APU enhances student career prospects thru pact with FinTech Association of Malaysia

• First Uni to collaborate with FAOM and its more than 100 member institutions
• Nurture grads with industry-relevant skills into competent fintech professionals

A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), represented by its Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) and Chief Innovation Officer, Prof Ir Ts Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam and FinTech Association of Malaysia (FAOM), represented by its President, Mohammad Ridzuan Abdul Aziz.

Under the MOA, APU students who are undergoing the FinTech related programmes namely the Bachelor of Banking & Finance (Hons) with a specialism in FinTech and the Master of Finance (FinTech) will gain exposure to internship and career opportunities with FAOM’s member organisations.

This marks the first time a university in Malaysia is collaborating with the FinTech Association of Malaysia (FAOM).

Established in 2017, FAOM is the key enabler and a national platform to facilitate Malaysia to be the leading hub for Financial Technology (FinTech) innovation and investment in the region. FAOM has more than 100 member institutions to date which includes leading banks, financial institutions and FinTech platforms.

The collaboration is timely as recruitment agency, Randstad’s 2020 Outlook and Salary Snapshot indicated a shortage of skilled talents within the FinTech and BankTech scene.

Both APU and FAOM aim to nurture the graduates with industry relevant skills and shape them into competent FinTech talents who will contribute to Malaysia’s FinTech eco-system.

In addition to the potential internship and job opportunities for its students, APU will jointly develop professional courses, training and industry-focused FinTech conferences with FAOM that are specifically designed for working professionals. It is also anticipated that the university will invite industry experts from FAOM’s member organizations to deliver guest lectures and industry talks to its FinTech students.

“As APU strives to bridge industry and academia, the collaboration with FAOM strengthens the industry presence on campus in particular to the Fintech development within APU and increase graduate attributes towards technologies serving the financial industry,” said Vinesh.

“APU is committed to producing industry-ready graduates and partnership with FAOM is another testimonial to it. Financial services jobs are getting transformed and graduates need to have appropriate skills in line with industry requirement. Having FAOM as our industry partner will help the school to have a focused curriculum as well as necessary industry exposure for the learners,” said Prof Dr Nafis Alam, Head of School of Accounting & Finance, APU. Nafis is also amongst Refinitiv’s Top 100 global social media influencers in FinTech.

Mohammad Ridzuan Abdul Aziz, President of FAOM, welcomed the partnership with APU. “FAOM is focused on 5-key elements, where we look at capacity building, funding strategy, narrative curation, technology verification and trust-building – focusing on governance, risks management and compliance. We hope this partnership will prepare students with comprehensive capabilities that would facilitate their immersion with various stakeholders of Malaysia’s digital economy ecosystem.”