By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 22: A total of 247 youths participated in the two-day PUTRA BAKTI Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship and Konsortium Universiti Universitas Borneo (KUUB) AI4Youth Future Leaders Training 2026 programmes held on Feb 21 and 22 at the TEGAS Digital Innovation Hub Bintulu, aimed at equipping young leaders with digital literacy and artificial intelligence (AI) fundamentals to turn ideas into impactful action.
Held under the theme “Empower, Innovate, Lead”, the programme placed particular emphasis on structured talent development. Participants were guided through modules covering digital literacy, foundational AI knowledge, entrepreneurial thinking, as well as communication and critical thinking skills, ensuring that technical exposure was complemented by leadership formation.
Reflecting a strong regional footprint, the training was conducted in a hybrid format and drew students and youths from Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus, Universiti Putra Malaysia Serdang, ADTEC Bintulu, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sarawak, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sabah, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, TVVET Bintulu and MRSM Bintulu, alongside representatives from universities in Indonesia and Brunei. The breadth of participation underscored growing cross border collaboration in cultivating technology literate and competitive future leaders.
Over the two days, participants engaged in high impact leadership training anchored in real world problem solving. They were given practical exposure to AI fundamentals and smart technologies, while sessions on ethical and responsible technology use reinforced the importance of digital accountability. Workshops on effective communication and critical analysis further strengthened their ability to articulate ideas clearly and respond to complex challenges.
In doing so, the initiative aligns with TEGAS’ mandate to advance human capital development capable of supporting Sarawak’s digital transformation agenda. By integrating leadership training with emerging technologies and entrepreneurial skills, the programme contributes to building a pipeline of youth talent prepared to drive innovation and economic growth in the State.
The training forms part of a Smart Partnership between Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus and TEGAS under the Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship platform, with TEGAS serving as the principal sponsor. The collaboration brings together academia, industry stakeholders, government agencies and local and international experts in a concerted effort to strengthen digital economy development, entrepreneurship, education and social progress in Sarawak. — DayakDaily
