PUTRAJAYA (Jan 30): A committee will be formed soon to review the National Higher Education Policy to ensure all plans and policies by the Ministry of Higher Education are based on current reality and include the importance of a sustainable future, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Speaking at the ministry’s new year mandate here on Monday (Jan 30), Mohamad Khaled said the committee would be given three months to submit findings and suggestions for improvement.

“Some policy adjustments should be implemented... It demands a change in the way of working, thinking and action taken.

“So, it is very important for our (ministry) policy to also change. We leave out outdated ones. Explore new ones and make them successful. We correct the mistakes and avoid the wrongs,” he said.

Mohamed Khaled said the findings and recommendations from the committee would be very critical to the ministry with the current national education landscape becoming more and more diverse, whereby roles of all parties need to be sorted out.

“Higher education today is much more complex, complicated and challenging. We need a more sophisticated, sustainable and contemporary plan and strategy to translate national aspirations,” he said, adding that the higher education sector is no longer limited to providing skilled graduates to fill the job market.

He suggested a white paper on “A New Horizon for Science, Technology and Innovation — A Strategy for Malaysia” to prepare the ministry to manage the various changes and technological booms that affect teaching and learning.

The white paper aims to specifically and deeply assess the effects and strategies of the ministry in managing various current and future technological disruptions to teaching, learning and the governance of higher education institutions, Mohamed Khaled said.

“My aim is to see and prepare how we should manage the various changes and technological booms that greatly affect the country’s plans for higher education,” he said.

In realising the concept of Madani Malaysia mooted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Khaled said the ministry would need to have the most reliable system and has called for close cooperation from the ministry’s staff to restore the people’s trust in the government.

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