Selangor Sultan wants UiTM academic programmes to be relevant with global changes

Selangor's Sultan, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has emphasized the need for Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) academic programmes to remain relevant to global changes, ensuring graduates are competitive in an increasingly challenging job market. This particularly pertains to fields such as digital technology, artificial intelligence, science, engineering, medicine, finance, accounting, law, creative industries, and emerging sectors that will shape the nation's economy.

The Sultan stressed that while UiTM has a mandate to empower Malays and Bumiputera, this should not lead to complacency or ignoring the institution's weaknesses. He expressed pride in UiTM's achievements, noting that it has produced graduates who have become influential figures and leaders at both national and global levels. The Sultan stressed the importance of UiTM producing more job creators and economic owners, rather than just job seekers.

He highlighted the need for UiTM to strengthen its relationship with industry, ensuring that graduates possess not only degrees but also the necessary skills, confidence, language proficiency, and thinking abilities demanded by the industry. The Sultan reminded that UiTM's role in providing education to Malays and Bumiputera has a strong constitutional foundation, as outlined in the Federal Constitution.

Any attempt to alter UiTM's foundation, identity, or objectives would require examination under the broader context of the Constitution. The Sultan also urged every UiTM student and graduate to master at least two foreign languages to enhance their competitiveness in the job market.