Local higher education institutions (HEIs) are encouraged to take proactive steps in an effort to change and shape the future generation through higher education with more flexible academic program offerings. Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), Prof. Grandfather Dr. Mohammad Shatar Sabran said, in this turbulent, uncertain, complex and unclear (VUCA) world, lifestyles and work are no longer conventional and the world of education is no exception. He said, in facing this all-challenging era, a more 'user-friendly' mode of study is needed. "It is expected that teaching and learning (PdP) in the future will no longer be conventional in which students spend three to four years continuously to follow a program. "The matter may change and students will be given a choice when they will graduate, but offering such a mode requires a holistic transformation from the local IPT to make it successful," he said. He said this while delivering a lecture to the management and academics of UPT Pahang state 2024 titled 'Future Challenges and Learning in Higher Education' at Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah Islamic University, recently. Commenting further, Mohammad Shatar said that HEIs need to be prepared to face the scenario in question and in this context, MQA has prepared various initiatives to help realize the agenda involved. He said, by providing a 'micro-credential' course guide and encouraging lifelong learning through the Accreditation of Learning Based on Prior Experience (APEL), flexible learning can be made a reality. He said, he is confident that many young people and the community will have more options to get the desired academic certificate and at the same time be able to plan the structure and duration of their studies. "Choices like this should be given to students if local HEIs want to compete on the national and global stage and see the quality of education in our society improve. "MQA expects this phenomenon to happen whether we like it or not. "Thus HEIs need to be prepared to deal with this situation through educational innovation to realize the wishes of the Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir to make Malaysia a global higher education hub," he said. Mohammad Shatar said, if they are not ready to provide such flexibility, it is feared that local HEIs will not be able to compete at the international level because there are foreign universities that already offer it. "With the PdP mode that is now more digital, local HEIs can market their academic programs to the international market more widely and without borders. "International students may no longer need to be in Malaysia full-time, instead they can continue their studies online," he said.   Source from  https://encr.pw/S2eNk

Date of Input: 08/04/2024 | Updated: 08/04/2024 | aidawati