PLANS 

At this time, the IDMP merely exists as a project under the School of Social Sciences. Although it receives basic office facilities and enjoys moral support from the School, the IDMP is actually a self-sponsored project, financially independent of both the School and the university. A formal status within the organizational structure of the university such as a centre or institute (and perhaps a school in the future) would help create a more encouraging and active future for the IDMP. It would bring IDMP members who come from various schools and fields together into one formal institution, researching, developing and disseminating the Islamic Development Management discipline through their respective fields, such as Islamic Economics, Islamic Development, Islamic Management, Islamic Politics, Islamic Political Economy and so on. All these could culminate in a practical, applied living Islam. As such, achieving a formal status for the IDMP within the organizational structure of the university is a main objective for the coming years.

The IDMP also aims at formulating academic packages to be offered to both undergraduate and post-graduate students. Specific academic programmes, such as a major and minor in Islamic Development Management for undergraduates, as well as a master's programme and PhD programme, are in the planning pipeline. As an initial step, a proposal has been made for the  master's and minor programmes in Islamic Development Management, to be launched during the Eighth Malaysia Plan, 2001-2005. Offering such programmes would not only enrich the discipline of Islamic Development Management, but would also hopefully be able to expedite the implementation of Islamic development in various Muslim countries, through the training of their Islamic development managers at IDMP.

The IDMP would not be able to accomplish its objectives without the cooperation, support and acknowledgement of the University Science Malaysia, as well as without that of established institutions worldwide. Being a project that depends, for its day-to-day operations, on research and consultancy grants, continual assistance in goods, services and monetary forms from established organizations and philanthropists would greatly help IDMP to advance at a greater pace.

To date, the IDMP has enjoyed cooperation with various institutions in organizing its in-house seminars, academic meetings, international conferences and publications. It hopes to continue such cooperation, taking it further to include the training of its members, and by being involved in coordinated efforts and activities both at the national and international levels.