Getting students ‘industry-ready’ key for university

The MMU team celebrating their platinum win in the education and learning category at the Putra Brand Awards 2023 gala night in January in Petaling Jaya.

ENSURING graduates’ employability through academia and industry collaboration is the key to Multimedia University’s (MMU) continuous pursuit of excellence in education.

This symbiosis has prepared its students with not just academic knowledge but also skills, experience and an all-round character that would give them an advantage in the workplace.

Embracing a new vision of becoming a research-led, industry-driven university, MMU president Prof Datuk Dr Mazliham Mohd Su’ud emphasised the university’s commitment to incorporating the latest approaches and technologies to enhance students’ industry readiness.

He explained that MMU had forged numerous partnerships with industry players to equip students for the real work environment.

“Through strategic collaborations and securing research grants, we pursue innovative projects with tangible societal impact,” said Prof Mazliham.

“We have established industry-on-campus labs in collaboration with partners like ZTE, Agmo, Astro, CIMB-CGS and Huawei, offering students hands-on experience and exposure to real-world industry practices.”

According to Prof Mazliham, MMU ensured that students receive training on the latest technologies in the digital era.

“We are bolstering our artificial intelligence (AI) and creative multimedia programmes and incorporating new technologies into our curriculum while fostering collaboration, creativity and entrepreneurship in the dynamic university’s ecosystem.”

As the tertiary education arm of Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM), MMU recently embraced the integration of TM’s full-fledged research and innovation company as the university’s subsidiary and research arm, paving the way to an improved research culture.

MMU had introduced its own Industrial Cadetship (iCadet) and Entrepreneurial Cadetship (eCadet) programmes that surpass traditional internship structures, the university said.

With iCadet, students from the second year onwards would be assigned to companies, immersing themselves in the company culture to become acquainted with the working environment.

The eCadet programme, meanwhile, would foster an entrepreneurial mindset among MMU’s graduates through entrepreneurship bootcamps, on-campus businesses, hands-on training, and mentorship – empowering them to embark on their entrepreneurial endeavours.

Prof Mazliham said MMU stresses on character-building of its students as an integral component of industry readiness.

Prior to commencing their industry training, first year MMU students undergo personal development through three mandatory non-exam modules of character-building, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), and integrity.

These programmes have helped MMU produce the most sought-after graduates, as revealed in the Graduate Tracer Study 2022 by the Higher Education Ministry which showed that more than 92.9% of MMU’s graduates secured employment within six months of graduation.

At the Putra Brand Awards 2023, MMU won the platinum in the education and learning category.

The award represents tangible evidence of MMU’s ongoing dedication to exceeding the expectations of its stakeholders – from students, alumni to industry partners and the community.

Since MMU’s establishment in 1997, the university has produced about 75,000 graduates in the domains of business, management and accounting, information technology and computer science, engineering, strategic communication, and, creative multimedia, cinematics arts and law.

MMU’s March 2024 intake is now open, and deadline for application is April 3. For details, visit www.mmu.edu.my