Muhammad Syukri Salleh[1]
University Science Malaysia

INTRODUCTION

Islamic Development Management Project, or IDMP, was established in 1995 at the School of Social Sciences,
University Science Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. As a research-teaching project which gathers its members from various
disciplines and Schools in the University, IDMP aims at enhancing the field of Islamic development beyond the confine
of the development per se. It attempts to encompass a multi-disciplinary approach to development, integrating social,
economic and political tools of analysis to understand development in an integrative and holistic whole. It goes beyond
the study of Islamic economics, Islamic development and Islamic economic development to scrutinise and construct a
conceptual and practical framework of the management of the economic, development and the economic development
in Islamic perspective. As development is seen as an all-embracing aspects of life, from spiritual to material and physical,
and from the level of individual to society, state and universe, IDMP intents to cover the whole range of horizons of
human life, formulating and pioneering into a new integrated discipline that IDMP terms as Islamic Development Management.

ACTIVITIES

In realising the above objective, IDMP undertakes a task to strengthen its members with knowledge of Islam and related
disciplines, as well as to disseminate them through weekly Qur’anic Studies, monthly In–House Seminars, academic
meetings, two-yearly International Conferences, researches, publications and teachings. While Qur’anic Studies,
In-House Seminars and academic meetings become regular gatherings for IDMP members and interested individuals to
share and deepen their knowledge on Islam and Islamic Development Management related subjects, International
Conference gathers IDMP members with international learned persons to present and exchange their ideas and research
findings on a chosen theme.

To date, IDMP has for nearly two years conducted its weekly Qur’anic Studies classes, organised numbers of In-House
Seminars, two academic meetings and three international conferences. The first academic meeting, a seminar on An
Islamic Approach to Development Management was held in Kota Bharu, Kelantan in 1998 while the second, a book
discussion on Napoleon and Islam was held at University Science Malaysia in 1999[2]. The first two International
Conferences, held in 1994 and 1996, related to Islamic Political Economy[3], while the third, held in 1998 and
co-organised with Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) of the Islamic Development Bank, dealt with the
Management of Economic Development in Islamic Perspective. Currently, IDMP is preparing for its fourth
international conference scheduled to be held in the very near future, with an emphasis on the conceptualisation and
realisation of the Islamic Development Management in the socio-economic and political realities of today.
During the Second International Conference held in 1996, the first IDMP book consisting papers presented at the First
International Conference[4] was launched. During the Third International Conference held in 1998, three other books
written and edited by IDMP members were also launched[5]. IDMP is now editing the papers of its Third International
Conference to be published in a volume, as well as simultaneously editing a book based on the Seminar on Development
Management held in Kelantan. During the official opening of the Third International Conference in 1998, a memorandum
of understanding with Utusan Publications & Distributors on the publication of IDMP bi-annual journal named Journal
of Islamic Development was also signed.

The above activities run concurrently with research and consultancy works. To date, IDMP has completed two research
projects, firstly on the Islamisation of Development in Kelantan and secondly on the Implementation of Islamic
Development: A Comparative Analysis of Kelantan and Terengganu. At the moment IDMP is carrying two other
research projects, viz. Commercialisation of Agriculture and Management of Islamic Revivalism in Malaysia.
IDMP has also started a consultancy work for Higher Education Department of the Malaysian Ministry of Education,
investigating the Entrance of Religious Studies Students into the Public Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia.

As IDMP has yet to have its own teaching programme, currently it utilises the present structure of the University to teach
undergraduate courses and supervise post-graduate students. Undergraduate courses on Islamic Economics and
Islamic Economics Analysis are taught under the Economic Section of the School of Social Sciences and School of Distance Learning respectively. Another two courses – Principles and Implementation of Islamic Development and Islamic Development Institutions – are taught under the Development Planning and Management Section of the
School of Social Sciences. At post-graduate level, two students have completed their Master of Social Sciences and doctoral degrees from the School of Social Sciences respectively. Another four are researching for their Master and doctorate, two for the former and another two for the latter[6].

FUTURE PLANS

At the moment, IDMP exists as merely a project under the School of Social Sciences. Besides enjoying basic physical
facilities and moral support from the School, IDMP is actually a self-sponsored project, financially independent of both
the School and the University. A formal status within the organisational structure of the University such as a Centre or
Institute (and perhaps a School in the future) would help enhance IDMP into a more encouraging and active future. It
would gather IDMP members who come from various Schools and fields to be in one formal institution, researching,
developing and disseminating the Islamic Development Management discipline through their respective fields, such as
Islamic Economics, Islamic Development, Islamic Management, Islamic Politics, Islamic Political Economy and so on.
All these could culminate in a practical, hands-on and applied living Islam. As such, getting IDMP a formal status within the organisational structure of the University is the main objective during the near coming years.

Secondly, IDMP also aims at formulating academic packages to be offered to both undergraduate and post-graduate
students. Specific academic programmes such as Minor and Major packages in Islamic Development Management for
undergraduates and later on Master and doctoral programmes for post-graduates are in the planning pipeline. As an
initial step, plan has been made to propose a Master and Minor programmes in Islamic Development Management to be
launched during the Eighth Malaysia Plan, 2001-2005. The offerings of such programmes would not only augment the
discipline of Islamic Development Management but also would hopefully be able to expedite the implementation of
Islamic development in various Muslim countries through the training of their Islamic development managers at IDMP.
In addition, it is through these academic programmes that a formal status within the University’s organisational structure could be accomplished at an earlier date.

THE WAY FORWARD

IDMP would not be able to accomplish its objectives without the cooperation, support and acknowledgement by
University Science Malaysia, as well as without the cooperation, support and acknowledgement by established
institutions worldwide. Being a project that depends its day-to-day operations on research and consultancy grants, continuous assistance in goods, services and monetary forms from established organisations and philanthropists would greatly help IDMP to move on in a faster pace.

As of date, IDMP has enjoyed cooperation from various organisations in organising In-House Seminars, academic
meetings, international conferences and publications. IDMP hopes to extend such a cooperation in matters related to
especially training its members, and by being involved in coordination efforts and related activities both at national and
international level.

NOTES

[1] Head, Islamic Development Management Project (IDMP), School of Social Sciences, University Science Malaysia, 11800, Penang
Malaysia. E-mail: [email protected]
[2] The Seminar on Development Management: An Islamic Approach was co-organised with Association of Kelantan Civil Servants
while the Book Discussion: Napoleon and Islam (by Christian Cherfils, Utusan Publications and Distributors, 1999) was co-organised
with Utusan Publications and Distributors.
[3] The first International Conference themed Islamic Political Economy in Capitalist Globalisation: An Agenda for Change was
co-organised with Institut Kajian Dasar (IKD, Kuala Lumpur) while the second themed Islamic Political Economy: Methodology and
Practice From An Asian Perspective in Response to Globalisation was co-organised with Secretaratiat for Islamic Philosophy and
Science (Penang), Yayasan Nurul Yaqeen (Kuala Lumpur) and Japan Asia Foundation Center (Tokyo).
[4] The book, edited by M.A. Choudhury, Abdad M.Z. and Muhammad Syukri Salleh, entitles Islamic Political Economy in Capitalist
Globalisation: An Agenda for Change, and published by Utusan Publications and Distributors, 1996.
[5] The books, all published by Utusan Publications and Distributors, are Political Economy of Development in Malaysia (edited by
B.N. Ghosh and Muhammad Syukri Salleh, 1999), Foreign Workers in Malaysia: Issues and Challenges (by A.H.M. Zehadul Karim,
Moha Asri Abdullah and Md Isa Bakar, 1999) and Pembangunan Industri Kecil dan Sederhana di Malaysia (by Moha Asri Abdullah, 1999).
[6] The two theses completed entitled Pondok Pesantren Cooperatives in Sumatera Utara (PhD) and Administration of Waqf Land in
Medan, Indonesia (M.Soc.Sc). The on-going researches entitle firstly, Agriculture Financing: A Comparative Study Between
Conventional and Islamic Systems, secondly, The Link Between Bay’ Al-Salam As Islamic Mode of Financing and Instruments of
Agricultural Investment Sector in the Light of Islamic Economics (both for Master degree), thirdly, Islamic Finance for Small and
Medium Entrepreneurs in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia and fourthly, In Search for Truly Interest-Free Financial System (both
for doctoral degree).
 
 

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