KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — A total of 465 individuals graduated from the Aerospace Engineering programme at public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) between 2020 and 2023, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang said of the total, 462 graduated with a Master’s degree and below, while three others had a doctorate degree.
To ensure that the country has sufficient human resources and to reach the goal of creating 5,000 jobs in the space industry by 2030, he said the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) is stepping up its efforts to implement various programmes and initiatives that will boost youth’s interest in the field of space technology.
The initiatives included providing research facilities for industrial training in the fields of science, technology, and space applications.
“During their placement at the headquarters, students will be exposed to research and development of applications in various space technology-based fields. In addition, students will be exposed to the utilisation of instrumentation and methods for performing astronomical observations at the Langkawi National Observatory (LNO),” he said during Minister’s Question Time (MQT).
He said this in reply to a question from Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera) on the government’s measures to ensure that the country has a sufficient number of graduates in aerospace engineering and mechanisms in place to ensure the development of space exploration on par with NASA, JAXA and EASA.
Chang also said the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) had implemented a strategic collaboration network programme with international agencies to provide school and university students with exposure to microgravity research conducted on the International Space Station (ISS).
“Among the programmes that have been implemented since 2010 are the Space Seeds for Asian Future (SSAF) programme, which has drawn the interest of 67,000 students from all over the globe, and the Kibo Robot Programming Challenge (Kibo-RPC), which involves 44 Malaysian students.
“Both programmes are organised by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Students’ knowledge and skills in robotics programming, as well as space science and technology, have improved after participating in these programmes.
