YB Senator Dr. Zulkifli Hasan, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) [middle], witnesses the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nestlé Malaysia and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) at MIHAS 2026, marking a significant step towards advancing Halal in STEM education. Pictured with him are [second from right] YM Raja Nurmaria Murni Raja Nur Azmi, Executive Director of Group Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Malaysia and Singapore; [far right] Nasrul Hadi Mohamed Nor, Head of Halal Affairs, Nestlé Malaysia; [second from left] Shamsul Bahri Hj. Md Tamrin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Network), UPM; and [far left] Professor Dr Awis Qurni Bin Sazili, Director, Institut Penyelidikan Produk Halal, Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Nestlé Malaysia has formalized a strategic collaboration with the Halal Products Research Institute (IPPH) of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchanged at the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2026 in Kuala Lumpur. The partnership centers on expanding the HalSTEM programme, an initiative designed to equip secondary school students with practical insights into the science, technology, and innovation driving the modern Halal industry. By combining Nestlé Malaysia’s role as the global Halal Centre of Excellence for Nestlé with UPM’s research rigor, the alliance focuses on co-developing enhanced learning modules, training educators, and executing outreach activities across schools.

The collaboration forms a key component of Nestlé Malaysia’s wider SYNERGY Halal initiative alongside the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), which aims to cultivate an end-to-end Halal ecosystem spanning consumer awareness, SME development, supply chain logistics, and talent development. Through the experiential HalSTEM curriculum, students engage in hands-on scientific applications used in industrial Halal compliance. These activities include microscopy-based authentication, comparative analysis of plant and animal ingredients, artificial intelligence tools, water filtration, sertu soap formulation, and nutritional profiling—effectively bridging the gap between theoretical classroom science and real-world industrial practice.

YB Senator Dr. Zulkifli Hasan, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) [third from right], officially launches the Halal in STEM Programme (HalSTEM) at MIHAS 2026, an initiative by Nestlé Malaysia and UPM to inspire STEM learning through real-world applications from Malaysia’s Halal industry. Also pictured are [second from right] YM Raja Nurmaria Murni Raja Nur Azmi, Executive Director of Group Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Malaysia and Singapore; [third from left] Shamsul Bahri Hj. Md Tamrin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Network), UPM; [far left] YM Raja Badrulnizam Raja Kamalzaman, Senior Director, Strategic Planning Division, MATRADE; [second from left] Muhyidin Bin Aziz @ Saari, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (Dasar), JAKIM; and [far right] Dato’ Mohd Asri Bin Abdullah, Pengarah Bahagian Pengurusan Halal, JAKIM.

Highlighting the long-term vision of the initiative, Nasrul Hadi Mohamed Nor, Head of Halal Affairs at Nestlé Malaysia, emphasized that the initiative aims to ignite youth interest in STEM by showing how scientific disciplines safeguard Halal integrity, quality, and consumer trust. Prof. Dr. Shamsul Bahri Hj. Md Tamrin, UPM’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Network), noted that uniting academic research with commercial manufacturing practices ensures students receive an education grounded in robust scientific standards and industry relevance, while opening avenues for future research exchanges in Halal technology.

Building on the foundation of earlier Halal@STEM pilot programmes held in Terengganu and Melaka, the newly formalized HalSTEM framework will initially expand across Peninsular Malaysia before scaling nationwide. By deepening linkages between academia and industry, the joint initiative directly supports national goals to elevate STEM literacy and develop a future-ready talent pipeline capable of sustaining Malaysia’s competitive edge as a global Halal hub.