USM PENANG, 29 November 2021 – The Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Graduate School of Business (GSB) held a talk earlier this month, in relation to the effects of COVID-19 pandemic which took the world by surprise and inflicted severe economic damage globally.

As aptly said by Charles Darwin – “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.”

The GSB Master-Doctor (MD) Talk series was held under the auspices of the Dean, Professor Dr. Azlan Amran, whereby three objectives were outlined.

Firstly, it is meant to provide an exposure for the MBA and DBA students to experts in the industry through a series of talks on relevant topics.

Next, it will serve as a link between classroom learning to work experiences, looking at updated issues as well as best practices in the industry.

Finally, it aims to connect GSB to the industry in enhancing its profile and image.

The inaugural talk in the series was on “Managing Change – During and Post Pandemic in the E&E industry”. Moderated by Associate Professor Dr. Ellisha Nasruddin, the web seminar was attended by 140 participants.

The distinguished speaker, Dato’ Seri Wong Siew Hai, talked on the topic. He is a longstanding expert in the electronics industry with 29 years’ experience. He currently holds several leadership positions – namely Champion of the E&E Productivity Nexus (EEPN), President of the newly-formed Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA) and a member of the Pemuda Task Force.

The topic was both fitting and relevant, as it is related to Malaysian companies seeking to recover from the effects of the pandemic, while needing to stay competitive in a world driven by a rapid pace of advancing technology and growing customer demands.

The manufacturing companies in the Electrical & Electronics (E&E) industry in Malaysia face a daunting challenge to rapidly recover the lost capacity amidst a major component shortage in the global supply chain. Moreover, the industry has to attract continued capital investment and to remain as a major global player.

Wong shared how strategies or plans of the E&E companies in Penang need to be changed or adapted as the companies move into the post-pandemic era. These include IR 4.0, digitalisation and automation to increase productivity, supply chain management, workforce re-skilling and retooling, key talent recruitment and retention, and demand for work-life balance.

Those who attended were from diverse backgrounds: the Electrical & Electronics (E&E) and Machinery & Equipment (M&E) manufacturing companies; members of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), Penang Branch; Malaysia Semi-Conductor Industry Association (MSIA); academic institutions; and postgraduate students and staff of GSB USM.

Among the feedback from participants were that the content was well-organized and easy to understand, the speaker was engaging and knowledgeable on the topic, and with responses given to the numerous questions.

GSB USM will continue to hold other similar programmes to link students with the industry in the future.

Text: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ellisha Nasruddin (GSB)/Editing: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin