KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 – The government is targeting to increase the number of doctor of philosophy (PhD) holders to 6,000 by 2023, in line with an effort to produce specialists various fields to promote the country’s industrialisation policy, the Dewan Negara was told today.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar said the target was a mechanism to create groups of highly knowledgeable human resources.
He said the graduates would be a catalyst for research and development in tandem with the role of a number of research universities like University of Malaya, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
“The capacity of public and private institutions of higher learning (IPTs) will be enhanced to increase specialist in various areas. We have 65 public and private IPTs,” he said when responding to a question from Senator Dr Ariffin S M Omar.
Abdul Wahid said four technical universities set up by the government, namely Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Technical University of Malaysia Malacca, Universiti Malaysia Pahang and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, churned out 7,743 technical graduates last year.
He said technical training institutes like the German-Malaysian Institute, British-Malaysian Institute and University Kuala Lumpur Malaysia France Institute produced 2,636 skilled graduates last year.
Abdul Wahid said the Centre of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) was set up by Khazanah Nasional Berhad in June last year with the collaboration of 10 electrical and electronic companies in the quest to produce more industry-relevant technical workforce to ensure sustainable development of high-tech electronics industry.
– BERNAMA
