PUTRAJAYA: In a concerted effort to groom more young Malaysian graduate entrepreneurs, the Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC) and Unit Peneraju Agenda Bumiputera (Teraju) today.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said the government was committed to raising the percentage of graduate entrepreneurs from the current three per cent to five per cent by 2020.
"In our effort to make this country an entrepreneur nation, my ministry is playing a pivotal role in producing graduates with good entrepreneurial qualities. We are pleased to have MaGIC, MTDC and Teraju as our strategic partners," Idris told reporters after witnessing the MoU signing.
"We want our local institutions of higher learning to produce more graduate entrepreneurs who are job creators instead of job seekers."
Also present were Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mary Yap, Higher Education Ministry's director-general Tan Sri Noorul Ainur Mohd Nur, MTDC chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Norhalim Yunus, MaGIC CEO Ashran Datuk Ghazi and TEeraju CEO Datuk Husni Salleh.
Under the MoU, entrepreneurship programmes in local universities and vocational colleges will be jointly designed by top academicians, industry experts and industry players.
Among the most exciting project line-ups will be the MOHE - MTDC Symbiosis TVET Programme, which will see 10 viable technologies from polytechnics and community colleges being commercialised and supported with RM500,000 research and development (R&D) grant from MTDC.
Also, the continuation of the Superb Higher Education League by Teraju and MaGIC, where graduate entrepreneurs selected for its pitching session will stand a chance of winning a RM500,000 business grant each.
"The three MoUs that we signed today shows my ministry's commitment in getting industry players and experts involved in the teachings as well as learning of entrepreneurship at tertiary level so that our local institutions of higher learning stay relevant." Idris said.
During the ceremony, he also presented RM50,000 cash rewards to the 10 winners of the recently concluded Superb Higher Education League 2017 challenge.
On the recent rating system for local universities, Idris revealed he has met those that scored four stars, three stars and below.
"I have met them and they know they have not been discriminated against. Everyone agreed that it's a fair rating system and those who scored below five stars know that they need to improve themselves." he concluded.