SERDANG, 20 May – Universiti Putra Malaysia, through the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development and Graduate Marketability (CEM), organised the UPM Career & Futurepreneur Festival (CFF) 2026, a two-day festival held from 20 to 21 May 2026 at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad (PSAS), UPM, as a platform to strengthen the agenda of graduate employability, talent development, and student entrepreneurship.

The large-scale festival featured various programmes including career exhibitions, industry forums, AI-based resume development, student entrepreneurship activities, e-sports competitions, youth leadership sessions, and professional development programmes in collaboration with industry partners.

The official opening ceremony of CFF 2026 was officiated by the Vice-Chancellor of UPM, Dato’ Prof. Ir. Dr. Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah at Anjung Ilmu, Block B, PSAS UPM.

In his speech, he emphasised that universities today must produce graduates who are not only academically excellent, but also capable of becoming job creators and future leaders.

According to him, “The world of work is changing rapidly. The digital revolution, artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and the gig economy have transformed the global employment landscape.

“Therefore, today’s graduates must possess a combination of academic knowledge, soft skills, digital capabilities, critical thinking, and strong entrepreneurial qualities.”

He also shared the latest achievements of the UPM Graduate Tracer Study System (SKPG) 2025, which showed significant improvements in graduate employment quality, including graduates working within their field of study, skilled workforce participation, and premium salary achievements.

“The main focus of universities today is not merely to increase employment figures, but to ensure graduates secure quality jobs with competitive salaries, commensurate qualifications, and relevance to future industry needs,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Director of CEM UPM, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hizmawati Madzin said that the organisation of CFF 2026 reflects the university’s continuous efforts in strengthening strategic networks between students and industry.

“CFF 2026 is not merely a career festival, but a platform for the holistic development of the student talent ecosystem.

“Through close collaboration with industry players, students are able to understand the real demands of the job market, build self-confidence, and explore their potential as future entrepreneurs,” she said.

She also informed that CFF 2026 had begun earlier through a series of online pre-programmes that received encouraging participation from UPM students and participants from external institutions.

Among the pre-programmes organised were Design Your Future Today: Right Career, Right You, Reality Check: From Campus Stress to Career Pressure, LinkedIn Unlocked: Build Your Digital Presence, CV Mastery Session with Flipbizz, Adapt to Thrive: Embracing Diversity, Change & the Future, and the forum Diplomatic Career: Aspirations & Challenges.

Overall, the CFF 2026 pre-programme series successfully attracted more than 5,000 participants involving students from various faculties and institutions.

The Director of CFF 2026 and Chairman of Koperasi Keusahawanan Siswa UPM Berhad (KOSISWA), Muhammad Nik Baihaqi Taiki described the festival as a platform for students to explore their potential beyond the classroom.

“Students today must dare to try, build networks, and master future-ready skills. Through CFF 2026, we want students to see careers and entrepreneurship as spaces to create impact, not merely to seek employment,” he said.

Throughout the two-day festival, various flagship programmes were conducted, including Futurepreneur Market & Expo, Breaking Into the Industry, Hack Your Resume: AI-Powered Resume Transformation, Career to Campus: Are You Ready?, Grooming for Success, and The Multi-Hyphenate Career: Mastering Entrepreneurship, Tech and Leadership.

The ceremony also witnessed the presentation of 11 UPM Graduate Employability Awards 2025 to faculties that demonstrated outstanding achievements based on the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Graduate Tracer Study 2025.

CFF 2026 was organised in collaboration with Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad (PSAS), Pusat Pengurusan Wakaf, Zakat dan Infak (WAZAN), Majlis Perwakilan Mahasiswa UPM, Koperasi Keusahawanan Siswa UPM Berhad (KOSISWA), and industry strategic partners including Flipbizz – CEM.

Centre for Entrepreneurial Development and Graduate Marketability
Universiti Putra Malaysia

20 May 2026

Date of Input: 20/05/2026 | Updated: 20/05/2026 | hendrik