The School of Computing and Data Science (SCDS) at Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) hosted a delegation from ZTE Corporation on 12 October 2026 to discuss opportunities for industry-academia collaboration in student recruitment, internships, professional certification and joint research.

The ZTE delegation was led by National HR Li Zi Jian, accompanied by the Technical Vice President of the Malaysia Engineering Service Office and Steven Poh, Director of Skill and Development. Representatives of XMUM were SCDS Deputy Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr Tee Sim Hui, Assistant Deans Dr Sally Lim Thian Li and Assoc. Prof. Dr Md Iftekhar Salam, Dr Lee Sui Ping, and Liew San San from the Career Service Office.

Discussions focused on connecting SCDS students with industry opportunities through recruitment and internship programmes. ZTE outlined its recruitment plans for fresh graduates, with 80% of the designated opportunities allocated to IT students and additional opportunities for students from electrical engineering backgrounds. Both parties also discussed expanding industry attachment opportunities in Malaysia to give students practical experience in the telecommunications and technology sectors.

The meeting also explored professional certification pathways in 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and data centre technologies. ZTE introduced its certification programmes, including the ZTE Certified Internet Associate (ZCIA), ZTE Certified Internet Professional (ZCIP) and ZTE Certified Internet Expert (ZCIE). As an initial step, both parties discussed introducing the ZCIA certification to SCDS students. ZTE also agreed to support Train-The-Trainer (TTT) activities for SCDS lecturers to facilitate the integration of industry certification training into the academic curriculum.

In addition to student development, the discussions covered potential joint research in Internet Protocol (IP) and 5G signal correlation, providing opportunities for academic and technical collaboration between the two parties.

Following the meeting, several initiatives have progressed. ZTE participated in the XMUM Career Fair on 28 October 2026, offering recruitment opportunities for graduating students. Internship opportunities for SCDS students have also been made available since October 2026.

The ZCIA certification programme is scheduled to begin in January 2027, with ZTE supporting TTT activities and preparations for the first cohort of students pursuing the certification. Further collaboration may include advanced certification programmes, industry engagement activities and joint research in telecommunications, AI and 5G technologies.

Dr. Tee Sim Hui, SCDS Deputy Dean, and Li Zi Jian, ZTE National HR, with members of the SCDS and ZTE delegations during the visit to XMUM