When most universities talk about AI, they speak in terms of tools, courses or labs. Multimedia University (MMU) took a different path. It made AI part of its DNA.
“AI isn’t a department, it’s not a lab, and it’s not just a course,” says Professor Dato’ Dr. Mazliham Mohd Su’ud, President of MMU. “It’s our ecosystem. From the way we teach to the way we run our campus, AI is everywhere.”
“MMU is not teaching AI in silos; we are living it.”
That philosophy of turning AI from a concept into a culture has transformed MMU from Malaysia’s digital pioneer into one of its most progressive AI-driven universities.
It’s living proof of a bold idea: MMU is AI, and AI is MMU.
Not a slogan, but a declaration that the future of learning isn’t about adapting to technology, but becoming it.
The Living Lab for Malaysia’s AI Future
Since the 1990s, Multimedia University has played a pioneering role in shaping Malaysia’s digital economy. Its graduates helped build the nation’s first e-commerce platforms, game studios, cybersecurity firms and fintech start-ups that formed the backbone of our new digital generation.
Now, MMU is evolving once again as Malaysia’s AI hub university. A place where research, education and real-world application converge.
At the heart of this transformation is a mindset shift. “Transformation is our tradition,” says Professor Dato’ Mazliham. “We don’t see our legacy as something to preserve; we see it as a foundation to build on.
“AI is not a subject at MMU. It’s the language that connects all our disciplines.”
Professor Dato’ Dr. Mazliham Mohd Su’ud, President of MMU
Where AI Meets Everyday Learning
This integration isn’t theoretical. MMU has embedded AI into the very fabric of its academic, research and operational systems from data-driven insights that help lecturers support students more effectively, to tools that personalise learning experiences and improve campus efficiency.
Beyond the classroom, MMU is home to 13 AI research labs in collaboration with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). These labs serve as innovation nodes connecting academia, industry and government to develop solutions in areas such as smart cities, robotics, data analytics and digital media.
One of MMU’s boldest initiatives is the MMUverse, a metaverse platform that seamlessly integrates virtual learning and campus life. Designed as an immersive digital twin, it lets students attend classes, collaborate or join co-curricular activities. All enhanced by built-in analytics that track and improve engagement.
It’s not just a classroom of the future, it is the future: immersive, interactive and insight-driven.
AI with a Human Heart
For all its technological ambition, MMU remains grounded in one guiding principle: technology must serve humanity, not replace it.
“We remind our students that the master is human, not AI,” says Professor Dato’ Mazliham. “AI can enhance decision-making, creativity, and efficiency, but it should never take away our values, ethics or empathy.”
This belief shapes MMU’s curriculum and culture. Courses in AI ethics, digital responsibility and human-AI collaboration ensure graduates understand not just how to use AI, but why they should.
Collaboration as the New Currency
MMU’s AI ecosystem thrives on collaboration. Its partnerships with global and local industry players from tech startups to multinational corporations, ensure that what’s taught in classrooms is directly connected to what’s needed in the real world.
Through joint projects, internships, and innovation labs, students gain real-world experience solving business problems; turning theoretical knowledge into practical capability. These collaborations keep MMU’s AI initiatives grounded in industry relevance.
As the good professor puts it, “Employability is not a promise; it is engineered into the education process.”
While many institutions position themselves as future-ready, MMU’s leadership prefers a different phrase: future-shaping. That philosophy extends to the university’s internal culture.
Branding, Professor Dato’ Mazliham notes, is everyone’s job — from lecturers who embed AI into their teaching to students who turn ideas into innovation. “When our people live the brand, we don’t need to sell it,” he adds. “Credibility is our currency.”
Making AI Human, Ethical, and Impactful
Looking ahead to 2030, MMU’s vision is clear: to be remembered as the university that made AI human, ethical and impactful for Malaysia. One that didn’t just keep up with change but created it.
It’s a bold goal, but then again, MMU has never been afraid to lead the way.
As Malaysia continues its march towards becoming a digital-first nation, MMU stands as a living laboratory. A place where innovation is tested, refined and humanised. Because for MMU, AI isn’t just technology.
It’s transformation. It’s identity.
MMU is AI. AI is MMU.
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