By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix Abd Ra’ai Osman

BANGI, 15 April 2016 – Universities need to develop innovative students who are adaptable to change, said UKM Centre for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprise Development (UKM-CESMED) advisory board member Dato’ Nazifuddin Dato’ Seri Najib Razak at the board member’s inaugural meeting recently.

Dato’ Nazifuddin, chairman and founder of Youth On Unity, a non-profit organisation, said entrepreneurial education cultivates less tangible skills associated with an entrepreneurial mindset which include the capacity to tolerate failure, self-awareness and the ability to act courageously and take risks.

Meanwhile, one of Malaysia’s celebrated actors Datuk Mohamed Noor Shamsuddin, better known as Rosyam Nor, said universities must be comfortable with the idea of providing a holistic education and not merely discipline-specific knowledge and skills.

The outcome, said Rosyam who is UKM’s entrepreneur-in-residence, is that students will develop a range of broad skills which is beneficial for their future.

Another entrepreneur-in-residence Simon Loh said students have to be encouraged to be self-empowered.

“Today’s students need to be prepared to be active in creating their futures by thinking and acting more entrepreneurial throughout their university education,” said Loh.

The meeting was opened by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Alumni and International Affairs) Prof Dato’ Ir Dr Riza Atiq Abdullah O.K. Rahmat and moderated by UKM-CESMED Director Prof Madya Datin Dr Shamsubaridah Ramlee