BATU KAWAN: UCSI University and ViTrox Corporation Bhd have formalised a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to empower future engineers by delivering UCSI’s mechatronics engineering degree at ViTrox’s industrial campus.
Held at ViTrox’s headquarters, the MoA signing ceremony was witnessed by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who said that the partnership supported the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), which seeks to train 60,000 engineers by 2030.
“Malaysia stands at a critical inflection point. We need to move beyond assembly and testing into higher-value activities like integrated circuit design, advanced packaging, wafer fabrication as well as research and development (R&D),” he said.
“Today’s MoA between ViTrox and UCSI is more than a collaboration – it is a strategic investment in talent and the future of our economy.
“Our success will not be defined by the investments we attract alone, but by the talent we nurture and the future we build together.
“I congratulate UCSI and ViTrox on this meaningful collaboration. Together, let us continue to position Penang and Malaysia as a leader in innovation, talent and technological excellence.”
Under the MoA, day-to-day learning will take place at ViTrox College. Students will also enjoy industry exposure at the newly-launched ViTrox Innovation Lab, a RM60mil facility that is the first of its kind in South-East Asia.
Access to the lab – equipped with around 60 cyber-physical systems, collaborative robots, AIoT embedded devices and autonomous process nodes – is exclusive to students from ViTrox, UCSI and Universiti Sains Malaysia.
ViTrox president and group chief executive officer Datuk Chu Jenn Weng said that partnering with UCSI reflected a mutual commitment to provide future engineers with quality industry-driven education and high-value career opportunities.
“Our collaboration with UCSI and the launch of the ViTrox Innovation Lab is more than a partnership,” he said.
“It’s about redefining how we nurture talent for the future. Through our work-based learning model and three-mentor model, comprising academy, industry and life, students will learn not only in classrooms, but in real environments.
“They will work alongside engineers, solve real challenges and discover their purpose. By blending academic excellence with unparalleled industrial exposure and soft skills training, we will nurture a new generation of engineering talent that will enhance Penang’s reputation as the Silicon Valley of Asia.”
UCSI president and vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir said that the UCSI-ViTrox partnership provided both organisations with a common platform to contribute to the nation’s goals.
“Malaysia has trained around 14,000 engineers since the NSS was launched in 2024,” she said. “We really need to bring those numbers up if we are to reach and surpass the national target of 60,000.
“UCSI has always had its finger on the industry’s pulse and we make it a point to partner with the best companies to bring the industry into the lecture hall.
As far as industry partners go, they don’t get much bigger than ViTrox.
“We are proud to partner with one of Malaysia’s top technology companies and this collaboration dovetails nicely with UCSI’s 40th anniversary.
“I am sure that both organisations will empower scores of engineers who will go on to drive innovation and lead change.”
Also present were Penang local government, town and country planning committee chairman Jason H’ng Mooi Lye, Penang trade and national unity committee chairman Goh Choon Aik and Pulau Tikus state assemblyman Joshua Woo Sze Zeng.
Ranked in the world’s top 1% in the QS World University Rankings 2026, UCSI stands out as one of Malaysia’s leading private universities.
UCSI is also ranked top 30 in Asia – and eighth in South-East Asia – in the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026.
