About Us



The Centre for Islamic Development Management Studies (ISDEV), was founded in 1995 at the School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. As a research and educational centre, ISDEV gathers its academic members from various disciplines and schools within the University. It aims at pioneering a move to bring the field of Islamic development management beyond the confines of development and management boundaries per se. It adopts a trans-disciplinary approach to development and management, integrating social, economic and political tools of analysis to  understand development management in an integrative and holistic manner based on Islamic doctrines.





School of Social Sciences 
Universiti Sains Malaysia




The School of Social Sciences at Universiti Sains Malaysia is oriented towards a liberal, interdisciplinary and integrated approach to the social sciences. At last count, the school was host to 51 academic staff, 25 support and administrative staff, and 667 students (198 undergraduate and 469 postgraduate). It was established in 1969 and admitted the first entering class in 1970. At that time, the fields of study available to students were: Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Ethnic Relations, Rural Studies, Sociology, Social Development and Administration and Urban Studies.
Over the years the school has gone through periods of reorganisation. In 1978 Anthropology and Sociology were combined to become an integrated programme (in which form it still exists) while Rural and Urban Studies became Development Studies, now Development Planning and Management. From that same year onwards the school also offered a major programme in Management, which lasted until the School of Management was formed in 1989.
Today the school is organised as five sections under a singleadministration, Anthropology and Sociology, Development Planning and Management, Economics, Political Science and Social Work, and also hosts the AIDS Action and Research Group (AARG), the Centre for Islamic Development Management Studies (ISDEV), and the unit on Research and Education for Peace (REP).
Degree-wise, the school offers a Bachelor of Social Science. In line with university practice, undergraduates are admitted into the school and select a major in the second semester of their first year. They choose from one of the five majors offered by the different sections, and are required to add a minor as part of their graduation requirements. Postgraduate-level candidates apply for either Master's or Ph.D. degrees. The school offers a portfolio of taught and mixed mode Master's degrees in addition to the research-only Master of Social Science and Ph.D. The options are listed here in full






Background of Institution

Established as the second university in the country in 1969, University Sains Malaysia (USM) was first known as the University of Penang, before the University’s Act came into effect on 4th October 1971.
The university has been developing and expanding since its inception, which started with the enrolment of 57 science based students. Now, USM offers courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels to approximately 20,000 students. USM has also become a well-known university locally and internationally.

USM was founded after an agreement made on a resolution approved by the Penang State Legislative Council in 1962, which suggested that a university college be established in the state. An area in Sungai Ara was identified and later the foundation stone was placed by the then Prime Minister, Y.T.M Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj on the 7th of August 1967.

In 1969, the University of Penang was established in response to the need for a larger campus with a more conducive environment, appropriate to the needs of the future of the country.

In April 1969, Professor Hamzah Sendut was elected the Vice-Chancellor. Two months later, a group of 57 students was accepted to begin their studies. Since the area of Sungai Ara could not be developed as fast as required, the group was placed at the Malayan Teachers’ Training College at Bukit Gelugor on loan from the Education Ministry. In 1971, the campus, which was originally planned to be situated in Sungai Ara, moved to its present site, Minden, a beautiful location with an area measuring 500 acres. The green and hilly scenery facing the sea is truly captivating.

Since its beginning, USM has implemented a school system, as opposed to the traditional faculty system. What is unique about this system is that each school could fulfil the needs of a more focused degree in the chosen area of study and at the same time, students could have the opportunity to explore other areas of study offered by another school. The interdisciplinary approach ensures that USM, the first in the country to adopt this system, would produce trained, multi-skilled graduates.
USM is one of the three research-intensive universities in Malaysia. It has four campuses. The Main Campus which is the venue of the INGRAW 2013 located on the island of Penang, northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. USM main campus is located within a tropical island of Penang, Malaysia with a land area of 591.72 acres (240.13 hectares). There are two USM branch campuses, one at Kubang Kerian in Kelantan (approximately 300km from the main campus) known as Health Campus and the other at Nibong Tebal (approximately 50km from the main campus), known as Engineering Campus. The former houses the School of Medical Sciences, School of Health Sciences and School of Dental Sciences, while the latter houses the six Engineering Schools. To date, the total enrolment is more than 30,000 students.




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