reviewer at Covidence, said universities can use their social mission as a catalyst for innovation. “The institutions that I see as being the most successful are ones that aren’t just buying tools but reimagining their research ecosystem,” said Brown. She argued that universities need internal frameworks to support interdisciplinary collaboration and tools to improve efficiency and enhance evidence synthesis.
Michael Joseph S. Diño, director of the Research Development and Innovation Center at Our Lady of Fatima University in the Philippines, argued that technology procurement is only one piece of the puzzle. Institutional culture is important for driving collaboration on campus. “We need to change the mindset of people,” said Diño. “We need to change some of the factors that drive scholarly work. That includes workload allocation, promotion criteria and incentives within the university.”
The panellists cautioned against trying to improve research by imposing publication targets and key performance indicators, arguing they can be counterproductive and only bring short-term results. A more sustainable approach would see universities striking a balance between promoting research aligned with institutional priorities and academic freedom.
The Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) in Malaysia follows an 80/20 approach to make sure that 80 per cent of the work is aligned with the institution’s research agenda while the 20 per cent leeway allows researchers to follow their intellectual curiosity. “There’s a fine line, because we need to ensure that the university is moving in a unified manner, but at the same time, we also give [researchers] freedom,” said Fadzil Hassan, dean of postgraduate and research at UTP.
With institutional reputation increasingly linked to demonstrable outcomes, universities have strong incentives to create a culture that maximises impact. “It is important for the research work in the present era to be translational,” said Daniel Lee, director of research and sustainability at Sunway University in Malaysia. He spoke about strategies for overcoming fragmentation within research ecosystems, such as collaboration, mentorship and integration. “We ensure that the systems we procure can integrate all the different workflows that we have,” said Lee.
A healthy research culture does not happen by chance, noted Shah Satini, regional sales director at Covidence. It is built on research oversight, collaboration, standardisation and capability building. “It takes leadership, governance, collaboration and systems that support quality and consistency at scale,” Shah concluded.
The panel:
- Julie Brown, principal consultant systematic reviewer, Covidence
- Xiuting Chong, senior consultant, Times Higher Education (chair)
- Michael Joseph S. Diño, director, Research Development and Innovation Center, Our Lady of Fatima University
- Fadzil Hassan, dean of postgraduate and research, Universiti Teknologi Petronas
- Daniel Lee, director of research and sustainability, Sunway University
- Shah Satini, regional sales director, Covidence
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