Msian Uni students: This free course can buff your CV in just 42 hours

Back in his student days, this writer used to get yelled at for having his head in the clouds. Nowadays though, everything is in the cloud – with the internet casting it’s world wide…uh…net over everything that we do. In other words, tech-savviness is almost an expected requirement whether you’re a lawyer, doctor, or writer.

Unfortunately though, unless you’re in an IT-related course, you won’t really be taught any of these skills.

The MY5G Ericsson Malaysia Pioneers Programme is something that’s a step towards bridging that gap. Essentially, it’s a free online course that will not only teach you the possibilities and applications of IoT (Internet of Things), Artificial Intelligence, and other emerging technologies; but also give you a digital badge that can be added to your CV and other social media so your highest non-academic achievement won’t just be “Treasurer of Engineering Club”.

But best of all…

You can complete the entire programme in 42 hours

Yup. You can complete the programme in less than a weekend, or 4 games of DoTA2 with a pre-reworked Techies on each team. But of course, you can (and probably should) work at your own pace lah. The Pioneers Programme also doesn’t require you to know programming or be familiar with tech – in fact, it’s even more important for you to join if you’re a tech noob.

Basically, the programme consists of 3 modules with 14 hours of study time each; and one business pitch (more on this later).

Module 1 covers the fundamentals to give you an overall understanding of the digital components that enable digitalization. The module will also show you how these technologies are actually being applied in various industries and sectors.

Module 2 is a deeper dive into 3 of the components covered in Module 1 –

• Big Data
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, and
• XR (eXtended Reality, a catch-all term which includes Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality)

And finally, Module 3 brings everything together; where you can expect to learn the rest of the components in greater detail…

• IoT (Internet of Things)
• Cloud computing
• Cybersecurity
• Principles of blockchain

…with the additional cherry on top being how 5G can bind all of these together.

Each chapter will have their own assessments, and there will be a multiple choice quiz at the end of each module to test how well you’ve learnt the information, which requires a 70% minimum score to pass.

Oh yeah, there’s also an assignment that needs to be done. But don’t worry, throughout the programme, you’ll be given guidance on how to complete the practical assignment. It’s also gonna be fun because…  

Your assignment is to be a Steve Jobs

Even if you aren’t very techy, you’d definitely know Steve Jobs because you’ve seen his company’s products. The thing is, Steve Jobs wasn’t a technical genius… Apple’s co-founder Steve Wozniak even said Jobs never wrote a single line of code:

“Steve didn’t ever code. He wasn’t an engineer and he didn’t do any original design, but he was technical enough to alter and change and add to other designs.” – Steve Wozniak, as quoted by Business Insider

Steve Jobs changed the world with the iPhone because he always saw a problem that people didn’t know existed, and came up with a solution.

Your assignment for the Pioneers Programme is to come up with a solution to a real or anticipated problem in any Malaysian sector or industry. This product or service is only theoretical, so you can use your imagination, but it has to fulfill the following criteria:

• It has to be AI-driven
• It must be based on existing or emerging technology

Don’t worry too much if you’re drawing blanks right now, as the assignment will be done in stages following the modules so you’ll likely have some ideas brewing in your head once you’re done with Module 1. The assignment will be done in the form of a sales pitch to a fictional investor, so it’ll be something like Shark Tank except in the form of a video pitch.

And who knows? Your idea could be good enough that it might actually be realized like Yahoo, Google, or Facebook – which were all created while their founders were still students.

Any industry can be digitalized… we just need someone to think of it

Ten years ago, no one would have thought you’d be able to book a car ride without waving down a taxi, or for a surgeon to remotely perform an operation from a different country. Even therapists are starting to use VR to help patients conquer their fears.

While it’s true that we have to wait for technology to progress to a certain point, it still wouldn’t be possible if no one had the idea to do it.

While doing a bit of reading up on this topic, we came across the story of Tanmay Bakshi, a 14-year old student who started working with IBM as an expert in AI. His first step into the world of tech was actually through his dad, who taught him programming. This early talent got the attention of IBM staff when he discovered a bug in one of IBM’s services.

In a way, the MY5G Ericsson Malaysia Pioneers Programme would be that first step for many Malaysian students.

The programme will be open to students at the foundation, matriculation, undergraduate, and post- graduate levels, and you can click here to register. Once you’re done with the programme, you’ll be getting that digital badge to indicate that, other than your grades, you’re prepared for the future.