KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia needs to have 500,000 scientists and engineers by the year 2020 to deal with the challenges of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0), based on statistics from the National Council for Scientific and Research Development.
Currently, there are only 70,000 registered engineers, which is only 17 per cent of the figure.
“These are staggering numbers for us at the Ministry of Education,” said Higher Education Department director-general Datin Paduka Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir after opening the two-day World Engineering, Science and Technology Congress (Estcon 2018) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.
“Therefore it is paramount that our nation has more programmes and platforms to build interest in technology and engineering.
“Education is one of the most important investments a country can make for its people and its future.
“In order to enhance our nation’s education, the approach used in teaching and learning must align with the needs of IR 4.0.
“It is essential to establish the curriculum while taking into consideration the design principles of this era of digitisation.
“The implementation of technology in the classroom will greatly improve teaching delivery. “We see a widespread use of smart boards and tablets as learning aids in futuristic countries.
“Aside from tools used in the classroom, we also see a revolution in student analytics.
“As we march into IR 4.0, the major change in teaching technology and analytics is bringing us towards an age where learning becomes more personal and accessible to all.
“Through the use of big data and cyber-system automation, educators are able to evaluate the performance of students in real-time.
“By analysing and plotting the strengths and weakness of each individual, education of the future is able to customise teaching styles to suit the abilities of every student.”
More than 1,000 research and innovation experts from 40 countries are taking part in Estcon 2018.
More than 3,000 visitors are expected to visit the exhibition.
The congress is organised by
Universiti Teknologi Petronas with the support of the Education Ministry, Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry, Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Sirim Bhd and Yayasan Universiti Teknologi Petronas.