As reported on Bernama and published in The Star,
Talent development programme in varsities
PASIR GUDANG: The Higher Education Ministry will be introducing talent development programmes in varsities to help undergraduates be more creative and innovative, said its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
He said under the plan, the ministry would be roping in experts who would coach students in the aspects of creativity and innovation.
“Before, we invested in terms of manpower and machinery. Now we want to take it a step further and focus more on research and developement to contribute to Malaysia’s knowledge economy,” he said.
He told this to reporters after officiating a youth development programme in Masai here today which was organised by Persatuan Belia Mutiara Pasir Gudang and Pasir Gudang Umno Youth. – Bernama
It is amusing that MOHE is trying to create talent among its current batch of students. Again tonnes of money is spent on bringing in ”experts” to perform some miraculous transformation of our students.
My advice is simple. Recognise talents first. Base your student admissions on merit. When you accept quality students into your varsity, then there will be little need to get ”experts” to stimulate creativity and innovation.
Revamp the current education system which is extremely examination based, thus promoting rote learning. Reintroduce English as a medium of instruction, while maintaining emphasis on Bahasa Malaysia as a core subject.
There are no short cuts here. Certainly getting people to give a few talks or seminars just will not do the trick.
