Khaled: Get laid-off academics back

PASIR GUDANG: Local universities should take the opportunity to hire Malaysian academics retrenched by foreign universities.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said many Malaysian academics currently serving in foreign universities were expecting to be retrenched due to the recession in several developed countries.

He said local universities could benefit from this by employing these academics.

The Government is giving total freedom to universities to engage or hire these academics under the brain-gain project discussed in the Economic Council, he said after the opening of Dynac Sdn Bhds new office and delivery of air cooled heat exchanger to Sarawak Shell Bhd on Saturday.

Khaled said the ministry and universities would collaborate in the project but it was up to each university to identify the niche areas when hiring these academics.

He said graduates were unemployed due to the mismatch of what they learned in the universities and the requirements by the industry and changes in technology.

“We have always stressed that university graduates should be all rounders and able to adapt to change around them,” said Khaled.

He said the council had also requested college communities nationwide to provide training and new skills to retrenched workers including Malaysians working in Singapore.