Book Launch: A GUIDE FOR INDEPENDENT-MINDED SCIENTISTS by Dr Francis Ng

About the author

DR FRANCIS NG

Dr Francis Ng, 83 years old this year, graduated from St Michael’s Institution in Ipoh in 1959. He holds the degrees of BSc from the University of Tasmania and PhD from the University of Oxford. He joined the Forest Research Institute Malaysia in 1964 and became its Deputy Director-General in 1986. In 1991 he joined the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations as Chief of its Service for Forestry Research, Training and Education. He is now an independent consultant to several organizations including the Bandar Utama City Corporation, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, and the Royal Belum State Park.

About the book

A GUIDE FOR INDEPENDENT-MINDED SCIENTISTS

This book is addressed to scientists in Malaysia and other developing countries, based on experience as a scientist, as a manager of scientists in a developing country, and years in international development. At the start, I could have chosen to emigrate to a western country but I chose to work in newly independent Malaysia because the challenge was greater here. I thought my scientific colleagues in Malaysia would be similarly motivated and together we could build a great scientific nation. I was wrong. Most of my colleagues did not have the same ambition and there was no guidance available.

The best scientists are at least 20 times more productive than average ones and that is because the best scientists think and act strategically. This is a book on strategy to help scientists find the right strategies for themselves, their organizations and their countries.