HUMAN ACCOUNT IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

While in Brunei, I presented a paper entitled “Human Account in Development Studies: An Islamic Analysis” at the 2^nd SOASCIS International Conference: Transmitting Spiritual and Moral Values Across Generations in 21^st Century: The Challenges to Muslim Education, organized by the Sultan Omar `Ali Saifuddien Centre for Islamic Studies (SOASCIS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam, at Universiti Brunei Darussalam on 5-7 November 2012.

In contrary to the perception of some scholars, this paper shows that the human aspects have indeed been a focus of recognition and an in-depth deliberation in the western ethno-centric development studies. What has become the flaw of these studies is their inability in understanding a holistic concept of human beings, hence inability in penetrating into other human basic components within oneself.

In a nutshell, this paper consists of an expression of three main stances. Firstly, that the western ethno-centric theories undoubtedly are well aware of the significance and the importance of the human and the intangible aspects. Secondly, that this awareness, however, is based on an inexact concept of human beings, defected by some missing dimensions of human beings themselves. Thirdly, in consequence, that the deliberation on the human in the western ethno-centric development theories are confined to a narrow worldly objectives, with productivity and income as their indicators of what they meant as human development. These stances, inter alia, need to be exposed to the students of development studies, particularly in the deliberation on the human beings as actors of development.

Dr Zakaria Bahari

Dr Mohd Shukri Hanapi

Wan Norhaniza Wan Hasan

3 other ISDEV members have also presented their papers in this Conference. They were ISDEV Deputy Director Dr Zakaria Bahari who presented a paper on "The Teaching of Islamic Economics: An Analysis of Tawhidic Paradigm", ISDEV Acting Chairman of Islamic Development Management Program Dr Mohd Shukri Hanapi on "From Jahiliyyah to Islamic Worldview: In Search of an Islamic Philosophical Construct", and ISDEV Academic Staff Training Scheme Fellow Wan Norhaniza Wan Hasan on "Education Indicators in Development Index: An analysis From the Perspective of Islamic-based Development".

The Conference was also participated by well-known academicians. They are Distinguished Professor Tan Sri Muhammad Kamal Hassan of  the International Islamic University Malaysia, Professor Datuk Osman Bakar (who is also the organizer) of the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Professor Yasushi Kosugi of Kyoto University, Japan, Professor Abul Fadl Mohseen Ebrahim of University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Professor Jamil Lee Hee Soo of Hanyang Unversity Seoul, South Korea, Associate Professor Yusuf Ma Zhan Ming of Ningxia University, People's Republic of China, Dr Alim Fadil Achmat Salie of University of Detroit Mercy, USA, Professor Dato' Md Salleh Yaapar of Universiti Sains Malaysia, and Professor Datin Azizan Baharuddin of Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia.

L-R: Assoc Prof Dr Jabal M. Buaben (UBD), Dr Mohd Shukri Hanapi (ISDEV), Dr Zakaria Bahari (ISDEV), Prof Datuk Osman Bakar (UBD), myself, Prof Yasushi Kosugi (Japan), Prof Dato' Md Salleh Yaapar (USM), and Dr Alim Fadil Achmat Salie (USA)