KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) today launched the Festival of Ideas 2021 programme as a move to celebrate ideas and creativity as well as use the higher education sector as an input for innovation.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad said a website developed with the medium would be filled with periodic compilations of paper presentations, including new ideas, problem-solving and value enhancement among local thinkers from various backgrounds.

"It is hoped that the smart partnership on this website will be fully utilised by all parties while every idea highlighted would be further reviewed to be applied for the benefit of the institution and society as a whole," she said at the virtual launching of the programme.

She said the four main objectives of the festival was to enable the sharing and generation of new ideas; encouraging collaboration between the government, academics, industry partners and the society;

Preparing a platform and space for students and the community to devise solutions to problems and issues as a result of the partnership of experts from universities and higher education institutions; and also to create opportunities to improve the quality of life.

The Festival of Ideas 2021, which is being held for the first time, is a result of collaboration between the KPT, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)

Meanwhile, Noraini said the KPT also welcomed applications for research grants based on current problems and issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

"We encourage research based on science, technology and social science in helping the communities affected by the pandemic," she said.

Previously, a total of 25 projects had been chosen to receive the post-COVID-19 Special Research Grant that was implemented from Aug 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021.

-- BERNAMA