Southern University College (SUC) and 42 Iskandar Puteri have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to optimise the potential of the university’s students in the tech industry.
The partnership will focus on several key areas, including workshop collaborations, knowledge transfer platforms, and the sharing of methodologies, which could help cultivate a growth mindset in the students.
The ceremony took place at SUC on 18th March 2025, where the university was represented by President and Chief Executive Officer Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr Chuah Joon Huang, while 42 Iskandar Puteri was represented by 42 Malaysia’s Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Sandhu.
The ceremony was witnessed by Herman Bin Raban, General Manager of Johor Unit Strategik Modal Insan, representing Aznan Tamin, Johor State Education & Information Committee Chairman
Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr Chuah Joon Huang emphasised the significance of the collaboration as a way to train the students with both technical and soft skills.
“We believe in continuous innovation in education and this partnership with 42 Iskandar Puteri will enable us to offer students more opportunities to develop critical thinking skills while fostering a culture of creativity and inclusiveness.”
“By combining the strengths of both institutions, we are shaping a generation of highly skilled digital talent. This partnership is not only timely but crucial in addressing the gap between education and employability, ensuring that students graduate with the skills needed to succeed in today’s job market.
“There are about 2,000 students here in SUC and I urge each one of them to take the opportunity to gain valuable exposure through 42 Iskandar Puteri’s hands-on approach, which focuses on real-world problem-solving in areas like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, motion design, software and web development, and more,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jeff Sandhu highlighted that 42 Malaysia was dedicated to reimagining education and sharing that with the community, adding that the collaboration with SUC creates a more diversified and forward-thinking ecosystem that benefits both students and the tech industry.
“Our mission is to train 10,000 highly skilled digital talents by 2033, and I am looking forward to see our partnership with SUC producing some of those talents, which could potentially propel Malaysia to another level in technological advances,” he said
“42 Iskandar Puteri will always have such programmes, and you have nothing to lose but all to gain by joining them. With flexible timings, a self-paced structure, and, best of all, zero fees, the campus offers an alternative route into the digital economy, equipping learners with future-ready skills regardless of their academic background.
“Education should be accessible to all, and I encourage aspiring tech talents to take advantage of these opportunities that could help shape their future in this rapidly evolving industry,” he added.
The Johor State Government, through the Johor Talent Development Council (JTDC), fully supports initiatives by 42 Iskandar Puteri and urges the community, especially Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) leavers, to take advantage of the programmes provided by the campus.
Recently, 42 Iskandar Puteri’s tuition-free Python and AI Discovery Bootcamps, which ran from March 10-14 and March 17-21 garnered much interest from the public—more than 350 registrations within days of announcement, which underscored the demand for tech education within the community.
The oldest participant was 74 years old, and the youngest participants were 17-year-old SPM leavers. This shows that neither age nor backgrounds are barriers to tech education, and that no one is exempted from the digital wave that is hitting the world currently.
