Khairudin Aljunied of the National University of Singapore said students should develop indispensable skills such as in artificial intelligence.

He said degrees that could become obsolete by the time a student graduates include engineering, humanities and social sciences, as well as science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM.

He said the situation would be “worse” for those pursuing degrees in the humanities and social sciences.

“Which means that you must know what the future holds for you.

“Not the degree that you are earning, but the kind of skills that you need to develop,” he said at the Ilmuwan Malaysia Madani forum titled “Muslim Unity in Times of Geopolitical Crisis” last night.

The forum was hosted by the higher education ministry.

Khairudin said other skills that undergraduates could master included video production and graphic design.

He said undergraduates should inform universities, vice-chancellors, deans, and heads of departments about what they need.

“Then the universities will adjust in accordance with your needs.”

Higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said the ministry recently launched a new higher education curriculum and framework, aimed at ensuring that universities remain responsive to future demands and changing industry needs.

He said higher education planning could no longer remain static, describing the new framework as a “living document”.