ZTE and Multimedia University (MMU) have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on ICT talent development in Malaysia, focusing on 5G, AI, and digital transformation.

MMU will serve as an authorized training and exam center for ZTE’s certification programs.

The agreement was announced at the launch of MMU’s Faculty of Artificial Intelligence & Engineering in Cyberjaya, attended by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and several government ministers.

The partnership will give Malaysian students and professionals access to ZTE’s certification tracks in areas including wireless and core networks.

ZTE said its certification system has already been completed by over 450,000 professionals globally.

The MoU builds on previous collaborations between ZTE and MMU, including a communication engineering hub, a 5G hackathon, and public sector upskilling initiatives.

🔗 Source: ZTE

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Malaysia leverages global certification systems to accelerate national AI readiness

Malaysia’s partnership with ZTE demonstrates how countries can fast-track digital transformation by tapping into established global training ecosystems rather than building certification programs from scratch.

ZTE’s certification system already serves over 450,000 industry professionals worldwide, offering Malaysia immediate access to proven curricula and standardized competency frameworks across 5G, AI, and digital technologies 1.

This approach aligns directly with Malaysia’s AI Nation Framework, which identifies building a “digitally fluent workforce” as one of five core pillars for national AI adoption 2.

The timing is particularly strategic as Malaysia prepares to showcase its smart city transformation at the Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur 2025, scheduled for September 17-19, where demonstrating workforce readiness will be crucial for attracting international partnerships 2.

2️⃣ Structured skill progression addresses critical talent pipeline gaps in emerging technologies

The three-tiered ZTE certification system—Associate, Professional, and Expert levels—provides a clear career advancement pathway that many emerging technology fields currently lack.

This structured approach becomes especially valuable given Malaysia’s recent grant distribution to 14 recipients, including universities and local authorities, for AI and smart city projects spanning agriculture, healthcare, logistics, and education 2.