A TRANSFORMATIVE

MALAYSIA’s higher education (HE) in the fourth industrial revolution is a complex, dialectical and exciting opportunity, which can potentially transform society for the better.

Powered by artificial intelligence, the fourth industrial revolution is expected (in some cases, already has) to transform the workplace from task-based characteristics to human-centred ones.

Due to the convergence of man and machine, it will reduce the subject distance between humanities and social science as well as science and technology.

This will require much more interdisciplinary teaching, research and innovation.

Educators are exploring the impact of HE 4.0 on the missions of a university, which are teaching, research, innovation and service.

All graduates also face a world transformed by technology, in which the Internet, cloud computing and social media create different opportunities and challenges for formal education systems.

As students consider life after graduation, universities are facing questions about their own destiny, especially employment.

This period requires certain skills that are not exactly the same as the skills that were required in the third industrial revolution where information technology was the key driver.

The skills needed now are critical thinking, people management, emotional intelligence, judgment, negotiation, cognitive flexibility, as well as knowledge production and management.

Succinctly, the connection between