KUALA LUMPUR: The Higher Education Ministry and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on enhancing talent and employability in digital technology.

MDEC chief executive officer Mahadhir Aziz said the MoU marks a significant step towards those goals.

He said the MoU will include many initiatives that will help students, lecturers, and all higher education in Malaysia.

"This MoU includes training programmes and courses like 'Reskilling and Upskilling', professional education and certification, sharing knowledge and expertise, exploring new technology opportunities, digital freelance and global outsourcing talent initiatives, and e-entrepreneur programmes.

"We have also launched the Premier Digital Tech Institution (PDTI) Tech Club, under this collaboration, focusing on enhancing students' skills.

"The PDTI Tech Club aims to benefit 5,000 students with practical experience, cutting-edge technology skills, and learning from industry experts such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) SkillsBuild," he said.

Mahadhir said, MDEC as the leading agency in shaping the country's digital transformation, has been collaborating with the ministry since 2017.

This, he said, had led to the establishment of Malaysia's first Faculty of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).

"In addition to our partnership with UTM, MDEC also serves as an industry adviser to polytechnics and community colleges.

"This collaboration reflects MDEC's commitment to supporting the ministry in producing digital technology experts, aligning with Malaysia's digital strategic initiatives to position Malaysia as the Asean digital hub," he added.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/06/1069252/higher-education-ministry-mdec-ink-mou-enhance-digital-tech-development