KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) has developed the EduData platform to disseminate information to stakeholders.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, when delivering her keynote address at the EduData Summit 2022 (EDS) in New York last Friday, said the information in EduData was collected from platforms such as MyMOHEs, a system used in collecting data from all public universities, and e-IPTS for private higher learning institutions (IPTS).

She said the data could help in formulating initiatives that need to be implemented to improve curriculum and training before students enter the competitive job market.

"We can intensify long-term academic-industry collaboration to bridge the gap between the qualifications of our graduates and the jobs available in the market," she said in her keynote address entitled ‘Malaysia's Experience in Implementing Sustainable and Inclusive Lifelong Learning Through Edudata’.

In addition, Noraini said that the data obtained could become a rating measurement tool that reflects the quality of IPTs in Malaysia.

"While we acknowledge that the quality of higher education can be measured in many ways, we also believe that rankings reflect quality. This is proven when all five of our research universities are ranked in the top 50 best universities in Asia.

"One of our universities (Universiti Malaya) is ranked in the top 100 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2023. Overall, four universities are listed in the top 200,” she said.

Noraini said the ministry is targeting 250,000 international students by 2025, and to achieve this target, local universities have introduced various initiatives, including the offshore programme.

She added that MOHE is now focusing on the micro-credential and the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning courses.

There are now 11,000 micro-credential courses offered to provide students with the opportunity to take short courses at different institutions and combine them to be converted into awarded certifications.

Held from June 8 to 10 at the UN Headquarters in New York, EDS serves as a platform for discussion and sharing of best practices among data experts on the importance of data in improving access to quality education. — Bernama