MELAKA: The long-held perception that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is limited to lower and mid-level skills training will soon change after Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) became the first university in the country to introduce a TVET-based doctoral program.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor Massila Kamalrudin said UTeM recently received approval from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) to offer the Doctor of Professional Practice (DPP) program.
She described the approval as a major milestone in strengthening the country’s higher education ecosystem while opening wider opportunities for technologists and industry professionals to pursue doctoral studies based on real industrial practice.
"Unlike the conventional Doctor of Philosophy program which focuses heavily on theoretical research, the DPP program emphasises solving industrial issues through the Professional Practice-Based Learning (PPBL) approach,” she said in an interview on Thursday (May 21).
Massila said the approach allowed students to conduct research directly at their workplaces to produce high-impact process improvements and more effective practical solutions.
She said the program was carefully developed with the involvement of strategic industry partners to ensure the curriculum remained relevant, practical and aligned with current industry demands.
“The implementation of this program also takes into account the nation’s need to produce a highly skilled workforce with TVET backgrounds, particularly in emerging technology sectors such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, smart energy systems, industrial digitalisation, automation and sustainable technology,” she said.
Massila said the program served as an important continuation of the TVET education pathway up to doctoral level, further strengthening the development of the nation’s human capital in high-impact technical and technological fields.
She added that education analysts viewed the introduction of the DPP program as a strategic move capable of reshaping public perception towards TVET, which had often been regarded as being limited to lower and middle-level skills education.
“The existence of a TVET-based doctoral pathway is expected to increase the appeal for professionals to continue upgrading their academic qualifications without having to leave their respective industries,” she said.
