USM PENANG, 10 March 2025 – The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) is steadfast in conducting strategic dialogues with industry leaders to gather vital feedback on student upskilling needs in the electrical and electronics (E&E) and semiconductor sectors.

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) hosted a dialogue session yesterday involving more than 40 industry leaders in the related field who are strategic partners of both KPT and USM, in a collaborative engagement to empower the country's higher education sector.

Held at the University Conference Hall (DPU) here, the Minister of Higher Education, YB Dato' Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir who was present to chair the meeting, emphasised that these feedback sessions align with the government’s initiative to ensure higher education meets industry requirements.

"Getting feedback from those who manage and operate these relevant industries is vital, as the government wants to get their views on how we can work together with the industry, especially in the context of the relationship between academia/universities and the industry," he said.

Zambry also mentioned the importance of aligning educational programmes with industry priorities and understanding the main challenges faced by these sectors.

“The KPT is committed to strengthening the ties between education and industry, particularly in nurturing student talent to fulfil industry demands,” he added.  

Zambry asserted that graduates ought to align with industry requirements, which is in line with the government's mission to prepare an industry-ready workforce.

In the dialogue session, industry players from the E&E and semiconductor sectors provided various views and recommendations, especially in identifying and developing the required talent.

He appreciated the valuable insights from the industry leaders and agreed that specialised engineers are crucial for these industries.

Also present were the Director-General of Higher Education, Professor Datuk Dr. Azlinda Azman; USM Board of Governors Chairman, Dato’ Seri Dr. Awang Adek Hussin; USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed; KPT senior officials; USM Deputy Vice-Chancellors; USM top management; industry leaders and representatives. 

The engagement with industry leaders has revealed diverse and specialised needs, underscoring the importance of academia-industry relations to foster a dynamic workforce for the country.

Later in the evening, Zambry and his KPT colleagues joined the USM community, which was mostly comprised of students, for Iftar and broke fast with them. This event was part of his Ministry's Kembara Ramadan KPT 2025 programme.

USM is the fourth public university Zambry has visited through the programme.

Text: Tan Ewe Hoe/Photos: Mohd Fairus Md Isa & Muhammad Faris Darwisy Mohammad Rafiq