Innovation, says Muhammad Yusry Hadi Mohd Yazid, is best understood by looking at the common forces moving society and technology forward. Yusry, 20, an IT student at UTP, is the project manager of a university social responsibility project called i-LEAPS, short for Integration of Leadership, Application Development, and Practical Skills' programme.

He says, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it, but short of that, the next best thing is to look at the potential in our youth, because that's really what's driving the world today."

Yusry cites coding—the suite of computer systems and languages used to communicate—as an essential tool for preparing the nation's youth for the future economy. He says, “Basically, we want to expose school students to programming early on. Right now, programming is the most demanded skill in the job market and the gig-economy."

According to Yusry, a vast majority of schools outside of Malaysia, particularly in the U.S are teaching their students coding at an early age. Referencing an event called the Hour of Code which brings together schools from over 180 countries for a one-hour coding tutorial designed for all ages in over 45 languages, Yusry says the importance of programming cannot be understated.

He says, “For one hour, each participating school teaches coding science to students as early as 8 years old." Drawing inspiration from the event, 25 IT and engineering students joined hands to carry out a coding programme at SMKA Sultan Azlan Shah, Bota Perak.

In light of this, according to Yusry, the Ministry of Education Malaysia has already introduced a science computer subject in schools. Unfortunately, not all schools have the opportunity to study the subject as a result of inadequate infrastructure especially in some rural areas.

“This is why we introduced Java script to the students. It's a very useful language to have under their belt. I consider it a communication tool. It equips you with a set of tools that you can apply to anything," asserts Yusry.

Java programming is currently the most sought after skillset in programming. Further, Yusry notes that early arrival to the digital economy comes with certain competitive advantages.

As such , group i-LEAPS conducted a few coding sessions with the students. After walking the students through a brief introduction, the school students were asked to come up with their  own utility application in the form of a desktop software such as a body mass index calculator.

Using NetBeans, an integrated development environment for Java, Yusry shares, “The best thing about the students was that they were able to pick it up very quickly. They were inquisitive and fast learners. Prior to the engagement, they've already searched for it online."

In effect, a total 32 students benefitted from the programme. During the three day programme, one day was allocated for a leadership camp alongside a mini-scale coding competition among the students.

“We were really surprised. The students demonstrated great technical ability to produce user friendly interfaces. They understood the basic concepts of a user interface very well. This is a good development for the country," says Yusry. Evidently, Yusry says, the programme seeks to prepare Malaysia's youth for Industry 4.0.

Indeed, this is another prime example of UTP's profound career connected learning and industry collaboration. From the work we do, we foster long-term relationships with our global social-impact partners to prepare our students, people and researchers as global citizens.

As a leading university in engineering, science and technology, our graduates are driven to exceed their professional objectives and contribute towards overcoming capability deficit across all sectors and industries.​