The theme for Metropolitan Corridor Scholars Conference 2017 is Realizing Malaysia's Talent

As scholars are deemed and shaped to be future leaders of Malaysia, the theme of Realizing Malaysia's Talents was selected to highlight the scholars' potential to think critically, practically and economically to further develop the country. Scholars are encouraged to tackle and innovate potential solutions to issues and problems faced by the country. Hence, scholars are given an opportunity to present ideas based on the theme and topics listed.

The following sub-themes are broad and inclusive;

• Innovating Asia
• Pushing Sustainable Development
• Impacting Lives
• Developing Rural Areas

The topics will be further categorized into three main education fields such as Science, Engineering and Technology, and Arts and Business. A brief introduction to case studies will be sent to scholars through email on respective topics. Each abstract is expected to be not more than 500 words excluding appendix. Appendix include drawings and sketches of idea or prototype, and references.

1. Innovating Asia

   This topic is chosen to encourage scholars to think on a global scale. This will create awareness towards issues faced by Malaysia in comparison to the fast-paced global development. The first step is for Malaysia to be competitive and be a leading model in Asia. Hence, the brief of case study will be as such:

"The development of Asia has been growing rapidly since the early 1990s. Better technologies, rise of the Internet, and more competitive market has provided the foundation for the continued development of countries in Asia such as Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia. For example, the USB flash drive was developed by a Malaysian whose company is based in Taiwan. The invention has inspired other innovations of bigger storage space and slimmer designs which leads to the sales of more than 500 million units since year 2000. Therefore, as citizens of Asia, how can we continue to develop and innovate Asia to become a forefront in innovation?"

2. Pushing Sustainable Development

   The topic is chosen to encourage scholar to offer creative solutions for sustainable development. As part of the conservative effort by countries such as United States and Finland to develop solutions for an eco-friendly quality of life, scholars are posed with the topic to provide problem-solving innovations to this phenomenon. Hence, the brief of case study will be as such:

"Malaysia has recently launched the continued lines of LRT on 30th June 2016. However, as technologies are continuing to improve, the consumption of natural resources have been depleting. As a result, the country has seen implementation of renewal energy such as water and solar technologies to cope with the growing demands of the citizens. How can businesses adapt to these changing market demands? How can we, as Malaysians, push for more effective sustainable development?"

3. Impacting Lives

   The topic is chosen to encourage scholars to be socially responsible individuals. As future leaders of Malaysia, scholars are encouraged to help society with issues that could hamper the continued efforts of improving quality of life. Scholars should be aware of the corporate social responsibility efforts and initiatives to increase empathetic leadership. Hence, the brief of case study will be as such:

"All lives matter. This is true as individuals and countries continue to seek ways to improve the quality of life. This can be observed with the usage of smartphones, increased efforts to reduce diseases, and making education more accessible to all. As future leaders of Malaysia, you are tasked with the responsibility of innovating ideas and challenge the technologies today for a better future. Using the knowledge of your field, how can you make a difference in the lives of Malaysians? How can you further improve the quality of life to uplift Malaysia to the status of first-world country?"

4. Developing Rural Areas

   The topic is chosen to encourage scholars to turn their efforts and attention to bridging the gap of quality of life between urban and rural areas. This could involve development of physical connectivity between cities, and increased accessibility to basic human rights such as education and medical needs. Hence, the brief of case study will be as such:

"As Malaysia continues its ambition to be recognized as a developed nation by 2020, the focus has shifted to pushing entrepreneurship in light of globalization and improved online presence. One aspect with huge potential for development and increasing GDP is to develop rural areas to support Malaysia's ambition of Vision 2020 as well as to improve the quality of life for those living in rural areas. How can we, as Malaysians, further develop rural areas to increase connectivity, enhance medical accessibility, and improve quality of lives in line to support Malaysia's economy?"

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Plenary Session will include a sharing by industry speakers that will last no longer than 20 minutes. A panel of guests will then be invited to share their opinions based on the questions posed by the moderator from Yayasan Peneraju or Metropolitan Corridor. The questions will revolve around the theme and topics of the Conference. The outcomes of the sharing session by VIPs are as the following:

1. Bridging the gap between industry and graduate expectations upon completion of studies
2. Sharing insights of knowledge and experience from Current Leaders of Malaysia to the Future Leaders of the nation
3. Addressing the continued development and challenges to talent management in Malaysia and Asia

The key take-away points scholars will benefit from the sharing session of VIPs are:

1. Take responsibility and initiative in developing Malaysia as a future leader
2. Challenge own's abilities to develop beyond the scope of studies as preparation for full-time employment
3. View sustainable short-term and long-term efforts both play important roles in pushing Malaysia towards first-world country status

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Time	Details		Venue
08:00 am – 08:30 am	Registration		Foyer
08:30 am – 09:00 am	Arrival of VIP and Guests Morning Refreshments		Foyer, JC Hall
09:00 am – 09:30 am	Opening Ceremony		JC Hall 1
09:30 am – 11:00 am	Plenary Session		JC Hall 1
11:00 am – 11:30 am	Refreshment	Interview Session	Foyer, JC Hall
11:30 am – 01:00pm	Oral Presentations (15 to 18 slots)		1. JC Hall 1 2. LT 7 3. LT 8 4. Interview Rooms
01:00pm – 02:00pm	Lunch/Poster Viewing		1. New cafeteria 2. Foyer, JC Hall
02:00pm – 03:30pm	Sharing Session (1 Year 4 scholar; 1 entrepreneur)		1. JC Hall 1
03:30pm – 04:00pm	Certificate Collection		1. Foyer, JC Hall

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Metropolitan Corridor Scholars Conference will be held at Sunway University.