INTI Strengthens IT Industry Collaboration with MIMOS Berhad

January 25, 2018

Trail blazing their way towards preparing IT savvy graduates to meet the needs of the fourth industrial revolution and beyond, INTI and MIMOS Berhad, Malaysia’s national research and development center for ICT, recently signed a memorandum of understanding to officially seal their on-going efforts, which will benefit both students and faculty members.

 

The academic-industry collaboration, which began nearly three years ago, started off as a way to connect students with industry by engaging them in a series of employer projects that provided them with practical experience and exposure to actual business issues. The partnership has since grown in leaps and bounds with MIMOS’ involvement in various initiatives, including the enhancement of INTI’s IT curriculum through its Industry Advisory Board. At the core of this collaboration is the goal of developing IT savvy graduates with insights to industry trends and an expanded knowledge into rapid changes such as automation and analytics which are already impacting the nation’s workforce and society.

Signing the memorandum of understanding were Mr. Ahmad Rizan Ibrahim, President and Chief Executive Officer of MIMOS Berhad and Ms. Tan Lin Nah, Chief Financial Officer of INTI International University & Colleges.

“INTI recognizes the significance of aligning our academic efforts to employers’ needs and values the insights our partner employers bring in enhancing our students’ learning experiences. We are committed to ensuring that our students not only gain certifications but the competencies needed for the workplace, and are pleased to collaborate with MIMOS in doing just that,” shared Lin Nah in her opening remarks at the ceremony.

 

As a government agency dedicated to ICT research and education, President and CEO of MIMOS Berhad, Mr. Ahmad Rizan, shared MIMOS’ keen support to help institutions of higher learning expand their curriculum and experiences in the areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). He further expanded how such collaborations provide opportunities to create spaces where both industry and academics can discuss the growth of these areas and how it translates into what can be achieved individually and for the country.

Witnessed by staff and faculty from MIMOS Berhad and INTI, the ceremony also featured a session by INTI alumnus, Eljae Lee Leong Jian, Bachelor of Computer Science, University of Wollongong at INTI, who shared his experience working on an employer project with MIMOS Berhad. The 21-year-old, who is now working with KPMG, demonstrated to the event attendees how he learned to employ the use of IoT (Internet of Things) and technology in analyzing the competitive growth of markets and its impact on consumers.

Through proper guidance and support from both INTI’s faculty members and MIMOS representatives, Eljae and his team mates were able to successfully complete the project and present their findings to the relevant stakeholders who were impressed with the quality of their work.

Eljae, like many other INTI students, have greatly benefitted from INTI’s close collaborative efforts with industry partners such as MIMOS from the onset of their academic journey. Through partnerships with over 450 employers, INTI students have been empowered with the right skills and tools to succeed in a highly competitive work environment. This is solidified in INTI’s graduate employability outcome for 2016, as validated by BDO, which shows 99% of INTI graduates being employed within six months of graduation, with 83% earning incomes higher than the market average, while 43% of graduates received job offers even before they graduate.