Kota Kinabalu: Various ministries work closely together to ensure university courses remain in line with market needs, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir.
He dismissed claims by some parties that certain programmes offered at universities are irrelevant and do not meet industry needs.
“We want to emphasise that universities and the ministries concerned always adopt a whole-of-government approach.
“This means that when planning for the country’s future and market needs in specific industries, the ministries involved always work together with us, because we want to ensure that public or private universities offer courses that have real value,” he said.
He told reporters this after opening the Empowering Leadership Conference 2.0: “Artificial Intelligence: The New Era of Leadership”, organised by Universiti Malaysia Sabah, here, Thursday.
Zambry said the process of assessing market needs will always be carried out, particularly by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) as well as at the Continuous Quality Improvement level.
“The programmes arranged are always part of joint planning at various ministerial levels to meet the country’s needs. Some parties may view it only from the perspective of a particular industry’s requirements, but in terms of overall planning, we look at it comprehensively across various sectors.
“There are fields with market demand, but at the same time, we cannot sacrifice the fundamentals of education because they are essential in shaping individuals. That must not be forgotten,” he added.
Zambry said the Ministry, MQA and universities always conduct evaluations within a three- to five-year period for each course to determine whether it remains relevant to market demands.