Malaysia's First AI Faculty Launched at UTM in 2024
TAWAU: The Ministry of Higher Education has called on all universities in the country to offer programmes or establish faculties related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), in preparation for the growing demand for AI talents across various industries.
Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has taken the lead in AI education by establishing the country's first AI faculty.
'We have made it clear that all universities should offer and open faculties and programmes related to AI, and the government will continue to monitor the latest developments in this field.
'In addition to AI, we are also seeing new developments in quantum technology,' he told reporters after officiating the appointment ceremony for the chairman of the Sabah Community College Advisory Committee, here today.
He said the Ministry is also ready to offer AI-related courses at community colleges nationwide.
'Community colleges will not be bound by rigid course content and will be open to emerging fields. This will enable graduates to be more employable, as their skills are aligned with current market demands,' he said.
At the same time, Zambry said the government would review the viability of community colleges that are no longer active or reassess the programmes offered at the inactive colleges.
'This is because some colleges are offering programmes that are not well-suited or have not received good response from the local community or students,' he said.
Commenting on the water supply issue at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Zambry said he hoped that the issue could be resolved by the state government, as the ministry and the federal government have channelled RM5 million, including for the construction of underground piping.
'At the UMS level, we are not facing any problems. However, there may be other technical issues, either in terms of the pipeline or the supply volume of water needed for the university's main pipelines,' he added.
Zambry also announced an allocation of RM50,000 for each of the nine community colleges in Sabah to support the implementation of various activities.
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