Tencent Cloud and UTM Connect Malaysia's Emerging AI Talent with Real-World Industry Challenges

• Five-week programme to prepare students for a fast-evolving, more AI-centric job market
• Cohort empowered with AI tools to solve real world challenges from leading local organisations AmBank, JCorp, Silverlake, and Arkie AI
• Two winning teams will represent Malaysia at the Tencent Cloud Hackathon Global Finals in Shenzhen

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tencent Cloud, the cloud business of global technology company Tencent, and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have formalised a three-year collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 18 August 2026 to strengthen AI education, cloud skills development and industry-led problem-solving.

The AI CAN DO IT – Tencent Cloud x UTM AI Hackathon 2026 demonstrated how students can apply AI to real-world industry needs. Held from 10 July to 13 August, the five-week programme brought together UTM students to develop solutions for challenges identified by leading local organisations AmBank, Johor Corporation (JCorp), Silverlake and Arkie AI.

The programme recorded more than 300 engagements across recruitment, training and mentoring activities. The Demo Day at UTM Kuala Lumpur also brought together representatives from the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Tencent Institute of Games and other industry partners.

The MoU was signed at The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur by Professor Ts. Dr. Mohd Shafry bin Mohd Rahim, Vice-Chancellor of UTM, and Poshu Yeung, Senior Vice President, Tencent Cloud International.

Preparing students for an AI-enabled workplace

The Tencent Cloud–UTM collaboration comes as AI proficiency is becoming increasingly important across the workforce. Students and young adults are entering a fast-evolving job market in which AI-supported research, analysis, programming and ideation are becoming more common.

Students at the Hackathon received both online and in-person training on Tencent WorkBuddy, an AI desktop agent that can assist with research, analysis and document creation; CodeBuddy, an AI programming suite that supports coding and software development; and Tencent Design Miora, an AI-native creative studio for visual content and design. These AI tools were used as part of their project work, with technical guidance and feedback from industry practitioners. Students' AI and troubleshooting abilities were tested at the Hackathon by solving real-world problems in a controlled, low-risk environment.

AmBank, JCorp, Silverlake and Arkie AI contributed challenge statements covering financial scam prevention, organisational performance monitoring, and communication and social skills training.

JCorp, for example, asked students to consider how AI could help management identify emerging performance concerns and understand the factors behind them. Arkie AI challenged students to explore how AI-driven role-play and personalised feedback could help people practise communication in a safe environment.

"Much of the AI conversation focuses on access to models and infrastructure. In practice, the harder question is what organisations do with them," said Jasmine Chan, Partnership Director, Tencent Cloud Malaysia. "The same applies to students. Working on a real brief requires them to make choices, test their assumptions and justify their solution with real world commercial outcomes. These experiences will become invaluable to students as AI continues to integrate into Malaysian businesses and the wider economy."

AI skillsets yielding diverse benefits for students

For students, exposure to AI tools and real industry challenges can strengthen practical problem-solving, communication and technical capabilities that are increasingly relevant across sectors. The hackathon also gave participants opportunities to work across disciplines, receive feedback from industry practitioners and translate ideas into demonstrable solutions.

Team Sleep_Well, which included Ho Yu Xiang from UTM's Faculty of Artificial Intelligence, was named champion of the AI Agent Track for AI Scam Shield, an AI-powered financial scam prevention platform developed in response to Silverlake's challenge.

Team Untitled, comprising Ahmad Mohamed Elhassan Seliaman Mohamed and Mohammed Rahbab Chowdhury, won the Game Track with Threshold, a 3D social simulation game designed to help users practise communication skills and build social confidence. Players create an identity, explore an open environment and interact with AI-driven characters across different scenarios.

Both teams will go on to represent Malaysia at the Tencent Cloud Hackathon Global Finals in Shenzhen, China, in September.

Building a longer-term pathway for AI talent development

The hackathon is one of the early initiatives under the broader three-year collaboration between Tencent Cloud and UTM. The MoU provides a framework for joint research in AI, Cloud Computing, Smart Technologies and Digital Transformation; professional certification; hackathons and innovation programmes; internships and talent development; and exchange and training activities.

"Malaysia's continued progress in AI will depend on our ability to connect academic learning with the skills and tools used by industry," said Professor Ts. Dr. Mohd Shafry bin Mohd Rahim, Vice-Chancellor of UTM. "Through this collaboration, we look forward to giving students and educators more opportunities to build practical capabilities in cloud and AI, while contributing to a stronger national talent pipeline."

UTM established Malaysia's first Faculty of Artificial Intelligence in 2024, and its Bachelor in Artificial Intelligence with Honours includes Responsible AI and Ethics. The collaboration supports UTM ASCEND 2030 by expanding opportunities for students and educators to engage with current technologies, industry expertise and real-world AI applications.

About Tencent Cloud

Tencent Cloud, one of the world's leading cloud companies, is committed to creating innovative solutions to resolve real-world issues and enabling digital transformation for smart industries. Through our extensive global infrastructure, Tencent Cloud provides businesses across the globe with stable and secure industry-leading cloud products and services, leveraging technological advancements such as cloud computing, Big Data analytics, AI, IoT, and network security. It is our constant mission to meet the needs of industries across the board, including the fields of gaming, media and entertainment, finance, healthcare, property, retail, travel, and transportation.

About Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is a leading innovation-driven entrepreneurial research university in engineering, science and technology, with campuses in Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur and Pagoh. Ranked 158th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, UTM advances education, research, innovation and industry collaboration for national and global impact.

SOURCE Tencent Cloud