Higher learning institutions urged to collaborate with successful local companies

Institutions of higher learning (IPT) were told to collaborate with world-class local industries to produce quality graduates.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said the achievements of local companies in various field should be seen as a stepping stone for the IPT to improve on their course syllabus and internship programmes.

He said these collaborative ventures were in line with the Malaysian Education Development Plan (Higher Education) to produce graduates with high employability.

"We promote collaborations between universities and industries and this must be improved from time to time," he told reporters, Wednesday.

Citing animation company, Les' Copaque Production Sdn Bhd, Idris said the success of the company in producing 3D animated series, now translated into various languages, proved that local companies could be a competitive force to be reckoned with internationally.

Earlier, Idris witnessed the exchange of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Les' Copaque Production Sdn Bhd and five higher learning institutions, including a foreign university.

The five institutions are International Islamic College (IIC), College University Poly-Tech MARA (KUPTM), Gombak Vocational College (KVG), Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) and Islamic University of Indonesia (UII).

Meanwhile, Les' Copaque managing director, Burhanuddin Md Radzi said the MOU was aimed at sharing expertise and learning experience with the institutions in an effort to further boost and upgrade the local animation industry.