UTM vice-chancellor Professor Dr Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim said AI is no longer a futuristic concept but an essential part of how universities must evolve to remain relevant in a fast-changing global landscape. — Reuters pic
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Tuesday, 07 Oct 2025 4:12 PM MYT
JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 7 — Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) today opened the UTM Global Connect 2025 with a strong call for higher learning institutions to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a core driver of future education.
UTM vice-chancellor Professor Dr Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim said AI is no longer a futuristic concept but an essential part of how universities must evolve to remain relevant in a fast-changing global landscape.
“Artificial Intelligence is not a novelty; it is a necessity,” he said in his keynote address at the Persada Johor International Convention Centre here today.
The two-day summit, themed Connecting Minds, Empowering Innovation, Shaping Sustainable Futures, gathers more than 90 university leaders, policymakers, innovators and members of the public from 25 countries.
Jointly organised by UTM International, the Centre for Advancement in Digital and Flexible Education (UTM CDEx), the Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (ICC) and the Centre for Real Estate Studies (UTM CRES), the event consolidates four flagship programmes under one platform.
They are the UTM University Presidents Forum (UPF 2025), New Academic Learning Innovation showcase (NALI 2025), 27th Industrial Art and Technology Exhibition and Competition (INATEX 2025), and 4th D-8 NPRI Summit (D-8 NPRI 2025).
Programme director Associate Professor Dr Mohd Ariffin Abu Hassan said the summit serves as a vibrant global platform that opens doors to collaboration, knowledge exchange and cross-cultural understanding, reflecting Malaysia’s higher education aspirations and UTM’s role as a global education leader.
A key highlight was the plenary session by the Ambassador of Belgium to Malaysia, Peter Van Acker, who spoke on Navigating the Intelligent Age for Global University Excellence.
He emphasised that universities must adopt AI responsibly, ensuring that technology empowers people and reduces inequality rather than deepens divides.
This year’s edition places a strong emphasis on AI, underscoring UTM’s position as Malaysia’s pioneer in establishing a dedicated Faculty of Artificial Intelligence.
The Ministry of Higher Education has allocated RM50 million in 2025 under the MY AI NEXUS initiative, aimed at training 200,000 AI professionals by 2030.
A 2023 survey by the National Professor Council found that nearly 80 per cent of Malaysian academics already use AI in teaching, while 88 per cent support its deeper integration in research.
Professor Mohd Shafry reminded participants that while technological advancement is crucial, it must align with human and ethical values.
He added that UTM Global Connect represents more than an academic gathering, calling it a global movement to shape a sustainable and inclusive future through education and innovation.
“UTM Global Connect is not just an event – it is a global movement. By convening leaders, innovators and educators, we are cultivating alliances that will inspire solutions for a sustainable and inclusive future,” he said.
With discussions on the first day already leading to new collaborations, UTM Global Connect 2025 is set to chart bold directions for universities navigating the intelligent age.
For more information, visit https://international.utm.my/utmglobalconnect2025/. — Bernama