[26 August 2018, The STAR]

A deliberate strategy to change perception is at the heart of one university's efforts to draw Malaysians into the exciting new world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

"There is a need for us not just to teach science, engineering and to develop technologies. There is also a need for us to understand or to be guided by better values, more human values. That is why there must be a bridge between these two."

​​Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, The World Engineering, Science and Technology Congress, June 2010

IN 2014, few Malaysians had even heard of Industrial Revolution 4.0, let alone grasp the pervasive life-altering nature of new and disruptive technologies already shaping our world and changing the DNA of employability. "But we had heard of 21st century learning and skills, and we knew we had to give our students a brand new learning experience," says Dr Mohamad Tazli Azizan, Director of CETaL, Universiti Teknologi Petronas' Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. "From that year, we moved from teacher-centred learning to student-centred learning."

That bold move fit right in with IR4.0, the technological wave unfolding right now in which automation and computers come together in an entirely new way. For the first time, the fusion of technologies is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres.

UTP wanted to ready its graduates for this entirely new kind of world, and be at the forefront of emerging technology breakthroughs in fields like nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, materials science, quantum computing and the Internet of Things.

But there was another reason for recasting the learning environment on campus. Malaysia, like many other countries, is seeing a declining interest in the sciences. It's a global paradox: at a time when scientific innovation is just bubbling with exciting new frontiers, more and more students are shying away from the sciences at high school. Some abandon STEM subjects as they enter tertiary level in favour of business, law and other arts courses, which they perceived as more "sexy".

That's why Tazli and his colleagues carved new trails to bring excitement to the lecture halls and making learning both challenging and fun. "We began by retraining lecturers to become facilitators of self-directed learning," he says. "We knew our approach was successful as soon undergrads began asking for more activity-based learning."

UTP 's CETaL turned to well-accepted education psychology. Learning is viewed in four constructs. The first is knowledge, which is to know a subject and to apply it. Second, the student, who the educator must understand intimately in order to disseminate knowledge. Third, assessment, so that students get feedback all year instead of only at grading time. New tools – apps, games, software – give students fairly instant assessments and an insight into themselves as well. And fourth, community. "Students must feel safe to interact, to speak up in class and to one another," says Tazli. "In the old days, students kept silent because they were scared of asking silly questions and feared the teacher."

Plain old lecture? No more. With "think, pair, share" working the room, a typical class forces students to engage one another, even as a lecture progresses. Their projects have enough complexity for challenging group work, and in problem-based learning, students figure out on their own what they need to read up as they approach to solve the problem. "It may result in field trips or inviting an external expert. Or the lecture can be delivered online before students go to class where they get activities related to that lecture."

Now, there's light at the end of the tunnel. During the post-GE14 cabinet appointments episode, the hotly debated issue was over who should be Minister of Education. Personality aside, what came through were the many voices concerned for STEM, signalling awareness of a real problem with STEM.

The freshly appointed 7th Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad described current teaching methods as outdated, and said that our learning needs to move online because technology is evolving exponentially.

The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013–2025 embedded specific measures to boost interest in STEM at schools which have manifested in some parts of the education system but real change at ground level has been very hard to execute. A 2011 survey showed that Singapore, Thailand, South Korea and Hong Kong are ahead of Malaysia in STEM student scores. However, we have an outstanding 57% girls and women in STEM courses compared with 25% in the US.

Tazli says there's one more component in the STEM equation: the parent. "Malaysian parents seem to be obsessed with exam questions and class rankings. These don't make a child a thinker. A lot of Malaysians still think of rigid science and arts streaming. The world has changed.

Innovate, or perish

"IF we don't innovate and produce, we will just be a nation of consumers," says Tan Sri Ahmad Tajuddin Ali, a member of the Global Science & Innovation Advisory Council, Malaysia's think-tank of world leaders in science, technology, business and economics helping to navigate the country's new growth and direction.

He stresses the importance of being ahead of the technology game. "To be a developed, high-income and sustainable nation, we need to have a good understanding of the emerging technologies and their impact on business and accompanying managerial changes required for technology adoption."

We need to urgently develop the skills for technology forecasting, technology assessment, and technology foresight, says the Joint- Chairman (Industry) of the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT). "To do that, we need people to be prime movers of innovation who will develop products and processes of high value for the global market."

Based on the 2012 National Study of Human Capital, it has been projected that Malaysia will need eight million STEM workers by 2050. "It's clear that the existing pipeline of STEM talent won't deliver that number for us to be competitive in the global market," says Tajuddin. "Instead of focussing on a shortage of STEM expertise, perhaps we could revise our traditional measurements. "We keep thinking science versus non-science but today, the sciences are converging with the humanities, finance and law. Given the nature of the millennials who adapt easily, especially with technology, such boundaries can go."

Tajuddin, chairman of SIRIM and CIBD, is a former president of Academy of Sciences Malaysia which recently crafted a 2050 outlook report for Malaysia highlighting the paradox of limitless possibilities in emerging technologies amid the palpable decline of interest in STEM subjects.

"As a small nation, we need people expert in science, industry and innovation. This will have a direct impact on our ability to compete in the global market."

It's time for a hybrid scenario, says Datuk Fadilah Baharin, Director-General of the Department of Standards. "STEM undergrads need an immersion into management. Typically, STEM courses don't teach students about branding, marketing and communications. These can give the young scientist perspective of management and enterprise, and a view of the future he or she can create."

Among the reasons cited for the decline of interest in STEM are slow-growing wages and the risk of jobs moving offshore. In the workplace, STEM grads who are traditionally told that they are the better scholars, find that salaries are all the same. Often, they end up reporting to administrators who are arts grads and who tend to get senior management positions because of their people skills. The other scare factor: that they will always be stuck in a lab coat, invisible to the world despite the great work they may be doing.

At the root of it all is language and communication. "The worldwide experience is that collaboration is key to development and survival, says Fadilah. "There's no running away from English language proficiency because beyond local textbooks, important resources are in English. To compete in the international market, we've got to be articulate and globalise ourselves."

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