Published:
Earlier this year, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (HWUM) kicked off its year-long 10th anniversary celebrations in the country. To further celebrate a decade of creating a positive impact, HWUM holds its Business Leaders Roundtable 2022 on 20 July 2022, to recognise the contributions of its top employers who have contributed to the University's impact in Malaysia. These are some of the employers which also recognises the talents, skills and competencies of HWUM students and graduates.
A total of 30 industry partners from various key economic sectors were invited to the roundtable and 15 were recognised for their contributions to HWUM. Among them were Malayan Banking Group (“Maybank”), Top Glove Corporation Bhd ("Top Glove"), Public Bank Berhad (“Public Bank”), Hong Leong Bank, Hong Leong Islamic Bank, Great Eastern, Ernst & Young, Shopee Malaysia, Allianz, FWD Takaful Berhad (“FWD Takaful”), PricewaterhouseCoopers Malaysia (“PwC”), and many others.
These leading industry players have partnered with HWUM to develop purpose-driven leaders and prepared them for the future of work over the years. Students at HWUM have benefited from scholarships, industry placement programmes, career fairs, industry-in-the-classroom, visits, research and development, and more with their support.
At the event were Professor Richard A. Williams, HWU's Principal and Vice Chancellor from the United Kingdom; Yang Berbahagia Datuk Yasmin Mahmood, HWUM's Board of Directors Chair; and Professor Mushtak Al-Atabi, HWUM's Provost and Chief Executive Officer.
In his speech, Professor Mushtak expressed his gratitude for the contributions of top employers: “We will continue to design world-class accredited programmes in partnership with our partners to ensure career-relevant education that fosters the skills of purpose-driven leaders determined to make a positive impact on society, business, and industry needs.”
He added, “HWUM and its industry partners share a common goal of developing highly competent individuals for the post-COVID recovery. We believe that such efforts foster meaningful relationships between academia and industry, allowing a better understanding of the challenges employers face today in terms of talent acquisition, retention, and development, and providing them with the talent they need to sustain and scale their purpose and business agenda.
Professor Mushtak also spoke about HWUM's plans to advance its heritage and duty to create purpose-driven leaders, foster the ethos of inclusion and education for all, and innovate in research and development for the betterment of communities.
From this year to 2032, HWUM will raise funds for 10 students from B40 families every year through its ‘1821 Appeal – Leaders with Impact Scholarship'. The University developed these scholarships, which cover living expenses and tuition fees, together with its key industry partners.
Through its portfolio of programmes that are tailored to the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the University will continue to promote research and innovation in areas such as purpose-driven leadership, data science, robotics, and achieving Net Zero Carbon emissions.
The undergraduates from the University will continue to push the limits of knowledge acquisition, resulting in breakthrough discoveries that will have a practical impact on the world. HWUM's EmPOWER programme will also be enhanced to advance a sustainable, just, and equitable landscape in Malaysia and internationally, with feedback from employers.