AS technology continues to advance worldwide, operating systems (OS) such as OpenHarmony are being developed to support various smart devices within an interconnected ecosystem.
To prepare students for a future in which they will manage such digital solutions, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) recently inaugurated the UTAR OpenHarmony Technology Club, aimed at nurturing the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) and OS talent for Malaysia and beyond.
The first OpenHarmony Technology Club established outside China, it will focus on open-source OS research and development, technology community building, and industry-academia collaboration
The inauguration ceremony, held at the UTAR Kampar Campus on July 1, was officiated by UTAR president Prof Datuk Dr Ewe Hong Tat and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Central Software Institute vice-president, chief scientist for foundational software and OpenHarmony Technical Steering Committee (TSC) chairman Prof Chen Haibo.
In his opening address, Prof Ewe highlighted the importance of industry-academia partnership.
“We are not simply inaugurating a new student club. We are opening a gateway for our students and researchers to become active contributors to a global open-source ecosystem that is shaping the future of intelligent OS and digital innovation,” he said, noting that OpenHarmony’s spirit of openness, collaboration and continuous innovation closely aligns with the mission of higher education.
Prof Ewe added that the establishment of the club marked another milestone in the longstanding partnership between UTAR and Huawei.
The partnership includes the Huawei ICT Academy, scholarship programmes, professional certification initiatives, student competitions, industrial training opportunities, research collaborations and technology forums.
“This inauguration demonstrates our shared commitment to nurturing future-ready graduates equipped not only with technical competencies but also with the creativity, adaptability and innovative mindset required in tomorrow’s digital economy,” he said.
He also shared that discussions held during the Huawei Developer Conference 2026 in Dongguan, China, had opened new avenues for collaboration between UTAR and the OpenHarmony TSC.
Among the proposed initiatives are staff and student training programmes, innovation competitions, collaborative research projects, hardware and software sponsorships, curriculum development, the establishment of a joint laboratory, the translation of OpenHarmony teaching materials into English, and the development of a HarmonyOS-powered Super App for UTAR.
Meanwhile, Prof Chen expressed confidence that the collaboration would strengthen talent development, promote open-source innovation and create greater opportunities for knowledge exchange between academia and industry.
Following the inauguration, participants, including delegates from the OpenHarmony TSC, Huawei representatives, academics, researchers, students and industry partners, attended the Operating System Technology Forum.
The forum featured international experts who shared insights into the latest developments in OS, AI and open-source technologies.
The UTAR OpenHarmony Technology Club will be headed by the varsity’s Faculty of Information and Communication Technology dean Prof Dr Liew Soung Yue.
