Held at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL), the programme brought together rail industry employers, higher education institutions, and technology partners to address one of the sector's most pressing challenges—building a sustainable pipeline of skilled talent for Malaysia's expanding railway industry.
The event, themed "Building Malaysia's Future Rail Talent Ecosystem," introduced NEXUSGRAD as a digital platform designed to connect students, graduates, universities, and industry leaders through structured mentorship, industry exposure, and employer engagement. The initiative reflects a broader industry effort to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry in preparing future rail professionals.
The programme opened with welcoming remarks by Datuk Dr. Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman, President of MARIC, followed by a presentation from Dr. Mohd Azman Zainul Abidin, Managing Director of Nexus Future, who introduced the Rail Talent Ecosystem Pilot Programme—a collaborative initiative involving MARIC, UniKL, MIGHT, and Nexus Future.
Participants also received a demonstration of the NEXUSGRAD platform by En. Daryl Wong, Chief Innovation & Product Strategy at Nexus Future, before hearing an overview of UniKL's rail education programmes from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Zaid Abu Yazid, Dean of UniKL MIDI. The programme concluded with an employer onboarding session, an interactive Q&A, and a networking lunch, providing participants with an opportunity to exchange ideas and explore future collaboration.
Unlike conventional seminars, the programme places a strong emphasis on practical industry engagement by encouraging employers to work more closely with universities and young professionals through structured mentorship and talent development initiatives.
As Malaysia continues investing in urban rail expansion, high-speed connectivity, and rail manufacturing capabilities, initiatives such as NEXUSGRAD are expected to play an important role in narrowing the industry's skills gap while creating stronger links between education and employment.
The launch reflects a growing recognition that developing rail infrastructure must go hand in hand with investing in the people who will design, operate, and maintain Malaysia's railway network in the decades ahead.
