KOTA SAMARAHAN: A total of 115 students from 23 public universities across Malaysia converged in Sarawak this week for the Impact Digital Community Tourism (IDCT) 2.0 programme which came to a close here on Sunday (June 14).
The closing ceremony was officiated by Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) Strategic Planning Division Secretary Fazidah Mustafa, who praised the initiative as a model for translating academic knowledge into tangible community benefit.
“Institutions of higher learning are not merely places to produce graduates, but institutions responsible for transferring knowledge, technology and expertise to society,” she said.
Coordinated by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), the programme brought together 23 mentors and 115 students who worked directly with 23 local communities nationwide, developing digital platforms to promote community tourism products encompassing culture, heritage, nature and local produce.
UNIMAS vice-chancellor Professor Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit said the programme reflected the university’s philosophy as a community-driven institution committed to empowering society beyond the lecture hall.
He noted that IDCT had grown significantly since its launch in 2023, when it began with 16 communities in Sabah and Sarawak, and expressed hope that it would expand further to Kalimantan and Brunei in the coming years.
Among the programme’s highlights was the integration of artificial intelligence and digital technology into community tourism marketing, enabling local products and destinations to reach wider markets through 23 dedicated digital platforms that will remain active beyond the programme’s conclusion.
Fazidah said the programme’s greatest achievement was not the number of digital platforms produced, but the development of students with the qualities of social entrepreneurs — individuals capable of combining knowledge, creativity, technology and innovation to create positive community impact.
“This is the true legacy of IDCT 2.0,” she said.
The programme aligns with the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026–2035 and MoHE’s Higher Education Institution Entrepreneurship Action Plan 2026–2030, which was launched on May 15.
It also supports the Visit Malaysia 2026 agenda.
