Johor Bahru:Universiti Teknologi Malaysia has enrolled 4,506 new students in full-time undergraduate programs for the 2026/2027 academic session.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, of the new students, 4,088 registered at the Johor Bahru campus and 418 at the Kuala Lumpur campus, with 4,328 being Malaysians. The Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying admitted the largest number of students at 771, followed by the Faculty of Science with 511, and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering with 503.
The university has increased its undergraduate intake by about 500 places this year. This includes the first intake of 55 students for the Faculty of Artificial Intelligence at the Johor Bahru campus, resulting in approximately a 12 percent increase in the student population. UTM has also added sections for Data Engineering and Accounting programs and introduced new programs in Data Science and Business Analytics.
The 55 students in the Faculty of AI form its first cohort, supporting the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone by developing skilled talent. UTM is also exploring collaborations with international companies to enhance technology capabilities in the JS-SEZ. Collaborative efforts with Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore are underway to develop a Quantum Processing Unit at UTM's Technovation Park.
UTM allows students to use AI in their studies, but only up to 20 percent of their work, with the rest requiring independent thinking. The university provides access to AI facilities, including a high-performance computing system, for academic projects. If assignments rely too heavily on AI, students must revise them according to set guidelines.
UTM is strengthening ties with industry and international companies from the early stages of students' studies to enhance employability. Additionally, the university remains committed to easing students' cost-of-living burdens through initiatives like the RM5 meal initiative and special aid for 1,200 students from B40 families via its endowment fund, zakat, UTM Foundation, and Ziarah Kasih program.