ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) must be embedded across Malaysia’s higher education curricula to ensure graduates have the skills needed to enter an increasingly transformed workforce.
Pointing to the rapid evolution of industries, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said AI is no longer simply a subject.
“If we previously thought that AI only needed to be taught at the technical level, that is no longer the case,” he said in his speech at the Higher Education Ministry Graduate Employability Conference 2026, held in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 20.
Emphasising that digital and data literacy are becoming essential across disciplines, he said universities and other higher education institutions must move beyond traditional, theory-based learning and place greater emphasis on practical skills and work-based learning.
“That is why we have stackable programmes, work-based learning certificates and other forms of upskilling so that every graduate has the necessary skills when they leave our institutions,” he added.
With industries evolving faster than the curricula, he said universities, polytechnics and community colleges must be willing to challenge existing approaches and adapt to changing needs.
“Being disruptive does not mean something negative. It means challenging our current position and questioning whether what we are doing today remains relevant,” he said.
Citing a World Economic Forum report, Zambry shared that emerging job opportunities will include AI and machine learning specialists, big data specialists, fintech engineers, software and application developers, information security analysts, renewable energy engineers, environmental engineers, and autonomous and electric vehicle specialists.
“In its 2025 report, it estimated that 170 million new jobs would be created by 2030, while 92 million existing or traditional jobs would be displaced. This net change will effectively yield 78 million brand new jobs,” he said.
The conference, held in collaboration with the National Defence University of Malaysia, served as a strategic national platform that brought together stakeholders from higher education institutions, ministries, government agencies, industry and strategic partners to discuss the direction, current challenges and strategies for strengthening the country’s graduate employability agenda.
The event also saw the launch of the Graduate Employability Strategic Plan 2026-2030, alongside the presentation of the 2021-2025 Graduate Employability Outstanding Performance Awards, MyMoHEs System Star Rating Certificates and the Certificates of Appreciation to the Expert Group and Strategic Plan Writers.
Also present were Higher Education secretary-general Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim and Higher Education director-general Prof Datuk Dr Azlinda Azman.
