“It doesn’t matter whether you achieve success as an external yard stick set by others. What’s important is that you know honestly that you have done your best and could not have done better.”

As the first Malay/Muslim Singaporean to be conferred first-class Honours Degree in Physics from the University of Cambridge, Dr Mansoor Abdul Jalil stresses the importance of one knowing their strengths and weaknesses.

Sejak beliau kecil lagi, Dr Mansoor memang meminati subjek Sains dan Matematik. Kecenderungannya itu memudahkan beliau menentukan hala tuju kerana beliau hanya perlu memastikan beliau tidak tersasar daripada kerjaya impiannya itu.

“In Singapore, everything revolves around academics.”

Sistem meritokrasi di Singapura amat rewarding dan berpihak kepada diri beliau. Menurut Dr Mansoor, beliau hanya perlu memastikan beliau melakukan yang terbaik dalam setiap apa yang dilakukan. Selanjutnya, pemerintah Singapura pasti akan menyokongnya pergi lebih jauh. Atas berkat usaha gigihnya itu, beliau tidak perlu keluarkan satu sen pun untuk membiayai kos pendidikan.

In fact, Dr Mansoor was even a recipient of MENDAKI Excellence Award, which acknowledges honours graduates from the Malay/Muslim community. He was able to study with ease, without having to worry about his family members having to bear the financial burden of funding his education. Before becoming an Associate Professor in National University of Singapore (NUS), Dr Mansoor was also a Board Member of Singapore Science Centre.

Pada tahun 2007, beliau juga telah menganggotai Agensi bagi Sains, Teknologi dan Penyelidikan (A*STAR) dan pernah diundang untuk menjadi penilai undangan Majlis Penyelidikan Belanda. Dr Mansoor menasihati masyarakat Melayu/Islam Singapura supaya melebarkan sayap masing-masing – jangan bersikap seperti katak di bawah tempurung kerana pelbagai perkara dapat dipelajari jika seseorang itu berinteraksi dan berkenalan dengan masyarakat di luar negara.

“You don’t even have to do anything spectacular. Just be good in your normal task and most importantly, be consistent.”

Even after accomplishing many awards both locally and internationally, Dr Mansoor remains humble in his achievements. He never regarded himself as an expert as he believes that there are much more to learn from others. According to Dr Mansoor, the reason he’s successful is due to the way he benchmarks others in his field who are way more successful than himself. That kind of fighting spirit constantly encourages him to push beyond boundaries and achieve greater success.

“Everyone has their own things that they are pursuing. It is important to put in your best effort and be honest about it. Try to make today better than yesterday.”

Dr Mansoor amat gembira dengan kerjaya beliau. Menurutnya, ia membenarkannya menyumbang kembali kepada masyarakat. Sebagai seorang pensyarah, beliau juga perlu melakukan penyelidikan untuk menerokai penemuan baharu dalam bidangnya iaitu Kejuruteraan Elektrikal dan Komputer. Beliau bukan sahaja dapat membangunkan saintis generasi baru, malah penyelidikan yang dilakukannya juga dianggap amat berguna untuk membawa kemajuan kepada dunia.