Halal Talent Symposium 2025 Promotes Development Of Global Halal Professionals

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- The Halal Talent Symposium 2025 organised by Halal Development Corporation Berhad (HDC) today provided a platform for sharing knowledge, experience and ideas to develop a generation of internationally recognised halal professionals.

HDC, in a statement, said the symposium was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the development of a highly skilled, competent and competitive halal workforce to support the growth of the country’s halal industry.

HDC acting chairman Datuk Azhari Shaari, in his welcoming speech, emphasised that halal talent development relied not only on technical training but also on ethics, professionalism and global competency to ensure Malaysia’s workforce remains relevant and competitive internationally.

“This symposium is an important platform to unite industry players, training institutions and government agencies to form a shared direction in strengthening the employability of halal talent. HDC believes that developing a competent workforce will be a key driver of the country’s halal economic growth,” he said in the same statement.

The symposium, themed “Driving Halal Professionals Towards Global Excellence,” brought together more than 250 participants, including industry players, halal executives, halal training providers, higher education institutions and government agencies.

The one-day programme featured four main discussion sessions with panels from leading institutions and agencies, including Maybank Islamic Berhad, Duopharma Biotech Berhad, Quanterm Logistics, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Department of Standards Malaysia (JSM) and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM).

According to the statement, discussions covered key aspects of halal human capital development, including strategies to produce future halal professionals who are ethical and competitive, exploring career opportunities in the rapidly growing halal ecosystem, empowering the industry through research and commercialisation of innovations, and compliance with international standards to develop globally recognised halal talent.

The first session, titled “Shaping Future Halal Professionals,” featured the Prime Minister’s Department Halal Affairs Coordinator, Datin Paduka Hakimah Mohd Yusoff, who shared insights on the strategic direction for national halal talent capacity development, including aspirations to establish a professional body to recognise and register halal experts and professionals in Malaysia.

HDC said the symposium also highlighted the importance of strengthening ties between industry and educational institutions to ensure halal graduates were better prepared to meet market demands, thereby reducing the gap between training and industry needs.

In addition to forums and panel sessions, the Halal Talent Symposium 2025 also featured a Digital Exhibition showcasing research, innovations and the Halal Community of Practice Framework developed by HDC and local universities.

The symposium is expected to become an annual platform to strengthen strategic dialogue among stakeholders towards developing a high-quality, resilient, and globally recognised halal workforce.

-- BERNAMA