PUTRAJAYA: The recent working visit by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir to Tokyo and Osaka reflects Malaysia’s commitment to further explore strategic cooperation with advanced nations like Japan in driving excellence in higher education.
In a statement on Thursday (July 31), the Higher Education Ministry said the initiative is aligned with the development of the Malaysian Higher Education Plan 2025-2035, which is currently being formulated.
According to the ministry, emphasis on technological entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence (AI), and high-impact technical, vocational and engineering education and training (TVET) is among the key pillars to ensure Malaysian students are ready to participate in a future innovation-driven economy.
Zambry’s working visit, at the invitation of the Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia (Eria) from July 28 to 30, aimed to strengthen Malaysia-Japan strategic cooperation in higher education, research, innovation and technology.
The ministry said key components of the visit included a bilateral meeting with Koichi Hagiuda, Chairman of the Policy Research Council of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The meeting discussed various strategic issues related to the challenges faced by modern universities and the potential for collaboration in the fields of innovation and the creative economy (orange economy).
The Higher Education Ministry stated that Zambry also visited the University of Tokyo, where he was briefed on the AI Startup programme developed specifically for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
According to the statement, the programme has produced many students who successfully established AI-based startups generating high incomes in their respective fields.
The initiative is driven by Matsuo Lab Startup, which provides mentorship, a startup ecosystem, and access to the latest technologies.
"The minister said that this is a model worth exploring and adapting for implementation in Malaysia to empower students as value creators in the future economy," the statement read.
Zambry also visited the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), which provided the Higher Education Ministry team with the opportunity to observe the latest technologies in semiconductors, AI and quantum computing. The visit also highlighted the potential for collaboration between AIST and Malaysian research institutions such as Mimos, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
The Higher Education Ministry reported that Zambry met with the President of the University of Tsukuba, Prof Kyosuke Nagata, with discussions focusing on strengthening the university’s branch campus in Malaysia and expanding its programmes to a higher level, including collaboration in the field of High-TVET.
In addition, the ministry said that Zambry’s preliminary discussion with Prof Ichiro Sugimoto, Dean of the Centre for Malaysian Studies at Soka University, opened new opportunities to expand the centre and explore research in comparative religion, as well as foster research collaboration between Soka University and Malaysian institutions.
According to the statement, Zambry also visited the Kaneka Osaka Plant, a high-tech research and production centre involved in the development of advanced chemical and biotechnological materials.
Discussions were held on potential researcher and student exchanges between Malaysia and Japan to support talent growth in high-tech sectors.
Zambry also visited the Malaysia Pavilion at Expo Osaka and met with Malaysian postgraduate students in Tokyo, reaffirming the ministry’s continued commitment to the welfare and support of Malaysian students abroad.
The statement added that the Higher Education Week concluded on July 26, 2025, at Expo Osaka with the theme "Study in Malaysia”, attracting 100,000 visitors over six days - a clear indication of the overwhelming response to Malaysia’s participation on the international stage.
Expo Osaka is held every five years and features participation from 158 countries, drawing millions of visitors from around the world. - Bernama
