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MPN HAS ADDRESSED ISSUES THAT HAVE ARISEN AND HELPED OFFER EXPERTISE TO VARIOUS PARTIES INCLUDING MINISTRIES, IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES, STATE GOVERNMENTS, INDUSTRY AND VARIOUS OTHER PARTIES. HOWEVER, DUE TO ITS NATURE AND POSITION UNDER THE MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION, THE GENERAL PERCEPTION IS STILL THAT THE MPN IS AN EXCLUSIVE BODY THAT DEALS WITH EDUCATION ISSUES ONLY. AFTER THIS MATTER WAS REFINED, THE GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY THROUGH DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, FINALLY AGREED THAT THE MPN BE MADE THE CENTRAL ORGANIZATION AND PLACED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT FROM MARCH 21, 2014. IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS NATURE, IT PROVIDES SPACE FOR THE MPN TO APPEAR TO OPERATE AS AN ENTITY. INDEPENDENT, AUTONOMOUS AND ALLOWS IT TO MOVE ACROSS THE BORDERS OF VARIOUS MINISTRIES IN THE COUNTRY. FOR THAT PURPOSE, MPN HAS BEEN REGISTERED AS A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE UNDER THE COMPANIES ACT 1965 WITH ITS OWN CONSTITUTION AND STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE LED BY A BOARD OF TRUSTEES, EXCO. OVERALL, THE OPERATION OF THE MPN IS DRIVEN BY A PERMANENT SECRETARIAT HEADED BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER/PRESIDENT FROM 16 DECEMBER 2014.
ACCORDING TO THE ORIGINAL CONSTITUTION, ALL PROFESSORS FROM PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES APPOINTED ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSITY'S ACADEMIC SERVICE SYSTEM AND SCHEME ARE AUTOMATICALLY MEMBERS OF THE MPN. HOWEVER, IN LINE WITH THE DESIRE TO ENSURE GREATER INVOLVEMENT, MPN MEMBERSHIP HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO PROFESSORS FROM PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, WHILE ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED AS ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. BASED ON THE RULES, THE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OF THE MPN UNTIL THE END OF 2016 IS ALMOST 2,500 PROFESSORS AND ALMOST 4,000 ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS.
APART FROM THE CENTRAL SECRETARIAT OF THE MPN WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ORGANIZING THE OVERALL GOVERNANCE AND OPERATION, THE STRUCTURE OF THE MPN HAS ALSO BEEN ARRANGED BASED ON 14 CLUSTERS AND 2 SPECIAL PROJECTS. THE FORMATION OF THE CLUSTER IS ESSENTIALLY A REFLECTION OF THE EXISTING GROUP OF ACADEMIC EXPERTISE, WHERE EACH MPN MEMBER MUST CHOOSE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE ESTABLISHED CLUSTERS.