THE Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) has once again positioned Malaysia at the forefront of knowledge and innovation through the Putrajaya Festival of Ideas (FOI) 2025, held from 4 to 8 November at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).
Under the theme ‘MADANI: Shaping the Future, Realising Ideas’, the second edition of the festival continues as a national platform to democratise ideas, strengthen the higher education ecosystem, and foster a forward-thinking, knowledge-driven society.
First introduced in 2024, Putrajaya FOI has evolved into a national agenda promoting a culture of knowledge as a foundation for progress, establishing Putrajaya as a City of Ideas and a global hub for intellectual discourse and innovation.
This year, the festival’s programming expanded nationwide across 13 states during October, leading up to the main event in Putrajaya. The organisers aim to attract two million participants, including 500,000 attending physically, with the remainder joining virtually.
The festival features four main clusters. The MyIDEAS Summit includes royal addresses, forums, parallel sessions, FOI Talks, the Higher Education Institutions Industry Summit, and book discussions on current issues, policies and the future of higher education.
MyIDEAS Connect showcases research and innovation exhibitions, agency services, career fairs, and high-impact collaborations including MoUs, MoAs, and LoIs, alongside product launches and awards recognising excellence in higher education.
The Global Higher Education Summit & Showcase brings together regional and international leaders in higher education through roundtable meetings, forums, and mobility programmes, complemented by performances such as Sounds of Malaysia@FOI.
Advanced TVET & Entrepreneurship focuses on high-skilled workforce development, flexible learning, entrepreneurship courses, and a Bazar@FOI for young entrepreneurs.
Key attractions at the festival include more than 40 parallel sessions and forums with over 100 panelists, international exhibitions such as 1001 Inventions:
The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization, IDEAVAULT for crowdsourced creative ideas, a career carnival offering over 2,000 premium jobs, internship opportunities with TalentCorp, and 67 high-impact collaborations valued at RM163 million.
A total of 33 new product launches with a combined ROI of RM7.6 million are also highlighted, alongside public services including mobile clinics and government agency outreach.
The festival exemplifies KPT’s commitment to Malaysia MADANI, fostering a culture of knowledge, creativity, and innovation while uniting students, researchers, industry leaders, and the wider public to shape an inclusive and globally competitive future for higher education.
Deputy Prime Minister II Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, speaking at the opening, emphasised that education should go beyond economic advancement, serving as a foundation for universal human values.
“We want to build a knowledgeable society that is not only proficient in science and technology but also ethical, empathetic, and responsible towards humanity,” he said. - November 7, 2025
