Latest news with #UKEC
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Student council urges more support for youth jobs
KUALA LUMPUR: The United Kingdom and Eire Council of Malaysian Students (UKEC) has called for greater support in entrepreneurship and employment for Malaysian youth to address the country's brain drain. UKEC chairperson Vincent Tang said the council presented findings from its Malaysian Student Leaders' Economic Outlook and Workforce Readiness Survey during a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The survey highlighted gaps in the nation's innovation and employment landscape, which included a lack of start-up opportunities and a weak entrepreneurial ecosystem for young people. Tang said he had highlighted two key avenues to address brain drain: employment and entrepreneurship. He said UKEC had made "substantial progress" in employment initiatives, including the Malaysian Career Fair in London. The annual event attracts more than 4,700 students and over 20 Malaysian employers, effectively bridging talent with opportunities in Malaysia. While employment initiatives were well-established, there was still no strong support to help students turn their ideas into viable start-ups, Tang said. To address this, the council proposed UKECipta, an initiative to empower student innovation through targeted financial backing and mentorship. The programme would also leverage UKEC's UK base to attract foreign venture capital. Tang said the Prime Minister suggested UKEC coordinate with the Human Resources Ministry, particularly TalentCorp and HRDCorp, to streamline existing initiatives and provide recommendations to better support innovative ideas. The delegation also introduced UKEC's in-house policy centre, CICERO, which Tang said was aimed at strengthening youth-led policy research and advocacy. Tang said the centre, which represents Malaysian youth opinions and ideas, aims to propose policies to the federal government. He said Anwar and the Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir were "open to listening to these policy recommendations." He said the council was working closely with the Higher Education Ministry on numerous roundtable discussions with different agencies. Anwar, in a Facebook post, said UKEC had shared ideas on addressing Malaysia's brain drain during the courtesy call. He said the meeting also saw UKEC propose opportunities for more strategic collaboration between the federal government and the council through the Higher Education Ministry, covering various fields within existing policies.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysian students from UK unis share ideas with PM to tackle brain drain
KUALA LUMPUR: Representatives from the Malaysian Students' Council in the United Kingdom and Eire (UKEC) shared ideas and suggestions with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on addressing Malaysia's long-standing brain drain issue during a courtesy call to his office recently. In a Facebook post, Anwar said the meeting saw UKEC propose opportunities for more strategic collaboration between the federal government and the council through the Higher Education Ministry, covering various fields within existing policies. The prime minister said he valued the students' perspectives and stressed the need for all stakeholders to fully utilise existing government structures and frameworks to avoid duplication. "We must ensure that engagement and dialogue continue regularly so that various issues can be coordinated effectively and systematically," he said. Anwar added that such collaborations could open new avenues for Malaysian talent abroad to contribute to national development, whether by returning home or through overseas initiatives connected to Malaysia. The UKEC delegation, led by chairman Vincent Tang, represents more than 16,000 Malaysian students studying in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. "They are all currently on summer break and undergoing internships at private companies and government-linked companies (GLCs) in Malaysia and abroad," he said.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
PM Anwar meets UKEC to discuss brain drain and student cooperation
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim received a courtesy call from the United Kingdom and Eire Council of Malaysian Students (UKEC). The council represents over 16,000 Malaysian students studying in the UK and Ireland. Anwar shared that UKEC, led by Vincent Tang, proposed strategic cooperation opportunities with the Ministry of Higher Education. The discussions focused on exploring collaborations in various fields based on existing government policies. Anwar sought UKEC's views on tackling Malaysia's long-standing brain drain issue. He emphasised optimising current policies to prevent duplication and enhance coordination. The Prime Minister highlighted the need for continuous engagement to address student-related challenges systematically. Anwar posted about the meeting on his official Facebook page. - Bernama
Barnama
5 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
PM Anwar Receives Courtesy Call From UKEC
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today received a courtesy call from the United Kingdom and Eire Council of Malaysian Students (UKEC), which represents over 16,000 Malaysian students in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Anwar said during the meeting, UKEC, led by Vincent Tang, proposed opportunities for strategic cooperation between the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Higher Education, and UKEC in various fields to be explored based on existing policies. 'I also sought their views and suggestions on how to address the long-standing issue of 'brain drain' that has plagued the nation,' he said in a Facebook post.
