The opportunity for Cohort 16 of the ‘Train and Place’ programme to be part of the Asia e University (AeU) team at this event was not one to miss. It was a chance for the 15 students to have the honour of hearing first hand from the Minister of Higher Education what the government in particular is doing to increase the standard of higher education.
This event, attended by representatives of all major institutions of higher learning, was broadcasted through Live Streaming to Malaysian Students departments in US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Egypt as well as to local centres.

Indicated on the invitation as starting at 8.00am, we left AeU at 7.15am. The ride to Putrajaya International Convention Centre was a pleasant 45 minutes drive. The VIP arrival and main event began at 9.00am.

To set the event in motion, we were entertained by the choir from the Ministry of Higher Education.
In his speech, the Minister for Higher Education highlighted his Ministry’s achievements for 2009, keeping in line with the KPIs set. He outlined the approach and directions for 2010 ; three points worth noticing were:

• 75% of all lecturers in all schools of higher learning must be PhD holders
• The establishment of the ‘Council of Professors’ to regulate professorship
• The commitment to develop 7 areas in Personal Soft Skills Program, under My3S, for future graduates to be employable

In wrapping up the whole proceedings, the Minister launched the My3S Program as well as the ‘Minister of Higher Education Challenge’ trophy football league. The event ended with a simple tea and snacks for all attendees.