University lecturers should stick to their area of specialisation and not give views on matters out of their scope of expertise, says higher education minister Zambry Abd Kadir.
He was responding to remarks by International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) lecturer Solehah Yaacob, who suggested that ancient Roman shipbuilding techniques may have been learned from Malay seafarers.
Zambry said the academic world is governed by established procedures and guidelines that must be observed to preserve the integrity of knowledge and the credibility of higher education institutions, Bernama reported.
“We do not stop lecturers from expressing views related to their respective fields. However, it is not ideal when they comment on issues outside their field.
“This is something that has often been…