NILAI: A total of 50 student start-up companies and creative digital projects have been produced through the Digital Innovation Creativepreneur (DICE) 2.0 initiative, said Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.
He said these projects include short films, animations, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications, and digital games.
“This achievement is a point of pride and demonstrates that our young talents are capable of producing high-quality work, thereby enhancing the marketability of graduates and fostering entrepreneurship in the field of creative digital technology,‘ he said in his speech at the closing ceremony of DICE 2.0 held last night.
He also mentioned that DICE 2.0 benefited from the collaboration of more than 20 agencies and industries involved in creative digital content.
Mustapha added that the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), as the main strategic partner, played a crucial role in the programme. MDEC was involved in planning the DICE creative content module, overseeing the entire implementation phase, and providing business model strategy training through the e-Business Division of the MDEC hub.
According to him, the programme aligns with the Ministry of Higher Education’s (MOHE) Entrepreneurship Action Plan 2021-2025, which aims to empower entrepreneurship among students in higher learning institutions by encouraging them to leverage innovation and digital technology.
“The application of creative entrepreneurial values and skills among our youth is a key focus of this plan,” he said.
The initiative was made possible through the collaboration of the MOHE Strategic Planning Division, the Centre for Careers, Technopreneurs and Smart Networking (PaKaT) of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) and partners including Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd; National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS); KRU Studio; National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), and Warnakala Studios (Didi & Friends).
He emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration with agencies and the creative content industry to foster effective two-way communication and build an entrepreneurial ecosystem that positions Malaysia as a leading entrepreneurial nation by 2030.
The programme involved 250 participants, including IPT students and lecturers, who worked on 48 creative digital content projects in categories such as animation, short films, AR and VR applications, and digital games.
The event last night included the presentation of special and main awards in the animation, short film, interactive media (AR/VR), and digital games categories. Winners received medals and trophies, with special award winners receiving RM2,500 from the National Education Savings Scheme and the main winner awarded RM5,000 in cash.
