UNM strengthens its relationship with SAS Institute Malaysia to fill the gap created by an insufficient pool of data experts in the country. Pictured here are (from left):
UNM’s Director of Strategy and Business Transformation, Kylie Colvin; UNM’s Interim Provost and CEO, Professor Sarah Metcalfe; SAS Institute Malaysia’s Managing Director, Cheam Inn Tat; and SAS Institute Malaysia’s Head of Education, Mr Mun Loong Lee.
Selangor, 25 March 2022 – The tech industry is taking the world by storm, with cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, NFTs (non-fungible token) and big data at the forefront. Suffice to say, in this day and age, digital literacy is non-negotiable. With many companies operating from home, it is fundamental that an employee can operate a computer efficiently, regardless of the field in which they specialise. Furthermore, as technology matures over time, employers are also looking for more specialised skills, like data analytics.
In support of this, the University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM), through its Nottingham University Business School (NUBS), is strengthening its relationship with data analytics solutions provider, SAS Institute Malaysia, to bridge the digital gap created by an insufficient pool of data experts in Malaysia.
UNM signatory, Interim Provost and CEO, Professor Sarah Metcalfe, describes the partnership as an exciting one. She adds, “UNM has worked closely with SAS for nearly 16 years. We are initiating this partnership today to strive for a more digitally advanced future. This collaboration falls in line with the Malaysia Digital Economy Cooperation’s (MDEC) mission to boost digital-based learning, to develop innovators of tomorrow. We hope to produce competitive graduates who can, in turn, further innovation and the development of Malaysia.”
Through this collaboration, UNM strives to produce more competitive graduates to further innovation and the development of Malaysia.
The integration of digital-based learning in classrooms is crucial to prepare the students of today for the ever changing and competitive job market. This is because an employee who can analyse and interpret data efficiently and effectively is a highly valuable one.
SAS Institute Managing Director of Malaysia, Cheam Inn Tat, who signed on behalf of SAS shared, “With the demand for skilled analytics talent continuing to outpace supply in Malaysia, we recognise the importance of bridging this talent gap.”
Cheam continued, “Companies across sectors including financial and government need analytics talent as they move towards digitalisation. SAS is committed to growing the next generation of analytics experts and connecting employers with the talent they need.”
Whilst many believe data analysis to be crucial in the tech industry alone, data analytics has grown to be an asset in numerous industries. In business, for example, data analytics helps companies optimise performance by studying the trends of their operations to evaluate risk and predict issues. Essentially, interpreting this data would help companies make data-driven decisions to excel within the market. The fact that there aren’t enough people who can do this, proves just how valuable a skill it is.
“We are excited about our partnership with UNM and are confident graduates will have a competitive advantage with the SAS certification,” Cheam concluded.
Through this partnership, University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) will also gain access to SAS Malaysia’s Joint Academic Specialisation Program for its Nottingham University Business School (NUBS) programmes, Bachelor of Science (Hons) Finance, Accounting and Management and Bachelor of Science (Hons) Business Economics and Finance. The Joint Academic Specialisation will provide students and educators exposure to SAS’ solutions for a more engaging educational experience.
