Current Financial Survivability Challenges in Malaysian Higher Educational Institutions
In the last few years, in particular after last year’s General Election, the critical state of the Malaysian student funding body (PTPTN) has caused increasing difficulty in the survival of many local higher educational institutions. These problems pervade both the public and private institutions, but the impact has been greater in the private institutions. Many private institutions have closed or been sold as a result. Curiously, there is continued interest by foreign buyers to purchase some of the financially troubled institutions, which shows the potential of Malaysia to remain an education hub. This seminar will examine the current challenges arising from the poor state of the PTPTN funds and how the government could alleviate the situation and fulfil their election promises, especially in providing free quality public education.
Adapting University Education to the Needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) is an era of digitalization that is disrupting all spheres of life from industry to economics, health, culture and education, and creating a new breed of ‘simplistic’ homo sapiens . This presentation will analyse the challenges faced by educationists particularly at the tertiary level in confronting and adapting to the demands of IR 4.0. It will examine the nature of a new breed of students who are born in the ‘digitalised DNA’ era and the changes necessary in teaching pedagogy, knowledge, skills and content. The presenter will also examine the conceptual approach and philosophy towards contemporary and future education significantly affected by IR 4.0.
