KNOWLEDGE FUSION IN THE 4th INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

International Conference & Workshop on Knowledge Transfer (ICWKT 2018) 4/5 December, RHRHotel@UNITEN, Putrajaya

Forum 1: Humanizing & Lifelong Learning 4.0

I was moderating so I always remind myself don’t talk too much. You’re not the panelist. Let them talk. I just set the tone for discussions. I like to share some of my own readings the night before. The theme was Knowledge Fusion in IR 4.0 and how does lifelong learning concepts theories and practices are going to respond to it. Talking about humanizing, I take it to mean that we’re worried of this massive and obsessive commercialization of IR 4.0. We seem to be paying more attention to machines than to humans. High tech but no more high touch. But I said no, the new generations of robots are not like what you have imagined it to be. The new generation of robots have cognitive learning abilities or deep learning abilities…which for a long time we thought only humans have cognitive abilities. Scary isn’t it? Can you imagine the later advanced version robots with access to big data IoT, advanced algorithms and predictive analytics, their pick-up line abilities will be much more powerful than humans? Oh well males I would imagine. Especially those are lazy to read or research?  The 4th Industrial revolution seems to be gravitating towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and the much bandied around or talked about already in numerous conferences all over the world are the 12 Enabling Technologies (Augmented Reality AR/Virtual Reality VR, Space Technology, Artificial Intelligence AI, Super Computing, Internet of Things IoT, Geo Engineering, 3D Printing, Advanced Materials, Automation/Robotics, Biotechnology, Battery/Energy Storage, Blockchain/Distributed Ledger) “People who are capable of  recreating themselves and recreating their capabilities are the ones who will be most successful…” (MiGHT, 2017).

Knowledge Fusion in the 4th Industrial Revolution with so many disruptions in practically everything, the workforce of the future can summarily be as follows: creativity/passion; independent, in person; data manipulation; modular; multidisciplinary; collaborative; digital; machine augmented; global ( source: MiGHT, 2017). Humanizing & lifelong learning 4.0 in Knowledge Transfer might include among others, debates that touches upon the content of education and the process of learning. Harvard Disruptive Innovation Guru Professor Clayton Christensen suggests that there will occur: unbundling of education; personalized; repackaged; peer to peer continuous classroom or workplace; online/offline; structured/unstructured; taught or learnt; standardized or not; certificated or not.Peter Fisk (2017) suggests some visions of Education 4.0- responding to needs of IR4.0, where man/machines align to enable new possibilities-harness potential of digital technologies, personalized data open space content and the need for new humanity of this globally-connected, technology-fueled world- establish a blueprint for future learning – from childhood schooling to continuous learning in the workplace to learning to play a better role in society. At the forum I did say that we live in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world and we need to give future leaders Versatility, Inspiring, Assertiveness, Gung-ho, Resourcefulness, Agility or Versatile, Osem, Desperate, Kanchiongg, Agile.

The three panelists for the Humanizing & Lifelong Learning 4.0 in response to the 4th Industrial Revolution were Prof Arham Director Industry Link Division MoE who updated us with regard to IR4.0 and industry linkages and some of the ongoing projects to prepare future data scientists, while Laurent Maillefer Head of Robotics & Motion Division ABB allayed our fears of robots and Abi Sofian Secretary-General CILT Malaysia who in not so many words tell us that the future is logistics and much of what that industry is involved in cannot be separated from IR4.0. Which brought me to crystallize and conclude that industry and academia is no strange bedfellows. Who are the companies that are reshaping industries? Challenging old rules and charting new ones, new ways of working, new ways of winning? Are audacious and harnessing the power of ideas, innovation, networks to be intelligent, collaborative and enabling people to achieve more….and most importantly…how can we take these principles of how these companies change the game or as Peter Fisk puts it ‘changing the game’ and apply it to the world of education? Mindful of the fact or the possibility that the future of education might be something like: why one need something, knowledge or skill and then where to find it…don’t cram your head, don’t try to learn everything!!!,; built around individual; learning together and from each other peer to peer will dominate; teachers move as facilitators of communities built around shared learning and aspirations and finally 9 trends from school children to business executives: diverse time & place; personalized learning; free choice; project-based; field experience; data interpretation; exam will change completely; student ownership; and MENTORING will become important.(source: Peter Fisk, Jan 24, 2017).

By Visiting Professor Khaeruddin Sudharmin CMILT (2392)