NILA: University students need to open up their minds and master skills for them to compete in the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) era.
Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun (pix) said even though Malaysia is still a consumer nation and is not a major technology producer, it has better access to knowledge, to assist the people in developing technologies and systems based on IR4.0 with its excellent internet facilities.
“Malaysia is currently moving in line with IR4.0. Among the main pillars in IR4.0 is the artificial intelligence (A.I). In accordance with IR4.0 development, everything will be simplified by technology based on robotics.
“The concern over IR4.0 is the reduction of dependence on manpower when robots and the digital world will take over the work of humans,“ he said in his speech at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (Usim) student oath-taking ceremony for the 2019/2020 academic session, here today.
Also present at the event was Usim vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Musa Ahmad.
The Mentri Besar noted that besides providing adequate access and quality tertiary education, institutions of higher learning should become an innovation hub capable of contributing to the country’s prosperity and the people’s well-being.
For Negri Sembilan, Aminuddin said Usim could play a significant role in contributing to the implementation and success of the Malaysian Vision Valley (MVV) which focused on the Education and Technology Valley, a cluster of the MVV.
“The MVV project which covers an area of 153,000ha in Negri Sembilan, particularly in Nilai, Mantin, Seremban and Port Dickson. It is expected to attract RM290 billion in investment and provide 1.38 million job opportunities over the next 30 years.
“Therefore, Usim has a great responsibility as a public university to contribute under the Education and Technology Valley cluster,“ he said.
A total of 2,471 new students enrolled in Usim for the 2019/2020 academic session, with eight foreign students from Bangladesh, Singapore, Brunei and Palestine. — Bernama
