(From top left) Mohamad Kadim and Norhalim hold up the signed MoU during the Zoom session.
KUCHING (Sept 15): The Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) will work with 100 entrepreneurs who are Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) students and researchers by the first quarter of 2022, said MTDC chief executive officer Datuk Norhalim Yunus.
He said MTDC in its efforts and initiatives to support Industrial Revolution 4.0 technology, solutions and local talent development, will share advisory services, student internships, and graduate employment.
This follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between MTDC and Unimas today via Zoom.
“I hope that through this collaboration, we will work together to equip students and researchers with the necessary guidance, knowledge and skills on Industrial Revolution 4.0. technology. This collaboration will also enable MTDC to collaborate with its ecosystem company to start a retrofit centre at Unimas,” Norhalim said.
Unimas, through the University Industrial Center (UnIC), has been collaborating with MTDC since May 2021 in several entrepreneurship and technology development programmes among researchers and students.
UnIC was established in early 2020 is one of the university’s efforts to achieve the government’s plan to transform the development of higher education with an emphasis on networking and continuous collaboration with industry players.
“The establishment of this centre is timely as the university has been given responsibility by the state government to be one of the key institutions in enabling Sarawak’s vision towards achieving a Developed State by 2030,” said Unimas vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi.
This will see Sarawak’s industries being more competitive and create value-added within the business ecosystem especially in the manufacturing and services sectors as well as resource-based industries including oil and gas, modern agriculture, biotech, and wood processing, which require Unimas and industry partners to work hand-in hand, he said.
He added this collaboration is one of the initiatives towards achieving educational excellence among Unimas graduates by optimising resources from both parties in order to create opportunities and meet challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“A strong and continuous industry network will benefit not only the university, but contribute to the entire value chain of education and innovation, from curriculum preparation and delivery, graduate funding and placement to research and development as well as commercialisation.
“Unimas and MTDC through UnIC have already started several programmes including joint application for industry lab funding, business pitching for entrepreneurship together the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development, mentoring for internship students, as well as other initiatives to increase awareness of commercialisation and technology development among researchers and students,” added Mohamad Kadim.
Among those present were Unimas deputy vice chancellor (academic and international) Prof Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit, Unimas deputy vice chancellor (research and innovation) Prof Dr Wan Hashim Wan Ibrahim, Unimas deputy vice chancellor (students affairs and alumni) Prof Dr Thomas Kana@Kamarudin Kana, and UnIC director Dr Dzulzailani Eden.