NATAD 2025: Forging A.I.-Resilient Leaders and Setting a New Standard in Talent Transformation

The Life Skills Development team under the School of General Studies and Languages (SGSL), in collaboration with the Higher Education Malaysia Association (HEYA Inc.), successfully convened the National Talent Transformation Dialogue (NATAD) 2025 at Taylor’s University, bringing together 100 participants from universities nationwide. Themed “Empowering the Future: Building A.I.-Resilient Talent,” the event provided a distinguished platform for policymakers, industry leaders, and academics to deliberate on the competencies required to thrive in an artificial intelligence (AI) driven world.

A key highlight of NATAD was the public forum, “The Future is You: What It Takes to Thrive in an AI-Driven World,” featuring YB Wong Shu Qi, Chairperson of Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp); Mr. Ong Wei Shen, Director of Sandisk; and Mr. Naveen Raman, Programme Director of Life Skills Development, Taylor’s University. Moderated by Mr. Satganessh Suria Kumar, Policy Analyst at HEYA Inc., the session explored how AI is reshaping the employment landscape, the emergence of new professional opportunities, and the competencies essential for AI-resilient talent.

The dialogue further integrated experiential learning through:

• Structured training modules on scientific problem-solving and goal-setting frameworks.

• Industrial hackathons, where students tackled real-world challenges and presented sustainable, cost-effective solutions to expert panels.

  
  

These initiatives reflect Life Skills Development’s emphasis on applied learning, ensuring participants translate knowledge into practical competencies relevant to dynamic professional environments. NATAD aligns with the Life Skills Programme’s mission to cultivate purposeful, resilient, and future-ready graduates. By prioritizing AI resilience, entrepreneurial thinking, adaptive capability, and critical problem-solving, the dialogue equips students to assume strategic roles in an evolving global landscape.

Closing remarks were delivered by Ms. Norshahila Mohamad Razak, Head of SGSL, while the ceremony was officiated by Ms. Nurhayati binti Ghazali, Senior Assistant Director representing the Director General of Higher Education. The event was further supported by the Life Skills Development team: Ms. Deborah Chris Raj, Ms. Jolene Chong Yen Yen, and Mr. Sharvinder Raj Sandra Mohan.

NATAD 2025 marks a significant milestone in SGSL’s strategic efforts to embed transversal competencies, strengthen industry–academia collaboration, and cultivate graduates capable of navigating disruption with confidence. It has since emerged as a premier national platform for talent development, underscoring SGSL’s enduring commitment to holistic, future-oriented education.