JOHOR BARU: Talent development will be a priority as Malaysia prepares to host the 23rd Asean Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation (AMMSTI-23) next year.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister (Mosti) Datuk Chang Lih Kang (pic), who disclosed this, said it was critical to support the country’s efforts to attract more high-tech investments.
“Besides talent development, our focus areas include energy transition, AI, digitalisation, advanced materials, nanotechnology, including hydrogen and biotechnology,” he told reporters after the Mosti TechTalks Series 2/2026 programme, titled AI and the Future of Engineering Careers, at Universiti Teknologi MARA’s Pasir Gudang Campus here on Thursday night, Bernama reported.
Malaysia is scheduled to host AMMSTI-23 next June, following the decision made at AMMSTI-22 in Vientiane on June 26.
Chang also said Mosti remained committed to supporting other ministries in strengthening technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes to better meet current industry demands, although TVET was not under the ministry’s direct jurisdiction.
He said TVET curricula should be enhanced with emerging technologies such as robotics, AI and coding, rather than focusing solely on conventional technical skills.
According to him, the initiative involves collaboration with 12 ministries involved in TVET implementation, including the Education, Higher Education, Rural and Regional Development and Human Resources ministries.
On the Mosti TechTalks initiative, Chang said the programme held regularly at university campuses, served as a platform to engage the young and expose them to the latest developments in the country’s science, technology and innovation (STI) ecosystem.
He said such engagements were important to ensure university students understood the direction of the STI agenda, and were better prepared to meet the demands of the future workforce.
