The program primarily targets secondary school students and teachers involved in STEM activities. Through interactive sessions conducted in university and school laboratories, participants will be guided by academics and scientists from Universiti Malaya to explore the connections between chemistry, biology, the environment and product development.
Universiti Malaya (UM) reinforced its role as a platform for national intellectual discourse by hosting Forum Ilmuwan MADANI (FIM) Siri 13, bringing together national leaders, academics, experts and key stakeholders for a timely conversation on the future of Malaysia’s education landscape.
Held on 26 August 2026 at Dewan Tunku Canselor, Universiti Malaya, the forum centred on “Pendidikan Masa Depan Negara & Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti (AUKU)”, providing a platform to examine the direction of education in Malaysia and the evolving legislative framework governing the country’s higher education sector.
The forum was moderated by YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, who led the discussion with a distinguished panel comprising YB Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir, Minister of Higher Education; YB Fadhlina Sidek, Minister of Education; and YM Tengku Datuk Dr. Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen, Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM), bringing together perspectives spanning education policy, higher education, academia and national development.
The dialogue explored the need for Malaysia’s education system to continue evolving in response to changing national and global demands, including the importance of institutional autonomy, academic freedom, governance, accountability and the role of universities in developing future-ready talent.
For Universiti Malaya, hosting the forum reflected a responsibility that extends beyond teaching and research. As Malaysia’s leading university, UM continues to provide an intellectual space where ideas, policies and perspectives on issues of national importance can be openly examined and constructively discussed.
The forum was particularly significant amid ongoing discussions surrounding the future of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU) and the broader transformation of Malaysia’s higher education ecosystem.
These conversations also align with the aspirations of the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026–2035, which envisages a more progressive, agile and future-ready higher education system capable of responding to rapid technological, economic and societal change.
By bringing policy discussions into the university environment, Forum Ilmuwan MADANI also strengthens engagement between policymakers and the academic community, ensuring that universities remain active contributors to conversations shaping Malaysia’s future.
UM’s role as host reflects the University’s longstanding position not only as an institution of academic excellence, but also as a national intellectual platform where knowledge, leadership and public policy intersect.
As Universiti Malaya marks its 121st year, this role remains central to its continuing mission: to advance knowledge, contribute expertise and help shape ideas that serve both the nation and society.