‘Let Penang be your platform': Chow pitches state as Asean education hub with focus on AI, green tech and chip design
GEORGE TOWN, April 21 — Penang has the potential and duty to become a regional education hub, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow at the Empowering Education Summit 2025.
He highlighted institutions like Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC), and the Penang STEM ecosystem as key anchors.
'Let us make Penang a testbed for cross-border skill certification, especially in green technology, robotics, and chip design-areas where our industries are actively growing,' he said during his opening addresss at the Empowering Education Summit 2025 at Jen Hotel here.
Chow also pointed to decades of close industry-academia collaboration with global industrial giants like Intel, AMD, and Bosch.
The state, he said, can serve as a regional for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and lifelong learning in the region.
Chow said so far there was little to no discussions on how US tariff changes affect research funding and education mobility.
He urged the summit to spark deeper dialogue on how global policies shape education and workforce readiness.
Understanding these links, he said, is critical to future-proofing education and maintaining youth competitiveness.
One of the key areas he proposed for collaboration between Asean countries was to strengthen Public-Private Partnerships.
'Stronger academia-industry alignment will be key to curriculum relevance and graduate employability,' he said.
'I encourage more regional firms to co-invest in training academies, internships, and innovation labs.'
Penang, he said, is ready to host projects under Malaysia's EduTech Accelerator Programme involving artificial intelligence (AI), digital platforms, and blockchain.
He also proposed Penang as a hub for student exchange, Asean research networks, and digital inclusion efforts.
'Let Penang be your platform. But let Asean be our shared purpose,' he said.
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