Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has partnered with BlackBerry to launch an embedded software course focused on real-time operating systems, aiming to address a growing gap in technical talent within the region’s manufacturing and technology sectors.
UKM and BlackBerry introduce new engineering curriculum
The initiative comes as Malaysia accelerates its push into semiconductors, robotics and smart manufacturing, areas that demand specialized engineering skills. UKM has introduced a final-year elective on real-time operating systems, which is the first university programme in Asean to incorporate BlackBerry’s QNX platform into its curriculum.
Developed in collaboration with BlackBerry, the course is designed to equip electrical and electronic engineering students with skills increasingly sought after in automotive and industrial automation industries. It focuses on the software that powers safety-critical systems, a domain where reliability is non-negotiable.
The programme is a three-credit elective offered in the second semester of the fourth-year engineering programme. It builds on students’ existing knowledge of embedded systems and gives them hands-on experience developing software using the QNX platform.
Tackling the skills gap in safety-critical engineering
According to Raj Jain, vice-president of QNX Engineering and head of research and development for Asia-Pacific at BlackBerry, the transition of artificial intelligence from cloud-based chatbots to physical machines is creating new demands on software engineers. As AI becomes embedded in robots, vehicles and industrial equipment, software must respond predictably and reliably every single time.
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Unlike the general-purpose operating systems found in most PCs and smartphones, real-time operating systems are designed to guarantee that software responds within precise time limits. This deterministic behavior is essential for applications where even a fraction of a second’s delay could affect safety, such as in autonomous vehicles, factory robots and medical equipment.
Most university computer science programmes focus on general-purpose software development, leaving industry with a shortage of engineers trained in deterministic, safety-critical computing as manufacturers increasingly adopt AI-enabled systems. To help address that gap, UKM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Sufian Jusoh says the curriculum is intended to better align engineering education with industry needs.
“Our objective is to produce graduates who are ready to contribute from day one, with practical experience in embedded systems and real-time software that industries are increasingly looking for,” he says.
The inaugural intake will comprise around 60 students, who will undergo several months of practical training before taking part in an industry-style hackathon. Teaching will be delivered by UKM lecturers, supported through a train-the-trainer programme conducted by BlackBerry’s technical specialists.
