THE age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (also termed as Industry 4.0), which is brought about by digitisation and technological disruptions, has the following scenarios:
Self-learning software robots that are intelligent enough to replace call centre telemarketers in promoting products.
Machines in factories mass producing customised orders received online based on individual needs — doing away the need for humans toiling away at the assembly line, the sales team and maybe even the product designer.
Requirements for multi-skilled and multi-disciplined workers in various industries who are able to do multiple jobs at one go.
Work is on-demand and project-based, replacing regular employment.
Present jobs ceasing to exist to be replaced by new yet-to-be created ones.
Some scenarios are already taking place while others are predicted to happen not too far off into the future.
For the uninitiated, the current era of Industry 4.0 is being shaped through big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality, 3D printing, drones and the Internet of Things (IoT).
The first industrial revolution happened in the 1800s when mechanical innovations such as the steam engine, cotton spinning and railroad came into being. The second, which happened in the 1900s, introduced mass production through assembly lines and electrification. The third, which took place in the 1970s, saw the advent of the mainframe computers, personal computing and the Internet.
The current fourth revolution is seeing an interplay between many fields (nanotechnology, brain research, 3D printing, mobile networks and computing), creating unthinkable realities.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Faculty of Economics and Management adjunct professor Michael Warren said: “With the IoT, all business and information available to society in the real world can be freely controlled through digitised networks. Large volumes of data can be analysed to create additional value. AI can perpetuate in self-learning machines that can analyse data and situations more rapidly and objectively than human beings.
And with robotics, automation can be applied to more diversified and complicated tasks.”
HANDLING INDUSTRY 4.0 CHALLENGES
These technological changes hold a host of opportunities to all economies including Malaysia, provided they are adaptive and agile enough to grasp them.
This, highlighted Warren, has caused ecosystem concerns about industry, employment and education, both globally and in the country.
Malaysia is transitioning from a labour-driven economy to a knowledge-driven society.
Warren, who is also director of InvestKL
(a government entity driving investments into Malaysia), added that embracing Industry 4.0 is the path the nation has to take in the Economic Transformation Programme en route to the 2050 National Transformation which is the country’s vision of being among the top countries in the world in economic development, citizen well-being and innovation.
Education providers must look at eight 4.0 transformational needs by comparing the traditional and old economy, and the disruptive and new economy: Previously the economy was resources-focused, the new economy is knowledge-intensive; in the past it was labour-intensive, now it requires high skilled talent; and formerly requiring control, the new economy demands collaboration.
“While the old economy is seen as vertical, the new is more of a horizontal trust collaboration. Mass production is an element of the old, the new sees more of mass collaboration. Proximity was important previously; in the new economy it is less significant. In the old, structure was rigid, it is more flexible in the new.
“And instead of a capitalist model, businesses in the new economic model will be based on profit-sharing,” added Warren.
The problem in the future for Malaysia is not lack of employment, but the shortage of skills that the new jobs will demand.
“For back office jobs such as accounting, salary management and data entry for example, between 2015 and 2030 expect a decrease in demand regardless of success of reform due to replacement with AI and global outsourcing.
“Expect an increase in core manpower of upstream occupations to engage in new businesses including planning of management/product, marketing and research and development.
“There will also be a demand to fill up sales jobs of products/services with sophisticated consulting needs as a competitive advantage as well as a demand for talent in IT as it meets needs from manufacturing which is pursuing IoT and improved security.”
How then should universities react to this new wave? In what way can universities be prepared in terms of educating and producing the workforce for this era and therefore remain relevant?
“This is where students, especially undergraduates, should be equipped with Industry 4.0 skills: the 4Cs — communication, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking.
“In the education system, traits such as the 4Cs have become very important going forward. Go back to the fishing analogy; teach the right skills and students will have fish for a lifetime. Teach people about lifelong learning and communicating with others.”
Make programming and information and communications technology (ICT) a compulsory subject for students of all fields of study.
“Programming and ICT should not be just for those studying ICT but across the board. Create an AI research centre. But be mindful that technology means nothing unless there is domain knowledge. The emphasis on domain knowledge and the use of technology should go hand in hand — the horizontal and vertical knowledge.”
Universities should also develop educational content in collaboration with the industry.
“This initiative should be led by the top people in the university who are able to lead global industry engagement. Fit new input into university programmes.”
The education system evolution should also comprise the reform of content and methodology of education via the digital platform.
“Open up the university. Create new business trends through reform of higher education. Hold Industry 4.0 government, industry and university research roundtable sessions constantly.”
The International Trade and Industry Ministry is spearheading the formulation of a national policy on Industry 4.0. Human capital and talent mismatch in skill sets remains a key challenge.
Five Technical Working Groups have been established under the task force led by related lead ministries based on five elements, namely infrastructure and ecosystem (Communications and Multimedia Ministry), funding and incentive (Finance Ministry), talent and human capital development (Higher Education and Human Resources Ministries), technology and standards (Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry), and small and medium-sized enterprises development (SME Corp). The national policy is targeted for completion by end of this year.
SOLUTIONS AND PREDICTIONS
Monash University Malaysia Pro Vice Chancellor and president Professor Andrew Walker believes universities should react to this new wave by incorporating Industry 4.0 into internal practices.
“It is necessary to transform the ways we teach and communicate research to reflect the age of digital disruption that we are now living in. In adapting to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, universities will be best placed to produce graduates who have the skills to adapt to and take on the new opportunities,” he said.
He noted that universities have done a good job at training students in disciplines. However, they need to nurture graduates who are able to combine skills and insights from different disciplines, and move between them.
“To remain relevant, universities need to provide students with the experience of working within complex and data rich systems. A good example of this is the multidisciplinary mechatronics engineering major, which integrates mechanics, electronics, computer science and control theory. Through the programme, students actively engage with the industry to do joint projects. Such interactions allow students to form relationships with the industry early, which provides them with a head start, even before they graduate,” added Walker.
Associate Professor Dr Edwin Tan Chee Pin, head of mechatronics engineering at Monash University Malaysia’s School of Engineering, shared that students are trained to design engineering systems that function automatically and intelligently, which requires strong knowledge from various engineering disciplines.
“Students learn to use their knowledge from different fields of engineering and put everything together to produce a mechatronics system controlled by automation to help people work more efficiently and increase the quality of life. Mechatronics systems are perfect to handle 3D (Dirty, Dull, Dangerous) jobs, which will help a company improve productivity, reduce risk to humans and ultimately enhance profits,” he said.
Walker added that Monash is engaged in an ongoing process to review its programmes to provide greater focus on problem-based learning where students are not simply recipients of knowledge. “Instead, they are challenged to create and apply the knowledge learnt to real-world problems.”
Taylor’s University School of Engineering head Associate Professor Dr Satesh Narayana Namasivayam has a different take on the impact of Industry 4.0 on tertiary institutions.
“I believe over the next 20 years, universities will not exist to provide traditional education for students to obtain their degrees. This role will be taken over by the huge conglomerates that wish to hire people with specific skills and know-how. Thus, students will decide early on what they’d like for a career, personalise their learning (through a variety of sources, mostly online) and get support from companies that are in the same industry as their career of interest.
“Universities will shift their focus to provide more high impact research to develop sustainable solutions to societies’ grand challenges,” he said.
As such, universities will need to further embrace a high impact research culture and develop degree programmes in partnership with industry so that graduates are well-prepared for changes in the job market. “Universities will need to change now to ease their transition into the future. These initiatives are already gaining momentum nationally, e.g. 2u2i.
“At Taylor’s School of Engineering, we are working towards developing significant partnerships with industry, involving students in industrial projects as early as Year One of their engineering degree. This partnership between a student and industry will carry on for their entire undergraduate journey, hopefully culminating in a guaranteed job offer upon graduation.
“Similarly, in terms of research, we focus our resources on addressing the 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering, providing high impact research in the areas of energy efficiency and consumption, nanotechnology, 3D printing and AI to address societies challenges, easing humanity’s progression into the 22nd century.”
When Taylor’s School of Engineering was established in 1996, the faculty’s charter was to develop future engineers who will play a significant role in nation-building.
“With this in mind, our engineering students are taught through project-based learning to better prepare them for their future jobs as engineers through the adaptation of the Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate (CDIO) Initiative. Through CDIO, students are able to practise their classroom theories in a real-world situation, solving real issues, in which they need to creatively conceptualise, carry out careful planning and make good decisions in execution —all of which are skills crucial for survival when they enter the workplace.”