25 MMU Students Selected for Program Akar by PayNet

A total of 25 students from MMU have been selected to join the second phase of Program Akar, an initiative by Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet) aimed at nurturing AI and data science talent for Malaysia’s financial services industry. This new cohort marks the beginning of an expansion that will see 100 university students participating in the programme by the end of the year. Starting with the 25 MMU students from Faculty of Computing and Informatics (FCI) and Faculty of Information Science and Technology (FIST), the intake will later grow to include 75 students from other local universities.

The launch event was graced by Prof. Ir. Dr. Zulfadzli Yusoff, Vice President of Market Exploration, Engagement & Touchpoint (MEET), Prof. Dr. Wong Eng Kiong, Vice President of Student Experience & Entrepreneurship Development, Prof. Ts. Dr. Lau Siong Hoe, FCI Dean, Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Siti Fatimah Abdul Razak, FIST Dean, along with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ong Jeen Wei, Director of Alumni Engagement, Career and Entrepreneurship Development (ACED), and the Career Connect team.

The curriculum for Program Akar is structured around three key pillars: Values-Driven Enrichment, Digital Payment Knowledge, and AI & Data Science Mastery. Powered by Microsoft through its AIForMYFuture initiative, the programme is delivered in collaboration with PEOPLElogy Berhad and Futuresparx Sdn Bhd. Participants will benefit from mentorship opportunities, hands-on learning experiences, and potential job placements within leading financial institutions. Congratulations to the students and we hope that this opportunity helps the students further develop their skills and make significant contributions to Malaysia’s rapidly evolving financial services sector.