Universiti Teknologi Malaysia launches Malaysia's first AI faculty

Malaysia's first Faculty of Artificial Intelligence was launched at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) on May 10, 2024. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim officiated at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, where the Malaysia AI Consortium and an AI Talent Roadmap for Malaysia 2024-2030 were launched at the same event.

According to the national news agency Bernama, the faculty expected a first undergraduate intake of 120 students in October 2024, a number that could rise with demand and ministry approval. The AI degree, approved by the Higher Education Committee in January, runs for three years with three semesters a year and requires 121 credit hours. UTM's vice-chancellor described the curriculum as industry-infused. The Star reported that the faculty is hosted at UTM's Kuala Lumpur campus and took about four months to set up.

The consortium brings together universities that each contribute a specialty; Universiti Putra Malaysia, for example, was cited as covering agriculture. Bernama reported that it draws on government grants, industry sponsors and membership fees. The higher education ministry and Nvidia also exchanged a letter of intent at the launch. Before the event, the ministry had linked the faculty to Malaysia's National Artificial Intelligence Roadmap 2021-2025.