THE ROLE OF UNIVERSITY IN ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION IN TAMAN NEGARA PAHANG: A HEADSTART.  Mohd. Salleh Daim, University Technology MARA, Malaysia Community-based conservation is base on the idea that in order to achieve conservation goals there are also need to address rural community development. Often rural community development is not consistent with conservation of biodiversity due to many reasons. However, concern on nature preservation and the community dependent on the natural resources were increasing. Many attempts made to seek for tools best for community-based conservation in natural areas. Often, non-government organizations (NGOs) and management agencies were seen to adopt community-based conservation as approach to solve conservation issues. However, higher learning institution seldom seen as capable to practice its responsibility as catalysts to community-based conservation. In this paper, I examined some examples of community-based conservation by NGO and management agency in Peninsular Malaysia. Later, I will explore the role of University Technology MARA in encouraging community-based conservation in Taman Negara Pahang. A preliminary visit to villages along Taman Negara Pahang boundary shows that the community realized the importance of conserving the biodiversity when many environmental problems started to impact their daily life directly or indirectly. Conservation needs to involve people or community and local universities can also contribute to ensure conservation and local community development achieved simultaneously.