Schneider Electric and Curtin Malaysia renew partnership to develop future-ready talent

Miri, Sarawak – 30 August 2026 – Sarawak’s evolving energy and economic landscape is creating new opportunities across engineering, technology, sustainability and other emerging fields, increasing the need for graduates equipped with relevant technical, digital and human capabilities.

Against this backdrop, Schneider Electric, the global leader in energy technology, and Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) have renewed their partnership through a new three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen industry-academia collaboration, student exposure, skills development and career pathways.

The partnership comes as Sarawak advances plans to become a regional leader in renewable and low-carbon energy. These ambitions are underpinned by established state frameworks, including the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030, the Sarawak Energy Transition Policy and the Sarawak Sustainability Blueprint 2030. Collectively, these frameworks point to a growing need for talent capable of working across an increasingly sustainable, digital and technology-driven economy.

Formally signed at the Curtin Malaysia campus on 12 August 2026, the renewed MoU provides a broader framework for collaboration in curriculum development, knowledge exchange, graduate internships, employment opportunities and alumni engagement.

The MoU was signed by Jin Hui Yau, Human Resources Director, Malaysia and East Asia One Solution Center at Schneider Electric, and Professor Vincent Lee Chieng Chen, Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive of Curtin Malaysia.

The partnership builds on a relationship first established in February 2022. Over the past four years, Schneider Electric has supported technical talks and career events that have helped Curtin Malaysia students gain greater exposure to industry expectations, emerging trends and potential career opportunities.

Yau said, “Sarawak’s evolving energy and economic landscape is creating new opportunities for graduates. Through our partnership with Curtin Malaysia, we look forward to strengthening the region’s talent pipeline by connecting academic learning with industry experience and creating clearer pathways into meaningful careers.”

Professor Lee said the continued partnership reflected Schneider Electric’s confidence in Curtin Malaysia’s academic quality and graduates.

“As digitalisation and sustainability continue to reshape the engineering and technology landscape, our graduates need to be adaptable, future-ready and equipped to respond to rapid transformation. This renewed MoU gives us an opportunity to take our collaboration to the next level,” he said.

Under the renewed agreement, Schneider Electric will provide industry input into Curtin Malaysia’s engineering and technology curricula. Both organisations will also explore opportunities to exchange industry expertise, technologies and best practices.

The partnership will strengthen pathways for students and graduates through internships and potential job opportunities, while creating further opportunities for Schneider Electric to engage with Curtin University Malaysia’s alumni community.

The renewal was accompanied by a series of industry engagements held at Curtin Malaysia from 12 to 14 August. These included the forum “Powering Sarawak’s Future – Energy Transition, Technology and Career Opportunities”, featuring Schneider Electric’s Ir. Ts. Indiran Nadarajan, Professor Raymond Chiong Choo Wee of Curtin Malaysia and Sim Ko Sin, Chief Digital Officer, Information and Communication Technology at Sarawak Energy Berhad.

During the forum, Sim Ko Sin highlighted that developing talent for the energy transition will require more than strong engineering and technical foundations. Students will also need communication, collaboration, and other interpersonal skills as the sector increasingly relies on people from diverse disciplines to work together to address complex challenges.

Separately, Jin Hui Yau represented Schneider Electric in the “Future Careers 2030 – Preparing Graduates for an AI-Powered Workplace” panel discussion, which explored how graduates can prepare for evolving workplace expectations. Schneider Electric also engaged students about internship and graduate employment opportunities at the Curtin Malaysia x MYFutureJobs Careers Fair 2026.

The renewed partnership underscores the shared commitment of Curtin Malaysia and Schneider Electric to developing industry-ready talent and creating stronger connections between education and the workplace. It also reinforces the role of industry–university collaboration in preparing graduates to contribute meaningfully to the region’s evolving engineering, technology and sustainability sectors.

The partnership also forms part of Schneider Electric’s growing collaboration with tertiary education institutions across Malaysia, including Universiti Malaya, INTI International University & Colleges and Sunway University. Celebrating 40 years in Malaysia in 2026, Schneider Electric continues to strengthen its role as Malaysia’s energy technology partner by helping develop the talent and capabilities needed to support the country’s future industries, infrastructure and energy ambitions.

For more information on Curtin Malaysia, visit curtin.edu.my or follow Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or TikTok.

Professor Vincent Lee (right) and Yau Jin Hui with the signed MoU.

Curtin Malaysia and Schneider Electric representatives at the MoU signing.