By Norrasyidah Arshad
SHAH ALAM, Nov 28 — The Selangor Education Summit (SES), bringing together four expos, marks the state’s initiative to strengthen lifelong learning.
Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari said that while education falls under the purview of the Federal government, the state administration feels compelled to explore this domain to address modern needs and socio-economic challenges.
“Education cannot be confined to classrooms alone. We must be agile in adapting to significant global changes, including a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), climate change, food security, and geopolitics.
“These challenges require an open mindset, positioning education as a key solution to prepare future generations. This is why we prioritise Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET),” he said.
Amirudin was speaking at SES' inauguration ceremony and the launch of the Selangor International Book Fair (SIBF), officiated by the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj yesterday.
He added that while the focus is shifting to emerging fields, traditional TVET sectors like plumbing, wiring, and automation continue to be developed with enhanced value.
“To strengthen AI exploration, Selangor has initiated collaborative programmes with leading companies including Apple, Siemens, Festo, Dassault Systemes, KNX, and Mendix.
“Next year, we will expand these partnerships, including with Google, which has invested in building a data centre in Selangor to boost human capital capacity,” Amirudin said.
“Tahun akan datang, kita perluaskan kerjasama ini termasuk Google, yang telah melabur dalam pembinaan pusat data di Selangor bagi meningkatkan kapasiti modal insan,” katanya.
Taking place at the Setia City Convention Centre, SES is being organised for the first time and brings together four major education-focused expos: SIBF and the Selangor Research and Innovation Expo (SRIE).
The programme also includes the Selangor STEM Education Expo (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Worldskills Malaysia Selangor 2024, with an expected attendance of over 300,000 visitors.
