MOSTI to Prioritize Talent Development in Preparation for Hosting AMMSTI-23

JOHOR BAHRU, July 3 — The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) is placing talent development at the absolute forefront of its agenda as Malaysia gears up to host the 23rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation (AMMSTI-23) next year.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Chang Lih Kang emphasized that cultivating a highly skilled domestic talent pool remains a critical prerequisite to anchoring the country’s strategic efforts to secure more high-tech foreign investments.

“Besides talent development, our focus areas include energy transition, artificial intelligence (AI), digitalisation, advanced materials, nanotechnology, including hydrogen, and biotechnology,” he said.

Chang shared these insights with the press following the MOSTI TechTalks Series 2/2026 session, titled AI and the Future of Engineering Careers, held at the Tun Dr Ismail Library at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Johor Branch, Pasir Gudang Campus last night. Malaysia is officially slated to chair and host AMMSTI-23 in June 2027, following a handover confirmation formalized during the 22nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation (AMMSTI-22) in Vientiane, Laos, on June 26.

Bolstering TVET Curricula with Emerging Technologies

In a separate development, Chang highlighted that MOSTI remains firmly committed to collaborating with other ministries to strengthen national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes to align perfectly with evolving market demands, even though the TVET portfolio does not fall under MOSTI’s direct regulatory jurisdiction.

He asserted that modern TVET curricula must be dynamically updated to integrate disruptive next-generation technologies like robotics, artificial intelligence, and coding, moving beyond a historical reliance on conventional technical skillsets. This inter-ministerial initiative involves active cooperation across 12 separate ministries charged with TVET execution, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, and the Ministry of Human Resources.

Engaging the Next-Generation Workforce

Elaborating on the overarching goals of the MOSTI TechTalks initiative, Chang explained that the series—which routinely travels across various university campuses nationwide—acts as a vital bridge to directly engage the younger demographic and expose them to the latest advancements within Malaysia’s science, technology, and innovation (STI) ecosystem.

He noted that these face-to-face academic engagements are essential to guarantee that university students possess a crystal-clear understanding of the trajectory of the nation’s STI roadmap, ensuring they enter the competitive job market thoroughly prepared to meet the demands of the future global workforce.