About Us

Our approach to Science and Technology Studies

The Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) at University of Malaya was established in 1997, with mission to pursue scholarly excellence in philosophy and sociology of science and technology, and innovation studies. It has inherited a rich legacy left by its predecessor, the History and Philosophy of Science Unit, set up in 1977, under the purview of the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Science. The Department has been committed to conduct multidisciplinary research and offer STS degrees from baccalaureate to doctoral levels. In addition, the faculty members have been leading in fostering public engagement with science and technology in the age of knowledge society, information technology and global climate change.

Our degree programmes emphasise the economics, political, historical, ethical and social aspects of science, technology and innovation. The faculty members are highly qualified with training in many disciplines, including business and management, economics and public policy, natural science and engineering, history and philosophy and sociology.

STS currently researches in three major research areas: (1) Business, Science and Technology Policy and Innovation Management; (2) Sociology and Philosophy of Science; and (3) Information Science.

The faculty members have published extensively in these major research areas. Many works have appeared in prestige and high impact SSCI-listed journals such as Technological Forecasting and Social Change (Tier 1), Technological and Economic Development of Economy (Tier 1), Scientometrics (Tier 1), Journal of Informetrics (Tier 1), Forest Policy and Economics (Tier 2), Resources Conservation and Recycling (Tier 2) and Studies in History and Philosophy of Science (Tier 2).

The department has developed a large international network of institutions for research partnerships and academic engagement programmes. These include: Kyoto University of Japan, Tokyo University of Japan, Ateneo de Manila University of the Philippines, University of Sussex (SPRU) of the UK, Cambridge University of the UK, Chulalongkorn University of Thailand, National Tsing Hua University of Taiwan, Seoul National University of South Korea, National University of Singapore, Jawaharlal Nehru University of India, and World Intellectual Properties Organisation.