This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on May 11, 2026 - May 17, 2026

Backed by a €10 million (RM46 million) grant from the European Union (EU) and offering more than RM2 million in competition prize money, Malaysian non-profit Rakan Tutor is working to close what its co-founder Kaveen Parthiban calls a widening artificial intelligence (AI) skills gap in the country’s public schools.

He warns that this gap could leave Malaysian youth unprepared as AI disrupts up to 28 million jobs across Southeast Asia by 2030.

Rakan Tutor, which started in July 2021, began as a non-profit offering free one-to-one tutoring to underserved secondary school students in Malaysia. It has since expanded into digital skills training in response to the growing importance of AI.

Malaysia is advancing its digital transformation by integrating AI across its education ecosystem, from primary schools to universities. But the country’s public school curriculum is not catching up fast enough to prepare youth for the shift, says Kaveen.

“This is primarily due to limited resources, time and trained educators to support AI learning. We see AI as a key enabler and want to position it in a way that helps students achieve better career outcomes and future opportunities.”

The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) projects that the global education technology market will surpass US$400 billion (RM1.6 trillion) by 2030, fuelled by rising demand for digital and technology-enabled learning. Countries that combine forward-looking policies, innovation and digital talent will take the lead, Mida says, adding that Malaysia is well placed to reach regional markets, thanks to its robust digital infrastructure, progressive policy environment and multicultural, multilingual talent pool.

“AI is not just a phase. It’s here to stay. We are already seeing some disruption in jobs as well. One of the research that we have done shows us that by 2030, up to 28 million jobs could be disrupted in Asean due to AI,” says Kaveen.

Rakan Tutor wants to bridge that gap by offering free, high-impact programmes and competitions designed to upskill students in AI.

When most people talk about AI in education, they picture tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini being used to generate essays or complete assignments. Rakan Tutor’s finance director Lim Jay Yen says the organisation’s approach goes further, teaching students what AI actually is and how to build their own websites and tech applications without necessarily learning to code.

“It’s not necessarily about how you write an essay and whatnot, but we actually teach them more fundamental things. For instance, how does ChatGPT work? What are the ethical considerations to think about? We also look at something called AI for social good. We teach students how [they] can use AI to solve important problems in the world, like how to achieve sustainable development goals using AI,” says Lim.

Lim says a key focus is helping students overcome any fear of AI while equipping them with the knowledge to use it effectively. This includes how to craft better prompts for more meaningful outcomes, rather than relying on simplistic instructions.

“Many students have a limited understanding of AI, often associating it solely with ChatGPT, without awareness of the broader ecosystem of tools and applications. This lack of exposure places them at a disadvantage,” says Lim.

“While previously students’ capabilities may have been more limited, AI now enables them to achieve far more. With this enhanced capability, they can actively create, innovate and bring their ideas and imagination to life.”

To address the gap, Rakan Tutor engages students through online onboarding and in-person workshops in schools, connecting them with trainers and offering around 40 “nano modules” covering various aspects of AI.

“These modules are designed for self-paced learning, allowing students to continue building their knowledge beyond the workshops. Among the topics covered are areas such as AI ethics, where students are introduced to the broader implications and potential risks associated with the technology,” says Lim.

Those discussions include how earlier versions of AI tools could generate inaccurate or even harmful information, and how such tools may be misused. They are intended to help students think critically about where lines should be drawn and who should be responsible for setting them, Lim says.

“Students are encouraged to explore ideas, share their own AI-generated projects and learn from one another in a collaborative environment. Through this, we aim to sustain interest and foster a community of learners who continue experimenting with and applying AI in creative ways,” he adds.

So far, Rakan Tutor has helped 3,016 students and trained 54 teachers through its train-the-trainer programme, recording a 34.1% increase in AI understanding and an 18.68% boost in teachers’ confidence to teach AI, says Kaveen.

The non-profit has also drawn international attention. It was selected from a global pool of applicants for a €10 million grant under the EU Youth Empowerment Fund, aimed at scaling AI education across the Asia-Pacific region.

Kaveen says the funding will allow Rakan Tutor to expand beyond Malaysia and into the wider Southeast Asian region through localised content, partnerships with schools, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government agencies, and regional training cohorts and competitions.

“The goal is to replicate a proven model across diverse education systems while significantly increasing reach and impact,” he says.

Last year, Rakan Tutor also received the US-based YSEALI Seeds for the Future grant, which allowed it to reach more than 3,000 individuals in Malaysia and establish train-the-trainer partnerships with non-profits in Laos and Indonesia.

“What we are doing with this grant now is to expand our projects and also find new opportunities to serve students. It kind of gives us the validation that this is an important problem that needs to be resolved,” says Kaveen.

Rakan Tutor is also collaborating with Sunway University on its annual National AI Competition, positioned as one of the largest AI contests for youth in Malaysia. Launched in 2025 and now in its second edition, the competition targets secondary and pre-university students aged 14 to 19, who compete in teams to design and present AI-driven solutions to real-world problems. It features multiple tracks, including AI engineering, computing, architecture, generative AI and innovation.

“Over RM2 million in bursaries will be disbursed to the winners. There’s no participation fee for the competition and it’s reaching all students in Malaysia. Last year, we had 2,500 students sign up. This year we are targeting over 5,000 students,” says Kaveen.

According to Rakan Tutor’s website, participants received the competition topics and joined a complimentary AI masterclass from March 31 to April 2. Proposals are due by May 10, with finalists to be announced on May 18 before the grand final at Sunway University on June 13.

“This is something we want to grow for years to come and not just as a one-off thing. Last year, we had competitors from all around Malaysia join the competition. And this year, we want to do it bigger, better and more meaningful for the students. Not just as a competition but also something they can learn and use practically in their lives or careers,” he notes.

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